[h3]Two Kovalchuk finalists left?[/h3]
10:22AM ET
[h5]Ilya Kovalchuk |
Thrashers | Interested:
Devils?,
Rangers?,
Bruins?,
Kings? [/h5]
Are only two realistic suitors left for
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1175Ilya Kovalchuk? It's possible. Nearly every team has indicated they won't make the deal except the
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=losLos Angeles Kings and
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=njdNew Jersey Devils. Something should happen
by this weekend, but in the meantime, several teams appear to no longer be interested because of the absurd demands.
According to various reports, the teams now probably out of the running are: the
Philadelphia Flyers,
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=nyrNew York Rangers,
Boston Bruins,
Calgary Flames,
Chicago Blackhawks and
Vancouver Canucks.
Here are the details for all these teams:
Kings: The longtime favorite to land Kovy. GM Dean Lombardi has said he doesn't want Kovy as a rental -- but maybe he's changing his mind. The
initial asking price was quite high, but now
CBC reports the two sides have
Alexander Frolov involved and are "arguing" over
Jack Johnson. As a backup measure, LeBrun notes the Kings are considering
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=carhttp://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=carCarolina Hurricanes winger
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1020http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1020Ray Whitney as an alternative.
Devils: Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun says they
might be the frontrunner, and the possibility is growing. This isn't GM Lou Lamoriello's M.O., but they do want to make a strong push for the Cup in this window of opportunity. Thrashers associate GM Rick Dudley was seen watching Devils' prospects at Lowell (AHL) while GM Don Waddell was seen at the Devils-Leafs game. TSN's
Bob McKenzie tweets that "a case could be made.
" Is he smiling because he knows something's going down?
Rangers: They made a low-ball offer a few days ago. The asking price now, according to the New York Post's
Larry Brooks:
Marc Staal or
Michael Del Zotto,
Ryan Callahan or
Brandon Dubinsky, one of three prospect and a first rounder. This essentially means the deal is off.
Bruins: They have made a "legit pitch" for
Ilya Kovalchuk, according to hockey writer
Chris Botta. But sources tell the
Boston Globe's reports that the Bruins are not considered to be serious bidders. They have been
talking trade with the Thrashers for a while, but the asking price was too high. Waddell wanted their first rounder they got from the Leafs, but Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has said he's not parting with that pick, and there's buzz that he might not part with any of his other first rounders (two in 2010, two in 2011.) That might be a deal breaker.
Canucks: There has been buzz that the Canucks are
still in the hunt, but GM Mike Gillis has said he wasn't interested -- a month ago.
Flyers: They have the players, prospect and picks to make this trade. But CSN sources say they are "
all but out" of the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. CBC, however, says talks are still ongoing and
Scott Hartnell is a piece.
Blackhawks: They are out of the running,
CBC's Elliotte Friedman reports.
Flames: They are out, too, trusted TSN scribe
Bob McKenzie reports.
http://[h3]Filatov might stay put[/h3]
10:13AM ET
[h5]Columbus Blue Jackets [/h5]
Blue Jackets prospect
Nikita Filatov and former coach Ken Hitchcock had well documented feud with each other. Filatov didn't get enough playing time, which pushed him to go to Russia, which pushed the Jackets to shop the young forward.
But now, with Hitchcock gone, there is speculation that Filatov might not be dealt. The 19-year-old had said he might stay in Russia past this season, but this move might push the youngster to be back with the Jackets at the beginning of next season.
The Fourth Period spoke with Filatov last week, and Filatov said he enjoyed his time in Columbus. He has previously said he left because he didn't get a chance to develop as a player, but if the new coach for next season -- whoever it is -- can get on his good side, he might be able to lure the winger back.
http://[h3]Flyers want to keep Emery[/h3]
10:07AM ET
[h5]Ray Emery |
Flyers [/h5]
The
Philadelphia Flyers' future plans at goalie got clearer yesterday. The Flyers said they plan on negotiating an extension with G
Ray Emery in March,
CSN Philly reports. This might indicate that they won't continue to search for a goalie on the trade market... or will they?
The Flyers were rumored to be looking for a young goalie a few months ago; they may have made a pitch for Habs G
Jaroslav Halak. But the talk has died down of late, and
Michael Leighton stepped up to fill the gap. Still, the Flyers could make a deal, since they plan on talking to Emery
after the trade deadline, but this might mean they are comfortable with Emery in net for the next few years.
It's also possible that the Flyers will re-sign Emery as an backup plan, in case they don't land one of the goalies on the trade or free agent markets. They may eye potential Preds free agent G
Pekka Rinne or Thrashers G
Kari Lehtonen, who is on the trade market.
http://[h3]Sharks may deal prospects[/h3]
9:55AM ET
[h5]San Jose Sharks [/h5]
Sharks GM Doug Wilson is spending the next 10 days on the road, trying to find some pieces for his team. And he hinted that he might part with some of his prospects to get those additional pieces.
Wilson told the
San Jose Mercury News that he will attend some junior and college games to figure out which prospects he might be willing to part with and which ones he won't part with.
They are already on the verge of trading for
Niclas Wallin, after failing to trade for D
Ian White who ended up in Calgary.
http://[h3]Kovy in free agency[/h3]
9:17AM ET
[h5]Ilya Kovalchuk |
Thrashers [/h5]
You've probably read
our post about the imminent
Ilya Kovalchuk trade. But Kovy has said he will test the free agent market, which means the trade is still a rental. So four months later, some team will still have to fork over $100 million to acquire the star winger.
The latest reports say Kovy's agent, Jay Grossman, hasn't backed off from the huge demands for his client. They want the maximum -- $11.3 million -- for 10 to 12 years, the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Meanwhile, the last offer left on the table was $101 million over 12 years, which averages to $8.42 million a year.
So it will be a matter of who can afford him. Some speculated the Leafs would look this direction, but GM Brian Burke has repeatedly said he won't pay one player that much money. The Flames, Rangers and Kings are interested in trading for him, but they may also be interested in signing him in the offseason. They'll all have to get financially creative to do so.
The Bruins and Canucks also have interest, as do the Islanders. All of them appear to be out of trade talks, but they might make a pitch to Kovy in the offseason. Still, it will be anywhere from a $113 million to $136 million commitment, if the asking price isn't lowered.
http://[h3]Bruins eying Kaberle, Barker[/h3]
8:53AM ET
[h5]Tomas Kaberle |
Maple Leafs [/h5]
The
Boston Bruins might be eying
Tomas Kaberle again. With the
Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring
Dion Phaneuf, the buzz around league circles is that Kaberle will be traded. Leafs GM Brian Burke has said he won't ask Kaberle to waive his no-trade clause, but in the offseason the clause isn't in effect so he can trade away.
But this one might happen sooner, because Kaberle was willing to go to Boston last offseason when a Leafs-Bruins trade almost happened. The Bruins would've sent
Phil Kessel to the Leafs for Tomas Kaberle, but there was miscommunication about whether draft picks would be involved. (Eventually, the Leafs sent two first rounders and a second rounder for Kessel -- a move they might be regretting, since that pick might end up being in the top-three.)
NESN's James Murphy writes, "The Bruins could be the first in line with an offer for the 31-year-old if they could move some money out themselves. Kaberle, who leads the Leafs in scoring with 43 points, is due $4.2 million next season." But Kaberle is in the last year of his deal, so the Leafs might trade him -- for draft picks. Maybe the Bruins will give the Leafs their 2010 first rounder in a cruel twist of fate.
Meanwhile, Murphy adds that the Bruins might look at Blackhawks D
Cam Barker or F
Patrick Sharp. It would require the Bruins to move some cap space, but Chicago needs to clear cap room so the Bruins might get a decent discount on these players in the offseason.
http://[h3]Stars have several trade options[/h3]
8:43AM ET
[h5]Dallas Stars [/h5]
Yesterday we told you the
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=dalDallas Stars might be active at the deadline, but today the
Dallas Morning News suggests they may be quiet before March 3 because they can make some of the same deals in the offseason.
But as Leafs GM Brian Burke put it, GMs can be stupid around the deadline -- and they can be willing to overpay. Stars are still in contention, but if they stumble, they may pull the trigger on deals involving
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=776Mike Ribeiro,
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1985Steve Ott,
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3943Fabian Brunnstrom and
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=959Marty Turco.
TSN's Darren Dreger adds that the Stars want to cut payroll, so these veterans may be shipped out either way.
The Stars will also look to acquire a young goalie.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3116Jaroslav Halak,
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3750Cory Schneider and
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=2106Kari Lehtonen have been raised as possible trade targets, but the Morning News suggests they might wait until the offseason to see if
Pekka Rinne hits the free agent market.
http://[h3]Turco to L.A.?[/h3]
8:32AM ET
[h5]Marty Turco |
Stars [/h5]
The
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=dalDallas Stars are
shopping goaltender
Marty Turco, because they don't plan on re-signing him at season's end.
One possible destination is the
Los Angeles Kings because, as
ESPN.com's Scott Burnside writes, the Kings don't have playoff experience in goal with
Jonathan Quick and
Erik Ersberg. But the Kings are also in on
Ilya Kovalchuk and, if they do trade for Kovy, they may not have the money to bring in Turco, who is a $5.4 million cap hit.
The Kings are also reportedly looking at the Canes'
Ray Whitney.
http://[h3]Biron to Habs?[/h3]
8:28AM ET
[h5]Martin Biron |
Islanders [/h5]
Martin Biron might still be traded, and
ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun thinks the veteran goaltender is interested in going to Montreal.
The Canadiens will we seeking a cheap, veteran goalie once they trade either
Jaroslav Halak or
Carey Price. Even if these two trades don't happen before the trade deadline, it's possible the Habs will trade Halak in the offseason and sign Biron.
http://[h3]Habs eying top-six forwards[/h3]
8:24AM ET
[h5]Montreal Canadiens [/h5]
The
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=monhttp://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=monMontreal Canadiens have reportedly been looking for a top-six forward for the past few weeks. There are rumors that GM Bob Gainey has inquired about Blues F
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=434Paul Kariya and Hurricanes F
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1020Ray Whitney, but thus far he hasn't found what he's looking for.
But, as
The Fourth Period writes, this search for a forward might heat up after recent news that F
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=1517Mike Cammalleri will be out
at least six weeks.
We previously heard from coach Jacques Martin that he
wasn't expecting any trades, but it looks as if Gainey's been actively looking for some help on the market.
If they deal with the Blues -- and the Habs are out of playoff contention by then -- a trade might involve G
Jaroslav Halak, who needs to be moved soon. Halak hasn't been traded, though, because he's kept the Habs competitive.
http://[h3]Wallin to Sharks today[/h3]
8:15AM ET
[h5]Niclas Wallin |
Hurricanes [/h5]
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=996Niclas Wallin was a scratch last night and he might be heading to the San Jose Shark, TSN's
Darren Dreger reports.
Wallin has been on the block for the past month or so. If this goes through, this trade might open the floodgates for Hurricanes trades, since it seems nearly half the team is on the block.
There was
previous buzz that the Sharks wanted D
Ian White from the Leafs before the Flames picked him up in the
Dion Phaneuf deal, so they've definitely been looking for a blueliner.
http://[h3]Hitchcock to Blues?[/h3]
7:26AM ET
[h5]Ken Hitchcock |
Blue Jackets [/h5]
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=clsColumbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock
was fired, as previously speculated, and we have a possible destination for him: St. Louis.
The idea was first raised by the
Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch, who said it might be a possibility after Blues coach Andy Murray was fired.
But considering the Blues' players took issue with Murray's style, Hitchcock might not be a good fit at the point. He wasn't exactly been a players' coach in Columbus, but some believe discipline is something a young Blues team needs right now. However, there's been some buzz that interim coach
Davis Payne should keep the job, as they label him the
next Dan Bylsma.
