Monthly Archives: November 2011
With 10 NHL scouts scattered around the press box — Comeau, on a one-year, $2.3-million contract, would be the likeliest trade target, even though the season isn’t even a month old — the line continued to play hard but out of sync.
I hope you’re sitting down, because the following sentence may blow out your kneecaps as well as your mind: It’s time to blow up the Calgary Flames.
I kid, of course. That notion isn’t new at all. In fact, people have been arguing for the demolition of the current Flames roster since former GM Darryl “Sunshine” Sutter was turning the world on with his smile and acquiring former Maple Leafs like he was the ghost of Harold Ballard. In spite of the numerous cries for change, when Sutter was asked to resign Dec. 28 of last year, his replacement, Jay Feaster, saw enough worth salvaging and chose not to clear out the team’s veteran core.
Flames general manager Jay Feaster says he’s not going with the full rebuild in Calgary. Instead, he’s going to make these Calgary Flames back into a Stanley Cup contender without subjecting fans to a prolonged stint at the bottom of the standings.
In short, Feaster would take the Flames north without first going south.
Restricted free agent Turris not without his suitors
Phoenix Coyotes boss Don Maloney doesn’t even need to dial his phone these days.
Not that he’s surprised. This, he would have seen coming.
With restricted free agent Kyle Turris holding out, Maloney must have known that it would take only a few weeks of hockey — in particular, bad hockey — for the suitors to start queuing up.
The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to retain rookie center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the remainder of the season has generated speculation over center Sam Gagner’s future with the club.
With Nugent-Hopkins centering the Oilers’ top line between Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, and Shawn Horcoff between Ryan Smyth and Ryan Jones on the second line, the Oilers shifted Gagner, formerly their second-line center, to right wing on the third line.
HockeyBuzz is reporting that there is tons on interest in Omark
Linus Omark of the Oilers, has been sent to the minors.. The Oilers have a ridiculous amount of young talent, and Omark is right up there.. There is a bit of a logjam going on right now in Edmonton up front, while the Oilers are still lacking on the Defensive side of the puck.
Jets GM won't pull trigger on trade
Kevin Cheveldayoff might be a first-year NHL general manager but that doesn’t mean he’s itching to pull the trigger on a trade to shake things up.
So while the Winnipeg Jets are off to a 4-6-1 start and working their way out of the basement in the Southeast Division, the general manager isn’t really looking to change things up at this time.
Leafs Trade Talks
The trade calls are heating up in Toronto, a source told ESPN.com Tuesday, with the New York Rangers among the clubs that have redialed the 416 area code of late.
As we reported last week, blueliner Cody Franson is available in Toronto.
There were rumblings the team was thinking of trading Brenden Morrow. I’d be shocked, but looked into it. He has a no-trade, and, unless things have changed in the last few days, he hasn’t been asked to waive it.
Will the Oilers trade Omark?
When Hemsky returns in a week, the Oilers will have to do something with the right-winger Omark, who has National Hockey League skill. Unless I’m reading the collective bargaining agreement incorrectly, if Omark plays 60 NHL games, he has to clear waivers to be sent to the Oklahoma City Barons. He’s was too good for the AHL last season. If they’re caring, they’ll deal him somewhere else. The Carolina Hurricanes are looking for forwards.
Devils center attention on Oilers' Gagner
Wait, or win? The Devils may have the chance to solidify their patched-up center position, and might have already asked the Oilers about 22-year-old Sam Gagner.
The patience route was tangibly encouraged by Travis Zajac’s visit to practice yesterday, after having already started light solitary skating. It was reminder the Devils’ No. 1 center — the missing righty — could be back by Christmas, although how good he’ll be this season is an open question.