Monthly Archives: January 2012
Could Ruutu be going to Nashville?
By my estimation, the Predators need a scorer with some playoff grittiness, and perhaps more important, another defenseman who is hard to play against.
If the Carolina Hurricanes are planning to trade potential unrestricted forward Tuomo Ruutu, for example, he seem like they would perfectly fill one of Nashville’s holes.
Of course that would be a short-term patch, and I’m guessing Suter would prefer to see long-term acquisitions. Probably Poile would prefer a long-term addition as well. But if you are Poile, you have to believe that the best way to make sure Suter returns is to make a lengthy playoff run. Acquiring rental players could help you do that.
Trade talk heating up
LEBRUN: I feel for Ducks GM Bob Murray. Where was this level of play two months ago when the season was still salvageable? I just can’t see the Ducks bridging that gap. All this run is doing is ruining Anaheim’s draft pick for June. Unless Anaheim somehow gets back into the race, the Ducks will be sellers come the trade deadline. One name to keep an eye on is veteran blueliner Lubomir Visnovsky.
Leafs stalked by trade rumours
In one corner of the Maple Leafs dressing room on Monday afternoon, Mikhail Grabovski was addressing trade rumours.
In another corner, Clarke MacArthur had just stopped doing the same.
Nearly a month has to pass before the NHL’s trade deadline comes on Feb. 27, but with the all-star break finished, speculation will start to thicken in earnest.
That is a lot of time, and there are a lot of seats in the dressing room. On Monday, as the team returned from the all-star break, the hottest seat belonged to Mikhail Grabovski, the centre who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“You know, I think it’s more about you guys — not me,” he said of speculation he might become a bargaining chip in the trade market. “I think more about hockey than about my future. I know if I play well, I can stay with the same team.”
Unlike the Devils, whom they visit at Prudential Center on Tuesday night for the first of five remaining games this season, the Rangers have a problem unique to N.H.L. teams as the calendar turns to February: a roster logjam.
This is especially the case at forward, where John Tortorella’s club has 14 players on the roster. Coaches usually dress 12 forwards and 6 defensemen in each game; sometimes they play 11 and 7.
Erik Christensen has returned to the Rangers’ roster after a conditioning stint with the minor league affiliate in Connecticut. Christensen, who has been unable to claim a spot on Tortorella’s top three lines but is valuable as a substitute and for his prowess in the shootout, has not played for the Rangers since Dec. 17.
Canucks looking for grit
Raymond is going to hear his name mentioned a lot because he’s probably the easiest forward to move.
A team may see in him a similar case to Michael Grabner’s, who bloomed when given a different role than the one he had with the top-heavy Canucks.
What the Canucks need is someone like Travis Moen.
Will all the media people — writers, commentators, analysts, hosts — who Brian Burke hasn’t cut off, fought with, tried to bully or intimidate this hockey season, please raise your hands?
The list of Burke’s battles, his latest target being Don Cherry, is ever growing and frankly, it says much more about Burke than it does about the people is squabbling with.
*Why should anybody be surprised that Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow might be on the market? There are lots of miles on that chassis from all the punishment he’s taken and dished out, and he just turned 33. He’s still an effective player, but this is the classic case of the Stars checking the level of teams’ interest before Morrow hits the free-agent marketplace on July 1, 2013.
Jets' trade deadline wild card
There is one wild card still in the deck that could change everything about the Winnipeg Jets’ push for a playoff spot.
The NHL trade deadline, Feb. 27, could dramatically alter the landscape right around that precarious eighth and final spot on the ledge.
Here is one to smoke on.Please do not inhale .From CBJ,Nash & Huselius,From TORGrabovski, Schenn, Kadri and Komisarek.1st time Nash involved
https://twitter.com/#!/RealBillWatters/statuses/164000841504800769
It’s crunch time for Maple Leafs
Get prepared for the final 10 weeks of the NHL season where the math will be computed daily, if not more frequently.
As it stands today, the Maple Leafs are on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture — but at ninth, only just — with their post all-star break action due to resume Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
So far, the season has been mostly mission accomplished for the Leafs, who have 55 points and are in decent position to challenge for a long-awaited playoff excursion. The popular math suggests the Leafs will need between 37 and 40 points over their remaining 33 games and that projection will be influenced somewhat based on the performance of others in the tight East.
Monday Rumors from Bruce Garrioch
OFF THE GLASS
Should the Canadiens go shopping at the deadline — and they haven’t decided whether they’re a buyer or seller — then GM Pierre Gauthier is going to be looking for a big centre. The issue: There aren’t many on the market. There was talk of the Habs having interest in Buffalo’s Derek Roy, but at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, he’s not an answer to the problems … Since it looks like Nashville Ds Ryan Suter and Shea Weber aren’t going to be moved at the deadline, the Flyers are going to have to turn their attention elsewhere to get a replacement for the injured Chris Pronger. GM Paul Holmgren will certainly take any one of the three Carolina D-men being shopped: Tim Gleason, Bryan Allen or Jaroslav Spacek.
OTTAWA — From conversations I’ve had with teams over the weekend, there’s a chance the trade season will get going for real after the All-Star break.
One name that could move as early as this week is Tuomo Ruutu, the Carolina Hurricanes forward who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Canes have taken lots of calls on him and may finally be ready to move him.