Monthly Archives: February 2012
Deadline sets stage for summer intrigue
The trade deadline picked up steam as 3 p.m. ET closed in but some of the biggest names in the rumor mill stayed put. It makes for a slower deadline day but sets up an interesting summer.
Nash Requested Trade
Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash asked the team to consider trading him last month, general manager Scott Howson said this afternoon.
Nash, in his ninth season with Columbus, made the request in mid- to –late January, Howson said.
“He approached us and asked us to consider trading him,” Howson said. “We agreed to accomodate his request as long as we could get a deal that would provide us with cornerstone pieces to help us compete for a Stanley Cup championship in the coming years.”
Leafs have firm offers
Quiet morning in Toronto. Leafs have firm offers on a number of players. Ton of interest in 2nd line, but nothing imminent
https://twitter.com/#!/DarrenDreger/statuses/174121433495117824
The whole hockey world understands that he is the biggest name, and most talented player, available as the NHL trade deadline looms. The deadline is Monday at 3 p.m.
Nash was asked whether the specter of it had any impact on the team.
“We’ve got such a tight group of guys in here, a good bunch of guys, but everyone realizes there is a business side to this,” he said. “There have been so many rumors, so much speculation.”
Mason Raymond shrugs off trade rumours
Mason Raymond not only scored Sunday, he scored the best line when reminded that the NHL trade deadline was one day away.
“There’s a trade deadline tomorrow?,” chuckled the Vancouver Canucks winger.
Not only has the restricted free agent been the subject of scrutiny with his uneven game and his potential value in a trade for more grit, his name has repeatedly surfaced in rumours that he might be bound for Dallas in exchange for veteran winger Steve Ott. And when the Chicago Wolves recalled winger Darren Archibald and defenceman Taylor Ellington from the ECHL, there was a brief pre-game buzz Sunday that some sort of trade package was imminent.
Last Day of Shopping
Sure the Maple Leafs are getting some nibbles.
How about a deal involving Marcel Mueller of the Marlies? Does that get your blood flowing?
If not Mueller, who has attracted some interest in a minor-type deal, maybe Nicolas Deschamps after his big day on Sunday, and given that Deschamps was acquired by the Leaf organization this season in a deal with Anaheim for Luca Caputi, well, that’s sort of trade deadline day material.
Burke sticking with Wilson
A day after yet another loss, which ignited calls for the firing of head coach Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke says a change behind the bench was not in the cards.
“I’m not contemplating a coaching change,” Burke told ESPN.com.
The Leafs are winless in four games (0-3-1) and have won only once in nine games (1-7-1), outscored 35-17 during stretch, to slide out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Kings try to stay focused with trade deadline looming
You could never quite call it a circus-type atmosphere for the Kings at the Toyota Sports Center, not with the Lakers occupying part of the El Segundo complex.
But it came close Friday with the departure of defenseman Jack Johnson, the looming arrival of just-acquired forward Jeff Carter from Columbus, trade rumors engulfing captain Dustin Brown and the completion of defenseman Willie Mitchell’s two-year, $7-million contract extension
Stastny still in play for Avalanche
As the Avalanche continues to battle for a playoff spot, tomorrow’s trade deadline could lead to a move that’s been long-reported involving center Paul Stastny. Stastny, 26, has been dangled as trade bait since last season, though his $6.6 million salary cap hit has been a major concern for numerous teams.
Stars listening to offers for 'almost everybody over the age of 27'
A three-game winning streak — which has given the Stars a firm grip on a playoff spot for the first time since the early weeks of the season — may not be enough to prevent management from becoming big sellers by Monday’s trade deadline.
According to a tweet by SportsNet’s John Shannon, the Stars are “listening to everything about almost everybody over the age of 27.”
Plekanec on the trade block?
As we count down to Monday’s 3 p.m. NHL trading deadline, it’s easy to pick out Montreal players who are available. But there’s one surprise among the players being offered by the Canadiens.
Tomas Plekanec, who has been with the Canadiens his entire NHL career, has been the subject of talks with several teams. While the Canadiens have dropped out of the playoff hunt and are looking forward to next season, they want an established player in return for Plekanec, preferably a winger with some size.
Burke to stay course
“I want to get in with a reasonable chance to (advance deep) or bloody someone’s nose while doing it,” he stated in January when everyone in the Eastern Conference except Boston and the Rangers were tripping over themselves. Burke even said draft picks and prospects could be on the table to hit a home run.
Now, he’s tempered expectations to the point where something small could be all that results from the next day and half of discussions. If he doesn’t want to put precious resources such as Jake Gardiner on the market, the Leafs will be waiting for Plan B or C deals that spin off other teams’ dealings.
Could the Flyers land nash?
By midweek, according to one GM, the Blue Jackets already had at least two solid offers. Based on talks with a handful of GMs last week, it appears Howson is looking for either three or four solid assets in return, including at least one first-round pick.
Contrary to initial reports, a goalie doesn’t have to be part of the deal. However, if there isn’t a goalie – one on par with, say, Boston’s Tuukka Rask or Vancouver’s Cory Schneider – then Howson needs that fourth asset (be it first-round pick or roster player) to make a follow-up deal to bring one in.