Hockey Trade Rumors

Christmas will likely come early for the Maple Leafs in the form of no phone call to pack bags for a trade.

Rumours du jour

Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier is trying to add a forward with some size. While Gauthier would like to move underachieving C Scott Gomez and his $7.37-million cap hit, that’s not going to happen. Maybe the Habs will take back RW Alex Kovalev from the Senators. He’d like to finish his career in Montreal and he sure looks like this might be it for him … Keep an eye on Washington coach Bruce Boudreau. The pressure is on him big time to win the Stanley Cup next spring or he could be in his final season with the Capitals. If the Capitals do decide to make a move, they won’t reach far outside their organization for a potential replacement. Talk has already surfaced London Knights coach Dale Hunter, a legendary Cap and one of the most successful bench bosses in junior hockey, could be ready to make the jump … The Sabres are looking to move veteran D Craig Rivet. He has been a healthy scratch six times this season and is the club’s captain. Making $3.5 million, Rivet is going to be a tough sell.

As I am sure most of you around HTR know this already that I really disliked Ron Wilson from the beginning and that he could not make this team into a winner. Now that he has started leading this team into a downward spiral and STILL can not make the teams PP or PK any better I think its time for me to state the first step in any major rebuild and SHOULD be top priority on any list to help this team. Ron Wilson must go plain and simple, He has made out teams PK be dead last or close to dead last in every season he has been here and has not improved the atmosphere at all. Plus I would like to point out his inability to even spark and amazing cast he had in San Jose to any form of playoff birth but yet some people think he can do the same with a lesser class of players?

Senators defenceman Brian Lee clears waivers, Murray still seeking trade

Flyers Notes: Flyers face roster decision soon

San Jose Sharks’ Dany Heatley braces for boos from jilted Senators fans

Is Brian Burke busy working the phones?

As the NHL’s Dec. 19 Christmas roster freeze approaches, the talk is the Toronto GM has been trying to land a top centre — with the Maple Leafs attempting to stay in the playoff race.

With the NHL now into its second quarter, weaknesses and strengths are revealing themselves.

That said, you can add the Los Angeles Kings to the potential list of teams that will be in pursuit of forward Brad Richards should the potential unrestricted free agent be put on the market by the Dallas Stars.

– Oilers winger Dustin Penner, who justified his $4.25 million annual salary last year with 32 goals and 65 points, is back to looking uninterested. Talk around Edmonton is that he has lacked passion and could be traded before the deadline. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after next season.

Even as the rumour mill swirls, the Calgary Flames are not shopping Jarome Iginla.

In fact, a source within the organization confirmed Wednesday morning that the Flames have not spoken with ANY National Hockey League team about a trade involving the captain and face of the franchise.

In other words, he is not on the trade market.

Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter has traded his son Brett to the Carolina Hurricanes one week after he was charged with assault outside an Arizona bar.

The 23-year-old forward and defenceman Ian White were shipped to the Hurricanes on Wednesday in exchange for defenceman Anton Babchuk and winger Tom Kostopoulos.

The groundwork has been laid for some good old wheeling and dealing.

As the NHL’s 30 GMs gathered at a Toronto airport hotel Tuesday to discuss changes to the NHL all-star game and various rules, trade talks were also on the menu.

They’re starting to separate the men from the boys in the NHL as the 20-game mark approaches. The teams off to slow starts are trying to find a way out of the mess, others are accepting their fates and many are trying to deal with cap issues.

The heat’s on the Maple Leafs, 27 degrees outside, a seven-game losing streak at the rink, Brian Burke talking changes and their own goalie calling them out.

So the Leafs tried to take motivational matters into their own hands, gathering at their hotel for a players-only meeting on Wednesday morning, delving into why a good training camp and a four-game winning streak turned into a 1-7-3 mess.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Phoenix D Ed Jovanovski between now and the NHL trade deadline. While Coyotes GM Don Maloney would love to sign the potential UFA to a contract extension, his hands are tied because the team is in bankruptcy and waiting for new ownership. Any extension would have to be approved by Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer (if he ever actually buys the team) or the True North Sports and Entertainment group if the Coyotes are indeed moved to Winnipeg following the Dec. 31 deadline to get a deal done. Jovanovski has had a solid start to the season and there haven’t been any formal contract discussions between the Coyotes and his agent, Pat Morris.

For whatever reason, the Tomas Kaberle trade rumors have picked up again over the past week. That’s news to the man who holds the key to any trade for the star Toronto defenseman because of a no-trade clause.

The Senators aren’t the only team looking for a boost on the blue line.

League sources told QMI Agency Saturday about 10 teams are looking for help on defence as the calendar turns to November, but demand far exceeds supply.

Besides Ottawa, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks are among the teams working the phones trying to land defencemen.

I’ve been told that Nick Kypreos mentioned a Tomas Kaberle for Brad Richards type rumour during the intermission last week. Is there any legitimacy or is it something Kypreos was just throwing out there? Are there any more details available? Would it require a fall in production on the part of the Dallas Stars?

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke says he has received what he calls two “solid” trade offers since the weekend.

Speaking on Toronto’s AM 640 radio on Monday, Burke did not elaborate on the particulars of the deals. He did indicate that a move may not be imminent, and explained that the trade market is picking up some steam.

A slow start by the Senators is already forcing Bryan Murray to start a shopping list.

The GM is so concerned, he told reporters Wednesday he has held trade talks to see if he can bring in some help with Ottawa off to a 1-4-1 start.

Sources say Murray is trying to find a rugged blueliner. The Senators haven’t been the same with the free-agency departure of Anton Volchenkov and need someone to get physical with opposing forwards.

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The latest twist in the dysfunctional relationship between the Edmonton Oilers and defenseman Sheldon Souray occurred last week, when the Oilers took the odd step of barring Souray from attending training camp.

Yes, Souray has publicly (and harshly) criticized the Oilers and demanded a trade, but trading Souray, his hefty contract and his lengthy history of injuries would seem to only get more difficult by keeping him off the ice.

The NHL rocked the Devils Monday by imposing severe punishment for cir*****venting the salary cap with the club’s initial attempt to sign Ilya Kovalchuk.