Chris Johnston in the Toronto Sun: On their goaltending situation:
“I don’t know where this is going to go right now,” said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. “I think a lot of it depends on how Jake plays and how the other guys play. I think it’s going to be performance-driven. All I know is that Jake has played well, he’s given us a chance to win in every hockey game for sure, and you can’t dismiss that.”
Trade bait: Top 5 players: 1. Jarome Iginla 2. Jaromir Jagr 3. Mike Ribeiro 4. Derek Roy 5. Vinny Prospal.
Bob McKenzie via twitter: Blues Alex Pietrangelo will be an RFA at the end of the season. For comparables, Pietrangelo will likely say Drew Doughty’s $7 million a year would be good and the Blues would likely counter with Oliver Ekman-Larsson at $5.5 million per year.
Bob McKenzie via twitter: The Blues also have Kevin Shattenkirk as an RFA. It will be his 3rd contract and he has arbitration rights. In line for a nice raise.
Bruce Garrioch via twitter:Sources saying that the Sabres are ready to blow it up and basically everyone is available except for Thomas Vanek, Marcus Foligno, Cody Hodgson or Alexander Sulzer. Nobody would take Tyler Myers’ contract. Teams won’t want to take Ville Leino and his $4.5 million cap hit through 2-16-17 or Christian Ehrhoff and his $4 million through 2020-21. Jason Pominville and his $5.3 million is available and will get some attention. Drew Stafford is likely to be moved.
The Penguins, Predators, Sharks, Red Wings and Bruins will be after Jarome Iginla and it will likely cost a No. 1 pick, a prospect and a roster player. ”You’re not getting the same Jarome Iginla. He’s still a good player, I just don’t know that they’re going to hit the home run they expect to hit,” said a league executive. “That being said somebody will overpay.”
Bruins, Canucks, Senators and Leafs are looking for depth and may be interested Capitals Mike Ribeiro.
The Ducks will listen to offers for Corey Perry, but unless blown away by an offer, he won’t be going anywhere. The Red Wings, Canadiens, Leafs, Senators, Rangers and Flyers will likely may a pitch.
The Flyers and Kings have talked to the Flames about Jay Bouwmeester.
Mike Smith may be willing to sign an extension with the Coyotes if they offer $6 million.
The Maple Leafs are willing to eat half of Mike Komisarek’s $3.5 million contract.
The Canadiens, Bruins and Penguins are interested in Ryane Clowe.
On the trade radar are Jets Evander Kane, Ron Hainsey and Alexander Burmistov. They aren’t planning on trading Dustin Byfuglien but are getting calls for him.
The Canadiens are looking for a defenseman and are interested in Sabres Robyn Regehr. Brian Gionta could be moved in the offseason.
The Stars may move Derek Roy and Brenden Morrow. The Bruins could be a good spot for Morrow. Both teams have been scouting each other.
Darren Dreger via twitter: The Maple Leafs are still in the market for a big 2nd or 3rd line center and an upgrade on the blueline. The Leafs are not in a rush to sign or trade Tyler Bozak as they need him for a playoff push. It’s unlikely that Bozak would be able to get 1st line money out of the Leafs, and will likely be a UFA in July.
Rob Rossi via twitter: According to Penguins GM Ray Shero teams are only “touching base to see what the needs are.”
“As a manager, all you can do is keep touch with teams, continue to monitor your own team and see what needs may be,” Shero said.
The Penguins would like to add depth to their blueline and forwards. A defensive minded top-four blueliner and a scoring winger for their 3rd or 4th line. Adding someone that could play on the PK would be nice. They will be interested in Jarome Iginla, but he may not fill a top-six role with the Pens.
Eric Duhatschuk of the Globe and Mail: Duhatschuk thinks it doesn’t make sense for the Kings to trade Jonathan Bernier to the Flames for Jarome Iginla, siting Jonathan Quick’s “erratic season.” Duhatschuk thinks that the Red Wings and Maple Leafs are possible destinations for Corey Perry if he wants to move closer to home. The Wings have the money to spend. The Stars are likely to move Derek Roy if they don’t get far with contract negotiations. If he is moved, he could end up in Vancouver.
Katie Strang via twitter: Multiple sources have said that the Islanders and defenseman Mark Streit’s agent have been having contract negotiations. Talks are in the preliminary stages. Many teams will be calling the Islanders about him. It is possible that if the Islanders fall out of contention leading up to the deadline, they could look at moving him.
“For me, the focus right now is on hockey and helping the team,” Streit said. “Especially for me as captain, I don’t want to have any distractions. I just want to play, win hockey games, and play as good as possible.”