01-17-2020, 06:59 AM
With the NHL Draft coming up on June 27 and free agency opening on July 1, discussions between NHL general managers are already heating up towards a busy off-season. Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. This And That From TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Wednesday: The Los Angeles Kings have already reached out to Marian Gaboriks camp to try to get something done to keep the pending UFA in the fold. Pending UFA defenceman Andrei Markov of the Montreal Canadiens remains unsigned as the clock ticks toward July 1. "No news. I dont expect anything to happen any time soon," Markovs agent, former NHLer Sergei Berezin, told LeBrun via text Wednesday morning. "But you never know." Agent Steve Bartlett remains in talks with the Tampa Bay Lightning about pending UFA Ryan Callahan: "Good-faith talks with Tampa continue, hard to handicap at this point," Bartlett said via email Wednesday morning. Avalanche of issues As per TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger on TSN Radio 1050 on Wednesday, the Colorado Avalanche will have some difficult decisions to make surrounding Ryan OReilly and Paul Stastny. One of these situations will definitely get messy and one wonders if Stastny will take a "home town discount." Bolland Banter While speculation continues to surround the Toronto Maple Leafs and pending UFA Dave Bolland, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger told TSN Radio 1050 on Wednesday that as significant as Bolland is to the Leafs, there is a contract number in mind that the team is not comfortable going over. Singing The Blues? As per Andy Strickland of St. Louiss Big 550 KTRS, the Blues are Jason Spezzas top choice as a possible trade destination. Strickland adds that Spezza believes hes headed to either the Blues or the Anaheim Ducks. Not So Fast Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving denied a report over the weekend that suggesting he would offer Jiri Hudler, Mikael Backlund, "possibly" Dennis Wideman and and a draft pick for Ottawa Senators centre Jason Spezza. "Its categorically false," he told Eric Francis of The Calgary Sun. "I havent made any such offers. Thats 100 per cent Fantasy Island. I saw it early Sunday online and had to read it a couple times and had to remind myself oh ya Im the Flames GM. Interesting." Treliving added that while he and soon-to-be-free agent Michael Cammalleri are in talks regarding a possible contract, there was nothing to a report that both sides had agreed to his price but were not in agreement on term. "The only things were unable to agree on are term and price - other than that we have a deal," he told The Sun. Pause Button On Kane? TSN Radio 1260s Gary Lawless wrote in The Winnipeg Free Press on Wednesday that Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff wont deal Evander Kane just for the sake of trading him, as team management believes Kane has yet to reach his full potential and they wouldnt want to see him score 40-plus goals in a different uniform. Lawless adds that the Jets arent going to be offered a roster player of equal value and that teams will try to offer picks and prospects. Market for R.J. Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch writes that R.J. Umberger has given the Blue Jackets a list of 10 teams to which he would not approve a trade. He adds that the Blue Jackets first choice would be to trade Umberger for a player or a draft pick, but they will likely have to keep some of Umbergers salary to make it happen. Cheap Jerseys .com) - The surprising Calgary Flames host the winless New Jersey Devils at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday. Wholesale Jerseys . The two teams will play through the completion of the game starting at 5pm ct on Wednesday. The regularly scheduled Wednesday night matchup will follow that and will now be seven innings. https://www.wholesalejerseysaaa.com/ . Felton was in court as the Manhattan district attorneys office outlined the agreement, which would resolve a gun case that arose amid the breakup of his marriage. Hes expected to admit June 30 to at least one charge, attempted criminal possession of a weapon -- he wont have to come to court to do so -- and get a $5,000 fine and 500 hours of community service. Wholesale Jerseys 2021 . Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze. Wholesale Jerseys 2020 . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand.MONTREAL - After two years out of the NHL playoffs, there is new optimism among the Nashville Predators.A stunning turnaround aided by a coaching change, the addition of veteran forwards James Neal and Mike Ribeiro and the emergence of 20-year-old forward Filip Forsberg have put Nashville in first place in the Central Division going into the all-star break.Now they believe theyve got enough pieces to keep up their strong play through the second half of the regular season and do some damage in the playoffs.Absolutely, veteran centre Mike Fisher said Tuesday. We really believe in this group.We believe were a top team in this league and we are. Weve shown it thus far. Were really confident in the group we have, that we can win any night against other top teams.The Predators had not lost twice in a row this season going into a game Tuesday night against the Canadiens in Montreal, where they were without star goalie Pekka Rinne for a third game due to an injury expected to last three weeks.Backed by Rinne and an impressive defence group led by Shea Weber, the Predators are the NHLs stingiest team, allowing only 2.25 goals per game. But Nashville has been known as a tight defensive side in recent years.The surprise is that they are tied for fifth in goals scored per game at 3.0.Part of that stems from the decision last summer to let the conservative Barry Trotz go after coaching the team through its first 15 NHL campaigns and bring in a more attack-minded Peter Laviolette.Trotz is now performing wonders in making the Washington Capitals a winning, two-way club, while Laviolette will also be a coach of the year candidate for doing much the same in Nashville.Its good for both sides, said Weber. You see the success theyre having (in Washington) and that were having.There was a different feel coming into training camp this year with a new face and I think the guys have responded very well.The second part of the season will determine if the Predators are for real, but it looks like it so far.They certainly have the goaltending with Rinne, considered one of the best in the world.With Weber, they have the big No. 1 blue-liner every team wishes it had, and he is backed by a group that can defend and move the puck. Among them is emerging talent Seth Jones, the fourth pick in the 2013 draft.Only a few months ago,, they didnt appear to have much up front, but then Forsberg turned into a nearly point-per-game player and a strong two-way player on the top line with veteran Mike Ribeiro, who so far has shown a new commitment to discipline after being bought out by Arizona due to behavioural problems.ddddddddddddHes been an excellent addition to our team, Laviolette said of Ribeiro, who is on pace for his first 70-point campaign since 2010-11. Terrific in the room, terrific teammate, terrific on-ice play.Forsberg, playing his first full NHL campaign, was acquired from Washington in March 2013 for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in what is looking to be a spectacular steal for Nashville.Fisher centres James Neal, a one-time 40-goal scorer picked up in a trade with Pittsburgh in June, and Colin Wilson, who is having a breakout season and will soon top his career high of 35 points.Veteran Olli Jokinen, signed from Winnipeg, is playing on the fourth line. Another reclamation project, defenceman Anton Volchenkov, brings his stay at home style to the third defence pair and being dumped by New Jersey.Fisher likes the teams chances.With the goaltending we have, and look at our back end: everyone can handle the puck and skate, he said. And you look at the mix, the young guys, the leadership, energy, the way we play.Were all excited about what we can do. Its a tough league and the playoffs are tough, but we feel weve got a lot of pieces and character and we can be successful.The Predators have won only two playoff series in their history, the last against Detroit in 2012.The optimism now stems from adding some offence to a team known for tight defence. That comes from Laviolette.Id say were more aggressive, said Fisher. We want to be hungry for pucks, to forecheck really hard.The way our defence can move the puck helps us offensively. And defensively, we want to be hard to play against. He wants us to play both ends. He wants us to make plays and be creative, but be responsible.It has worked so far, but Weber, the captain, knows there is a lot of hockey still be played.I was on this team a while back when we were in first place for a while too, he said. Weve had good teams since Ive been in Nashville.Its just been tough the last couple of years. Theres still a lot of season left and we have to keep it up. ' ' '