NHL Quick Hits and Rumors
Courtesy: CBS Sports
– Roberto Luongo will still be traded – it’s just a matter of when. The Toronto Maple Leafs are still a front-runner to land him – it’s just a matter of who they want to give up. The Flyers must be be knocking harder now considering the inconsistent and ghastly play of Bryzgalvov, but like the Leafs, it depends on what they want to give up. Sean Couturier is someone the Flyers will not trade and Brayden Schenn might not be someone they are willing to let go any time soon, but if the Flyers want a serious talk with the Canucks, they have to be seriously thinking about letting one of these two go.
– The mystery team that ‘Nucks GM Mike Gillis mentioned in a press conference is still a mystery and he’s not giving anything up on who it could be in regards to where Luongo could end up. Florida is still an option, but again, like everyone else, it depends on who they want to give up. Another team that keeps popping up in rumors and conversation is the Washington Capitals. The Caps have been brutal and the goaltending has been worse. Neuvirth has shown to be the stronger netminder and has made some brilliant saves, but can they trust him the rest of the year? Holtby was awful in the first games and needs a mentor of some sort to calm him down in net. Granted, the defense isn’t helping, but a veteran netminder would propel the Caps and give them much needed confidence. Are the Caps the mystery team? I doubt it. But I can say that they are definitely interested in Lou. It would all depend, of course, on what goes back.
– P.K. Subban still isn’t signed yet. He is looking for a 5 year deal in Montreal, but the Habs don’t want anything that long. Another option now is to trade the young defenseman. The Flyers, of course, are a front runner at the moment, but the asking price would most likely be a Couturier or Schenn and, again, would the Flyers give that up? The Habs have been playing just fine without Subban especially with Andrei Markov doing so well, however, Markov is notorious for getting injured and staying injured. They need to do something with Subban and soon.
– Ryan O’Reilly still isn’t signed yet, either. The Avalanche have a 2 year, $7M contract on the table for O’Reilly, but he wants $5M. Chances are, the Avs are shopping him and they could get a good young forward and a draft pick. They have a good rapport with the Caps and I wonder if there are any talks. With the salary cap at $70M this year and dropping to $64 next year, I doubt the Caps would want to take on a contract like that, unless something else is going on behind the scenes. However, lots of teams could use O’Reilly, and the Avs need to decided what he is worth to them or another team.
– Jason Arnott was on the verge of signing with the New York Rangers until he failed his physical. Arnott would have been a great addition to the Rangers third or fourth line. His leadership is something all teams covet. Hopefully Arnott will get another shot with somone soon as he can still give a team a lot of experience.
– Mike Knuble signed a one year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. This will most likely be Knuble’s last season and it remains to be seen just how much he will actually play. He’s a great locker room guy and will bring a lot to a young Flyers core – and they’ll acually listen, unlike some certain Russians in DC.
– NHL Expansion will most likely be a go. It’s been on the NHL agenda since the end of the lockout. Stupid. They are better off relocating two teams like Columbus and Phoenix to big markets like Quebec and Seattle. Anywhere in Canada will succeed – look at Winnipeg – and a U.S. city like Seattle would do well and could create a new rivalry with Vancouver.
– The Phoenix Coyotes fate is still up in the air. The city of Glendale is still waiting to see if Greg Jamison can purchase the team and keep them in the Phoenix area. He needs to buy the team and then secure a 20 year lease to keep them there. He has until Thursday before the current lease expires. If it’s not figured out by then…? Who knows? But with the murmurings of expansion on peoples lips, maybe there is a bigger plan waiting in the wings.
More to come…
