Is New Jersey Suddenly THE Team To Beat?

I saw this post on the forums from NHL.com and thought that the debate held some merit.
So, is this guy onto something, or is he off his rocker?
You decide.

'Boston has had a great year, though they have been playing below the level they set all year. Detroit and San Jose have had their usual dominant seasons. Calgary loaded up at the deadline and Philadelphia is sitting in a nice spot. Yet something tells me that the Devils are all of a sudden the favorites for a cup win. As good as the Wings and Sharks have been, the west I think is wide open. Vancouver, Calgary and Chicago all have the capabilities of knocking off the top two seeds. I just don’t see anyone stepping up in the East and handling the Devils. Although we know anything can, and usually will happen in the playoffs.
The main reason I see the Devils as number one is the same reason of old. Martin Brodeur. He is going into the post season rested and was instantly back on top of his game. The best late season transaction in the league was him coming off the IR. And you know someone as proffesional as Brodeur would have stayed in top shape while away from the game.The best goalie in the game is also going to be the most rested. Throw in a mixture of young studs and seasoned veterans and you have yourself a top tier Cup contender. I can come up with 10 reasons why the other top contenders should be the favorite but none are as good as the reason I think the Devils are number one right now. Detroit's goaltending seems to get worse by the hour. And we all know San Jose likes to leave the party early. Boston just doesnt seem to be the team that will come through in crunch time, at least not this year. Washington seems to be in the same boat. I would at this moment be more afraid of Pittsburgh and Philly then those two teams. Although not everyone will agree, but that'.s just my take.'

What do you think?

L8r

Looking Ahead: Possible Playoff Matchups

If the NHL regular season were to end today, the possible matchups would probably look alot different than they actually would-- but maybe not. There just might not be a whole lot of teams changing spots depending on whether the hot stay hot and the cold stay frostbitten.

So here are the matchups if the season were to finish today.

EAST

SEMIFINALS

Bruins vs Panthers
I'm picking the Bruins in 5
The 'Bears' are just too good to lose to the Panthers, especially with Gumby in net.

Devils vs 'Canes
I'm picking Devils in 6
I see this as somewhat of a goaltender's duel...with Parise helping to tip the scale.

Caps vs Pens
I'm picking Caps in 4
I'd like to say that this would be THE series to follow, but I think it will be a big disappointment in the competition department: AO will lead the Caps to victory, Sid will be hurt and not able to play and the Pens' hot streak will have come about a month too early...only fumes in the tank...

Flyers vs Habs
I'm picking Flyers in 5
I see the Flyers being hot in front of a hot Biron...the pressure will be too much on Price and everyone's minds will be everywhere except where they should be: this summer's losses to free agency.

WEST

Sharks vs Preds
I'm picking Sharks in 6
Let me just say that I would be happy if the Sharks had to play the Preds instead of the Wings...
Pekka Rinne will stand on his head, but the Sharks offense will be too much for Nashville.

Wings vs Oilers
I'm picking Wings in 6
I'm thinking that it will be somewhat similar to last year, except that it will be Ozzie that gets yanked in favor of Conklin. The Wings defensive deficiencies will finally take a backseat to their puck control system, and they will have a strong final 2 games to close out the series. Roloson will face 35 shots average per night, and will be the biggest reason the Oilers made it to 6 games.

Flames vs Jackets
I'm picking Jackets in 7
Being a Wings fan, I'm also hoping that Detroit doesn't meet up with Columbus in the playoffs.
Steve Mason is going to be scary-good, and Rick Nash will lead his team in the upset of the Flames. Kiprusoff will hold his team in it, facing 30+ shots per game, but in a losing cause.

Hawks vs Canucks
I'm picking Canucks in 7
This series will be one of Luongo's defining moments, reminding people why he is one of the top goalies in the world. Chicago will respond late in the series, but too little too late.

EXTRA

QUARTERFINALS

EAST
Bruins vs Flyers
Bruins in 6
All Tim Thomas...loses 1-0 and a 2-1 to record a league-high playoffs GAA and save percentage.

Devils vs Caps
Caps in 5
Brodeur stands on his head, but Parise and Co. are shut down and AO takes center stage, scoring 7 goals and 10 points in 5 games.

WEST

Sharks vs Canucks
Sharks in 7
This series will end up fairly even with Nabby winning the goalie duel by a hair [kudos to his d-men] and Marleau being the the MVP of the series.

Wings vs Jackets
Wings in 7
The series will be a tennis match on ice, with the each team battling hard to lead the series. Mason will be the MVP for his team resulting in their 3 wins, but Datsyuk will put his Selke-winning skills to good use, limiting Nash to 2 goals and two assists through 7 games. Hossa will get injured, and Franzen will once again step up and take the reins and win MVP honors for the series, resulting in Holland signing Franzen to a 7 year contract and letting Hossa go.

CONFERENCE FINALS

EAST

Bruins vs Caps
Caps in 6
AO and Mike Green will be too much for even Brodeur, and Theodore [the X factor] will be on his game to lead the Caps to the Stanley Cup Finals for only the second time in franchise history.

WEST

Red Wings vs Sharks
Sharks in 6
Ty Conklin will put in a valiant effort, but with superb goaltending from Nabokov and too-frequent defensive lapses from the Wings, the Sharks will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in the franchise's history, proving that this team in fact DOES have what it takes to be champions...

...just not this year...

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Sharks vs Caps
Caps in 6
AO is simply scary-good, producing more highlight reel goals and carrying the team on his back to it's first Stanley Cup. He would also win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.

That's my story...

One more thing:

Hart: Ovechkin
He isn't having last year's season, nor are the Capitals going from worst-to-first this year so I don't think this is a shoe in. If the Penguins make the playoffs, they may give it to Malkin.

Lady Byng: Datsyuk
Historically, the Lady Byng goes to a high scorer with a low PIM total. It also historically goes to Datsyuk, who they might as well rename the trophy after. A dark horse would be Zach Parise, who is "almost" statistically matched to Datsyuk.

Selke: Datsyuk
Another one Datsyuk should repeat with...great stats, great plus/minus. Datsyuk plays great in his own end and it shows. A close secong for me would be Boston's Krejci, also great in his own end, not the same offensively as Datsyuk, but he is a point per game player, playing great all around hockey.

Vezina: Thomas
Best SV%, GAA on the best team in the league. Nicklas Backstrom has probably been just as good this season, though. If Kipper manages to snag 50 wins, I think that it would be a crime not to give it to him. I just don't think he will.

Calder: S.Mason
In a field of rookies that isnt exactly terrible, but not exactly stellar, I give the Calder to Mason for his great performance on Columbus. Runner up would be Bobby Ryan of Anaheim, whos playing almost a point per game on what is now a mediocre Ducks squad, and playing all around good hockey.

Art Ross: Malkin
Has 97 points with a little more than 3 weeks to go.

Norris: Green
Although still a dominant defensive force in the league, and he will probably hit 1000 career points this year, Lidstrom should get beat out by Green who is statistically better in almost every category, with fewer games played on an arguably worse team, defensively.

Pearson: Datsuyk - Take nothing away from Ovechkin, but Datsuyk is the best all around player in the league today. He does not have a weakness.

Adams: Julien
Almost without question. They passed over him last season to recognize the Cinderella story in Washington. This team has now gone from 8th to 1st in one year, and there is no way he won't get recognized.

Jennings: Thomas/Fernandez

Rocket Richard: Ovechkin
On pace for another sixty goal season.

Plus/minus: Krejci

Leave your thoughts...

L8r

Trade Deadline: Some Winners and Losers

By Jeff Mackie

As the clock struck 3 p.m., the hockey world let out a collective groan. Trade deadline day 2009 was a dud. Only one big-name player changed teams – that was Olli Jokinen who moved from Phoenix to Calgary. Jay Bouwmeester is still a Panther; Chris Pronger remains a Duck; Ryan Smyth still calls Colorado home; Tomas Kaberle is a Leaf; Scott Niedermayer remains a Duck.

What a letdown.

GMs, it turns out, really are spooked by the fragile economy and are reluctant to take on salary beyond this season, especially if it means giving up valuable draft picks and prospects.
One GM who couldn't be spooked is Calgary's Darryl Sutter. In a bold move, Sutter acquired Jokinen and a third-round pick from Phoenix in exchange for roster players Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a first-round pick.

He also brought in ex-Flame Jordan Leopold from Colorado for defenceman Lawrence Nycholat, prospect Ryan Wilson, and a third-round pick.

Congratulations Calgary – you're the big winner at the 2009 trade deadline. But be warned, it could be the kiss of death. Big deals at the deadline rarely work out as planned. It's the smaller acquisitions that often yield the biggest returns.

Here's a look at a few teams that improved their fortunes today – and a few who didn't.

Winner: Boston Bruins
The Bruins didn't hit a homerun today, but they didn't have to. They brought in Mark Recchi - and he's a perfect fit for the club. He's a true professional who has won Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh and Carolina. He'll add depth at forward and help the B's on the power play.

Loser: Montreal Canadiens
Bob Gainey deserves credit for bringing in Mathieu Schneider in advance of the deadline. However, Montreal is extremely vulnerable at centre. They desperately needed a pivot to replace the injured Robert Lang and it didn't get it. Heading down the stretch, the Habs cannot be considered contenders for the Stanley Cup.

Winner: Ottawa Senators
GM Bryan Murray has significantly improved Ottawa Senators' goaltending situation. In acquiring Pascal Leclaire from Columbus, the Sens get a proven No. 1 who is just entering his prime. The only drawback with Leclaire is his inability to stay healthy. He has only one good season to his credit, but so does Antoine Vermette, the player who went the other way.

Loser: Florida Panthers
Star defenceman Jay Bouwmeester will leave the organization in the summer and the Panthers will receive nothing in return. In a perfect world, GM Jacques Martin would have dealt Bouwmeester to a contender in exchange for a player under contract beyond this year. It didn't happen, and now the Panthers are in a vulnerable position going forward, with several of their defencemen set to become UFAs.

Winner: Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers turned a liability (Erik Cole) into an asset (Patrick O'Sullivan). Cole, who wasn't coming back to Oil Country next season, was jettisoned to Carolina for O'Sullivan – a player with upside who has scored just two fewer goals than Cole this season.

Winner: Buffalo Sabres
At the beginning of the day, the Buffalo Sabres were exposed in goal, with Patrick Lalime minding the net until Ryan Miller is healthy enough to return from injury. GM Darcy Regier wisely picked up Mikael Tellqvist from Phoenix. In addition, Regier brought in centre Dominic Moore from Toronto. The Sabres could have been sellers today, but instead stepped up and demonstrated to their fan base that they're serious about making the playoffs.

Deadline 2009 Update

According to several media reports, Bill Guerin is finally no longer a member of the New York Islanders.The captain reportedly has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, four nights after being pulled after pre-game warmups at Nassau Coliseum. Guerin, 38, has 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games for the Isles.
According to TSN, Pittsburgh returns a fifth-round pick, a pick that would move up to fourth round if the Penguins make the playoffs. If the Pens win the Cup, the pick would become a third-round pick.
-- Brian Compton

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NHL.com's Dan Rosen posted a story on some waiver pickups made Wednesday afternoon at noon. Among those moves was Toronto picking up exiled goalie Martin Gerber, who wore out his welcome with rival Ottawa.On the surface, the move raised a few eyebrows. Now, however, there is clear reason why Brian Burke would swoop down and pick up the Senator castoff -- mainly, his No. 1 goalie Vesa Toskala is being shut down for the season.Toskala has been battling groin and hip problems for months and now, with Toronto on the periphery of the playoff picture, he will get the problem addressed surgically. The surgery is scheduled for next week, the goalie said.Toskala said he knew Tuesday that he would be going on Injured Reserve, but the team was waiting until they got a goalie Wednesday before announcing the move. According to Toskala, the rehab from the surgery is four months, which means he should be healthy by the time training camp rolls around in September.
--Shawn P. Roarke

************************************************************

With the first true blockbuster Wednesday, the Calgary Flames delivered a knockout blow by getting top-line center Olli Jokinen from the Phoenix Coyotes for very little from their current roster.Calgary, which obtained defenseman Jordan Leopold from Colorado earlier in the day, sent promising young forward Matthew Lombardi, prospect Brandon Prust and a first-round pick in either 2009 or 2010. Calgary will determine which pick by June 1, 2009.Jokinen has one more year left on his deal, at $5.5 million. This year, he has 42 points -- 21 goals and 21 assists -- in 57 games. He is a pivot that can both score and set up linemates. It'll be interesting to see what he does if he is paired with Jarome Iginla. Mike Keenan, the Calgary coach, coached Jokinen when both players were in Florida a few years back. Lombardi, a 28-year-old center, has 30 points this year. Prust, 24, has played 35 NHL games in the past two seasons. In 25 games this season, he has 1 goal and 1 assist in spot duty.Phoenix also gets a first-round pick, which will likely fall late in the round and give the Coyotes two first-round picks.
--Shawn P. Roarke

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Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins, who have won just three of the their last 11 games, made a minor deal early Wednesday afternoon when general manager Peter Chiarelli shipped center Petteri Nokelainen to Anaheim for rugged defenseman Steve Montador. It's possible that Montador was made expendable after Anaheim GM Bob Murray had announced earlier in the day that defenseman Chris Pronger would not be traded. Montador topped the Ducks with a plus-14 rating and 125 penalty minutes, in addition to dishing out 84 hits and blocking 51 shots. Montador, 29, signed as a free agent with Anaheim last July after spending three seasons in Florida. He registered 4 goals, 20 points and career-high 100 shots from the point this season for the Ducks.
--Mike G. Morreale

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These aren't trades, but TSN is reporting that a few players that went on waivers Tuesday were claimed at noon Wednesday.The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed goalie Martin Gerber from the Ottawa Senators and defenseman Eric Reitz from the New York Rangers. The Dallas Stars claimed center Brendan Morrison from the Anaheim Ducks and the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed forward Craig Adams from the Chicago Blackhawks.TSN also reports that Gary Roberts, Aaron Voros and Miroslav Satan all cleared waivers.
--Shawn P. Roarke

Deadline 2009 Update

Pascal Leclaire, traded this morning from Columbus to Ottawa, was just on TSN"I knew that might happen," Leclaire said of the trade. "In the last few days the rumors with me and Antoine were running everywhere around here (Columbus) and have been all over the place. I don't think you ever expect it, but I said around here this week if it happens I won't be surprised. I'm going to Ottawa and that's pretty cool for me and my family."
He likes the team he is joining."I do think they have a great team there," Leclaire said. "They have world-class players. I know (Jason) Spezza and (Dany) Heatley from the World Championships. These guys are really special players. Danny Alfredsson. I could go on and on. I'm looking forward to meeting everybody up there. I don't see myself coming in as a savior. They have a good team and I'm just going to do my part."
Leclaire also seemed genuinely excited to return to Canada to play."You can't really compare the Canada vibe and the Columbus vibe and that's not saying anything against what is going on in Columbus. The fans there are great," he said. "The Canadian fans are a notch higher that's why I'm excited to play in the country. People live for hockey and for a hockey player that's all you can ask for."
--Dan Rosen

Alex Ovechkin dismisses Don Cherry's on-air rant

Just in case you missed it this past Saturday night on HNIC, I'm going to post what happened on Coaches Corner.

Prompted by some recent back-and-forth trash talk between Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, Cherry came down on the Russian on Saturday during his "Coach's Corner" segment of "Hockey Night in Canada" on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Cherry was critical of the way Ovechkin reacts when he scores, which can include fist pumps, leg kicks and face-first jumps into the glass.
Cherry called that "goofy stuff."
"I'm going to tell you about this guy: He's got a free ride. He runs at guys, does this stuff," Cherry said. "I am predicting somebody's going to get him. And somebody's going to get him good. There's somebody out there -- some big defenseman is going to be sitting in the weeds. As he cuts across center ice, somebody's going to cut him in half."
Video of soccer players celebrating goals was shown, followed by video of Ovechkin.
"Now watch Ovechkin. ... Does he not remind you of a soccer player? And that's what Crosby was talking about. Look at him," Cherry said.

Known for his staunchly pro-Canada stance, Cherry gave a long list of hockey players from that country who should be viewed as role models.
"What I try to do is teach the kids the Canadian way," he said.

Asked if he was angry about what Cherry said, Ovechkin replied: "No. I just laughed about it. He's funny. In hockey, we need something like that."
Then, noting Cherry's soccer references, Ovechkin added with a mischievous grin: "Maybe Canadians don't have a soccer team. Maybe he's jealous of Russia."
"He's a funny guy and old guy. He likes old-fashioned hockey," Ovechkin said Sunday after scoring his NHL-high 46th goal in Washington's 6-2 loss to Florida.

"He's not interesting to me, so he can say whatever he wants. I don't care about him," Ovechkin said.
The league's reigning MVP generally sounded far less upset about the whole thing than Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, who fired back at Cherry when asked before the game about the bombastic personality's comments.
"He's a friend of mine. And he's an idol of mine. I mean, I love what Don Cherry has stood for, for 30 years. I just think that even the smartest people in the world are wrong sometimes, and I just thought he was wrong," Boudreau said. "Because he doesn't know Alex like we know Alex."

Boudreau knows Cherry and his take on things well: Cherry is writing the foreword for Boudreau's autobiography due out later this year.
"As much as I really like the guy, I thought he was wrong," Boudreau said. "He's pro-Canadian, and there's 33 million Canadians that love that, as anybody would. And if I was sitting at home, I'd be going, 'Yeah, yeah, Canada!' But I just happen to be in the same business as him, so I see it a little differently."


Some things never change...

Top 10 List of players who could be traded before the trade deadline

This includes possible player to be traded, and possible destinations.

1.Jay Bouwmeester
Florida Panthers
Toronto, Flyers, Bruins, Canucks, Flames
2.
Ilya Kovalchuk
Thrashers
Penguins, Oilers, Canadiens, Kings, Coyotes
3.
Nikolai Khabibulin
Black Hawks
Kings, Senators
4.
Maxim Afinogenov
Buffalo Sabres
Colorado, Canucks, Anaheim
5.
Mathieu Schneider
Thrashers
Washington, Flyers, Rangers
UPDATE: moved to Montreal
6.
Marian Gaborik
Wild
Although injured many teams would like to first dibs to negotiate with Gaborik.
7.
Manny Legace
Blues
Kings, Devils
8.
Mike Comrie
Islanders
Rangers, Sharks, Flames
UPDATE: moved to Ottawa
9.
Steve Sullivan
Predators
Carolina, Oilers, Montreal
10.
Bill Guerin
Islanders
Sharks, Capitals

Deadline 2009 Update

NHL.com

Both Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore will not be in the lineup Tuesday night for Toronto when it hosts the New Jersey Devils, according to several sources.
Toronto GM Brian Burke has been negotiating with the agent for Moore, a versatile centerman. But, clearly, the sides are not very close to a deal if Moore is being pulled out of the lineup.Antropov, meanwhile, has been actively shopped by Burke for a few weeks now, so it makes sense that he would not appear in Tuesday night's game as Burke turns his attention to trying to get the most for each player in a trade.
--Shawn P. Roarke
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The Blues are three points out of a playoff spot heading into tonight's game against the Detroit Red Wings. A win and St. Louis inches closer to a potential playoff berth. A loss and the Blues have more work to do in a very tough Western Conference environment.So it's very possible that the Blues' fate this season does, despite what hockey people always tell me, hang on this one game against the defending Stanley Cup champs.If the Blues want to be sellers, they've got a very good piece to offer in Keith Tkachuk. If they want to be buyers, rumors are that they could be in the market to re-acquire Chris Pronger, who won the Norris Trophy as a Blue in 2000.

However, JD also said he likes the way the Blues are playing. They've won three in a row and the city appears to be behind its team again. There is not only hope for the future, but for the present as well. Even if the Blues look the exact same at 3:01 p.m. ET tomorrow, JD and Co. still think they'll have a puncher's chance of making the playoffs.Of course, adding Pronger makes them even more dangerous. Subtracting Tkachuk sends a bad message to the loyal fans.
-- Dan Rosen

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In what has become an annual attempt to shed some salary, a number of high-profile players have been put on Waivers Tuesday afternoon.

Reportedly, the Penguins have waived Miroslav Satan, a player they signed to a one-year deal to be a first-line winger and ride shotgun for Sidney Crosby. Now, he is being waived to make salary-cap space, about $900,000.The Ducks, who are looking to bring some injured players back into the fold, put center Brendan Morrison on waivers. It is the same type of situation that saw the Flyers lose both Ossi Vaananen and Glen Metropolit to waivers when they welcomed Danny Briere back into the lineup.Tampa Bay put Gary Roberts on waivers, which is a little surprising because there are reportedly several teams interested in obtaining his services. It seems that the Lightning should be able to get some sort of asset for the veteran forward.The Islanders put John Sim on waivers, less than 24 hours after a three-assist, plus-4 game against the Colorado Avalanche.Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber, placed on waivers for the second time this season, Aaron Voros of the Rangers and Atlanta's Eric Perrin are some of the other notable names in the reports.Lawrence Nycholat, put on waivers by Vancouver on Monday, was claimed by Calgary Tuesday afternoon.
--Shawn P. Roarke

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Ottawa's Filip Kuba may quickly become a fall-back option for a team looking for help on the blue line.According to various reports, Kuba said publicly on Monday that he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause by Wednesday's deadline if he and the Senators can not come to terms on a new deal in the next 24 hours or so."If we can't get anything done here and something or a trade comes up, I would waive my no-trade clause," Kuba was quoted.
--Shawn P. Roarke

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Well, the biggest -- if perhaps unlikely -- goalie chip is officially off the market as the Minnesota Wild have come to terms with Niklas Backstrom on a new four-year deal.There had been some rumblings that the Wild would entertain offers for their All-star goalie if terms on a new contract could not be reached this week as Backstrom was scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency on July 1. Backstrom, 31, is 28-18-4 with a 2.24 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and a team record six shutouts in 51 games this season and represented the Wild at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game.
-- Shawn P. Roarke

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Scott Clemmensen is not the only goalie that might be able to help playoff-contending teams concerned about their depth at goalie. According to several different reports, the Ottawa Senators have put former No. 1 goalie Martin Gerber on re-entry waivers.That means any team that was interested in claiming the 34-year-old goalie would only be on the hook for a little less than a million dollars, half of the $1.7 million left on his deal, which runs out this season.
--Shawn P. Roarke

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There's been speculation that backup goalie and pending UFA Manny Fernandez (14-4-3, 2.24 GAA, .921 save percentage) could be dealt in exchange for some additional depth along the forward line.After all, Finnish goalie prospect Tuukka Rask might soon be making a case to backup Tim Thomas.
--Mike G. Morreale

Stay tuned...

More Rumors And Transactions

Doug MacLean stated the Leafs and Columbus may be talking of a bigger deal including Nik Antropov+ (names Dominic Moore, Anton Strahlman & a draft pick as options) for Pascal LeClaire. LeClaire has now been linked to both Ontario teams as they each try and find a long term solution in goal.

TheStar.com is reporting that “Marty St. Louis, rather than Vinny Lecavalier, may be the Tampa Bay Lightning star that could be on the move.”

Tsn.ca reports that the "Atlanta Thrashers traded defenceman Niclas Havelid to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for blueliner Annsi Salmela."

For weeks now, Detroit GM Ken Holland has been publicly saying that his goaltending is good enough. Even if the public is telling him he's wrong. Holland feels that the Wings do not need an upgrade on Chris Osgood & Ty Conklin. So the question is - Is he right? Are the Wings tenders okay?

personally, I think he should consider a deal that sends Franzen to the Wild for goalie Niklas Backstrom.

Update:todays biggest rumors

By Larry Wigge - NHL.com Columnist

More than any other trade deadline in memory, the most pertinent question 25 of the 30 NHL teams seem to be asking one another leading into the final weekend before the 3 p.m. (ET) Wednesday, March 4 deadline is: Are you going to be a buyer or a seller?

So where to start?

The biggest rumors:

Tampa Bay center Vinny Lecavalier -- Said Lightning GM Brian Lawton, "You should never say never. But we never shopped Vinny. We're not going to trade Vinny. Did people ask about him? Of course. Who wouldn't?"

Analysis -- Forget Vinny, he's going nowhere.

Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger -- No no-trade clause for Chris. A situation with the Ducks where there is not much cap room and the team has nine potential unrestricted free agents of note -- Scott and Rob Niedermayer, Francois Beauchemin, Samuel Pahlsson, Travis Moen, Brendan Morrison, Kent Huskins, Steve Montador, Bret Hedican. Said one GM, "I've seen the rumors. Some reliable sources. I don't know. But, where there's smoke, there might be fire with Chris Pronger."

Analysis -- It will cost a lot for Pronger. But it's worth it to make a phone call.

Florida defenseman Jay Bouwmeester -- Young, big-minute defender who is in his sixth season with the Panthers, with no trips to the playoffs. Those close to Jay say he will not re-sign with Florida. The questions here: Do the Panthers gamble that they can re-sign him or make a deal after the playoffs and before the July 1 free agency? Or do they take the best offer for JBo?
Said Panthers GM. Jacques Martin, "It's clear our priority is to make the playoffs this year. We're evaluating what's available for Jay Bouwmeester and come March 4 we'll see if we move forward with Jay or if we can get something that makes us a better club. It's also a possibility that we retain Jay and see where we are after the season."

Analysis -- I don't think Jay will re-sign with the Panthers. But it wouldn't hurt to get his best in the stretch run, not disturb the chemistry of the team and try to get top dollar for an in-his-prime All-Star defenseman before July 1 like Nashville did with UFA's Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell two summers ago.

Atlanta winger Ilya Kovalchuk -- The rumors over his being dealt now rather than waiting until next year when he could become an unrestricted free agent got out of hand earlier this season. In some circles those rumors are still out there.

Analysis -- He's the face of the franchise. He's scoring again now that coach John Anderson has found him some linemates and he's the captain of the team. Wait till next year and see how Ilya feels about staying in Atlanta.

St. Louis center/left wing Keith Tkachuk -- Unless the Blues lose at Dallas and Phoenix and against Detroit at home March 3, he's not going anywhere.

Analysis -- Tkachuk won't waive no-trade clause this time and Blues won't ask.

Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle -- Said Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, ‘'The minimum would be this: a minimum of a first-round pick, a guy that can play on our team right now and a top prospect. It would be a package just like I paid when I got Chris Pronger from Edmonton. I'm not putting a price on it that I haven't paid myself in the past.''

Analysis -- Kaberle is that good to a team looking for a puck-moving defenseman whose best days could still be ahead of him in the right situation.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth -- Loves Denver. Has no-trade clause. But the Avalanche front office has a mandate to cut payroll. Said Smyth, "I've got three years left on my contract ... and I like it here."

Analysis -- Call GM Francois Giguere. But you're going to have to make a great offer for the best front-of-the-crease player in the game not named Tomas Holmstrom.

Minnesota winger Marian Gaborik -- He would have been the top player on this potential UFA trade list if he had stayed healthy.

Analysis -- The price would be too high for a too-often injured player like this, even with the speed and skills Gaborik would bring with him.

Edmonton winger Erik Cole -- A Stanley Cup winner with Carolina in 2006 who had a sluggish start this season.

Analysis -- Edmonton management also has a mandate to make the playoffs -- and because Cole is a potential UFA he'd only bring a prospect or draft choice now. Cole is too valuable to the Oilers now to trade him.

Other names

Strength up the middle -- Scoring centers like Phoenix's Olli Jokinen, Atlanta's Todd White or Toronto's Nik Antropov or defensive centers like Anaheim's Sammy Pahlsson or Todd Marchant or Nashville's Radek Bonk.

Winging it -- Bill Guerin of the Islanders, Tampa Bay's Mark Recchi, Philadelphia's Scottie Upshall and Ottawa's Chris Neil.

D-men -- Atlanta's Nick Havelid or Phoenix's Derek Morris would be in the category of puck-moving defensemen, while the Islanders' Brent Witt is that defensive defensemen with grit that teams might be looking for.

Team thoughts -- Boston loves its depth but would still like to add a top-six forward for insurance. ... Look for San Jose to try to add a defenseman, one with Stanley Cup playoff experience. ... Detroit is just looking to tighten up internally. Thus the 10 days off for goalie Chris Osgood. ... Washington won't agree that goaltending is still its biggest question mark. But it is. ... New Jersey would not hesitate to add to its top four on defense. ... Can the Flyers find a goalie who can be counted on to stop the puck in the playoffs? ... Calgary would be buyers for the right puck-moving defenseman. ... Chicago would love to add a second-line center so that either Patrick Sharp or Kris Versteeg won't have to play out of position. ... For Vancouver, it's depth up front -- third line guy who can contribute offensively. ... Montreal has gotten push on defense offensively from the trade for Mathieu Schneider. If Thomas Plekanec or Saku Koivu can't be the power-play QB up front, then that's a need for the Habs, especially if Alex Kovalev needs an energy boost again. ... Rangers desperately need scoring. No secret there. ... Florida just needs a sniff at the playoffs. Roster has all rookie coach Peter DeBoer needs. ... Buffalo needs Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek back. ... Columbus needs to keep Steve Mason fresh. ... Dallas needs to survive until Brad Richards and Brenden Morrow can return. ... Minnesota needs an extra goal per game up front. ... Carolina needs to be able to count on Cam Ward to win games by himself down the stretch. ... Pittsburgh is looking for the same thing as last year -- a winger to play along with Sidney Crosby. ... Edmonton needs a solid faceoff guy and continued consistency from Dwayne Roloson. ... Anaheim needs a J-S Giguere revival. ... Nashville needs a more productive and unpredictable power play. ... Los Angeles needs to keep the kids focused on game-by-game defensive responsibilities. ... St. Louis needs no more injuries. ... Phoenix is like Carolina. Ilya Bryzgalov can't lose games for the Coyotes.