This did not quite come out of nowhere. You get that impression from Brent Sutter but I refuse to believe it. The bottom line is the New Jersey Devils came up short pretty much since Game 1. Even when they won…you were left with the feeling that it could fall apart. Tonight it did. Two strategic mistakes in the final seconds led to two goals by Carolina. Just like that, the Devils went from winning to OT to regulation Game 7 loss in one of the most cruelest ways imaginable.

However, the reality is the Devils were not good enough. Guys like Niklas Havelid, Colin White, etc…etc. are not defensemen you want to hang your hat on. There is a reason why this team had to score a ton in the regular season. These guys are just NOT GOOD! I will say it once and I will say it again. Look back to Game 5 when they just BARELY held on to a 1-0 win against Carolina. The defense sat back and let Carolina do whatever it wanted to. That is not acceptable and nor will it ever be acceptable!

People are going to second guess Martin Brodeur again and say he cannot win the big game. That is also nonsense! What simply happened is this team got caught with the deer in headlights look. Instead of recovering like a good team would when they got scored on…they let something happen that was even more improbable and that was give up a series winner in regulation. One cannot fault Brodeur for what happened there. The defensive breakdowns were many like they were all series. What happened was they kind of got lost in the shuffle until the most crucial moment of the season.

Again this team is too built for the regular season and not enough for the postseason. One line and a grizzled vet showed up tonight (Brendan Shanahan had 2 assists). There are going to need to be some pretty drastic changes. The first starts at defense. Because that is the main core of where the problems lie in Jersey!

First off…whatever it takes to make Colin White go away….do it! Colin has been a nice player for NJ for a long while but hey this is a business and its time to get better. There are guys like Steve Montador and Jay Bouwmeester who will be UFA’s among others. Throw a line out there….buy out White if you have to but this team needs a major overhaul on D. I can live with Bryce Salvador to a point but if by some miracle Jay-Bo does come to New Jersey…then its time to ship out Paul Martin as well. Cut the salary and send him to Minnesota. After that, make sure Mr. Havelid has a nice long walk off a short pier and bring up Matt Corrente from Lowell. Surely this will not fix all the problem on the Devils’ blueline but hey it is a start.

Next up…Rolston, Elias, and Gionta are not too bad together but Patrik Elias has to learn to SCORE in the playoffs again. It seemed Elias missed several glorious chances in this series that he normally would not miss. Patrik had a bad series…it is okay to say it. You cannot miss wide open nets like Elias did in this series if you want to be considered an elite player again. Until he lights the lamp enough when it counts…Patrik will just be another regular season performer. Lou Lamoriello will likely mend whatever fences with Brian Gionta and will offer him a deal. Question is will Gionta take it? If not, Lou Lams could go out into the UFA market. At this point….it could not hurt.

The fourth line was not too bad….Rupp and Clarkson were not so good tonight for whatever reason but overall during the season David Clarkson started to make those slow steps to becoming a better NHL player. I think next year he breaks the 20 goal barrier and with some more time on the extra man…he could get close to 25 goals. The duo makes for a nice energy line and hopefully they can find someone in Lowell to make a trio because Bobby Holik likely will not be back. At 2.5 million he is too expensive to have. In the end, the Holik reunion tour did not work.

Now whatever it takes to break up Madden and Pandolfo…..do it! The team is getting older and older and honestly for as hard as these two work….2003 is now 6 years ago. They are beginning to show their age together on the ice. John Madden paired with a younger gritty forward could work. However either Madden or Pandolfo or both may go and I would rather it be Pandolfo. Madden is too valuable on short handed situations still.

If that is not enough…oh believe me there is much more. It is now apparent and needed to take a deeper look at this farm system. When you are ranked at the bottom of the prospect heap…worse than teams like Colorado….its time to take a second look. I will never figure out why John Carlson was not taken over Mr. Tedenby. Everyone has seen what Carlson did with London of the OHL this year. Time to see where scouting can be improved because that once vaunted Devils scouting has slipped several rungs in the past few years.

Do a system’s check. Its like taking a car out and giving it a full tune-up after say 50,000 miles. The Devils are now six years removed from a Stanley Cup and for most fans and franchises…that would be a great thing. However for this fan…it is not! It really is time to take a look at all parts of this organization. Is Brent Sutter really the right coach for this team? Could John MacLean be replaced for a more NHL savvy assistant? From goaltending coaches to personnel…..this checkup needs to be done and done quickly. The draft is coming up in late June and July 1st is the free agent frenzy.

Can the Devils learn something from this? Yes they can but only if they really take a deep look in the mirror and realize what they have become is not the team they envisioned at the start of the 2008-2009 season. Ultimately that divergence led to their eventual and sudden downfall.

Over the past 13 seasons, the New Jersey Devils have won three Stanley Cups, only the Detriot Red Wings have won more in that time. The Devils have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons and had 11 consecutive 40-plus win seasons, never finishing with less than 95 points and breaking the 100 point barrier in nine of those eleven seasons. So why would everyone doubt one of the most successful franchises in sports over the past 15 years? You gt me!

The Devils will return from the All-Star break sitting atop the Atlantic Division with 61 points (29-15-3), one point ahead of the New York Rangers and two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils have been able to achieved this, despite being without Martin Brodeur for 37 games and free agent signings Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik for 18 games a piece. So here is a look back at the first half and how the Devils have gotten to where they are?

MVP: Zach Parise / Patrick Elias
Zach Parise has become one of the best young NHL stars and Patrick Elias has once again become one of the NHL elite players. For the first time, maybe ever, their could be two Devils who finish the year in the top 10 in scoring in the league.

Parise, whose 28 goals ranks him 3rd behind Ovechkin and Carter, is currently 7th in the league with 55 points, while Elias ranks 9th with 54 points. The best part is they play on different lines, giving the other teams fits and the Devils two scoring lines.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Travis Zajac
Zajac’s 15 goals and 21 assists already surpass his numbers from last season and with 35 games remaining he should easily break his career high of 42 points. Of late, Zajac has been the hot stick for the Devils as he has 5 goals and 3 assists in the past 7 games. Best of all has been his improvement on defense playing at a plus-19 compared to last seasons minus-11 rating.

BIGGEST SUPRISE: Scott Clemmensen
When the season started Scott Clemmensen was barely on the Devils radar. He would be headed to Lowell and spend time there all season and be an insurance policy. Well the Devils cashed in that insurance policy and more than they expected.

Not only has Clemmensen come in and held down the fort, he has asserted his presence. The Devils goal, who may have been snubbed for a trip to the All-Star game, has put up Brodeurian numbers in the absence of the star goaltender. Clemmensen is 7th in the league in wins (19), 6th in Goal-Against-Average (2.29) and 8th in save percentage (.922).

Now the big questions are, can he keep it up and what will the Devils do once Marty comes back at the end of February? Who will go and who will stay? One thing is for certain, Clemmensen will see a nice pay day from some team next season.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Jay Pandolfo
The long time Devil signed a three year 7.5M dollar contract over the summer and now with the signing of Brendan Shanahan, Pandolfo is watching the games from the press box.

He and long time linemate, John Madden, have been separated for most of the season and when he has played of late he has only seen time of late on the fourth line. There has been speculation of trading Pandolfo, but he will be difficult to move in the salary cap era.

TRADE DEADLINE: To Trade or not to trade, that is the question?
The Devils added Brendan Shanahan and may be happy with the depth they now have at the forward position. The defense has been underrated all year, but their solid play has the Devils ranked 5th in the league on defense. But GM Lou Lamiriello has been known to always add a veteran to the mix at the trade deadline. Looking back Lamiriello has brought in defenseman like Bryce Salvador, Jason Weimer, Phil Housley, Shawn Chambers and Vladmir Malakhov at the dealine and I would expect him to do the same. Except for Malakhov, there is one thing that ties all these players together. Lou got them for cheap and without breaking up the current roster.

THE FUTURE: Five things to look out for in the second half
Here are a few things to look out for after the all-star break:
1) Can John Madden keep it going? The Devils center has struggled all year and has been rumored in trades for a few weeks. Since Shanahan has joined the team, Madden has 1 goal,6 assists and a plus-6 rating in the past five games. Now can he keep playing the way he has of late, or will the Devils look to move him at the trade deadline?
2) Will Parise be the first Devil to score 50 goals in a season and will he or Elias break the 100 point plateau? Parise is on pace for 95 points and 48 goals, just short of the two marks.
3) How much of a difference will Shanahan make? He scored in his first game, but his presence may be felt far more than just on the score sheet.
4) Will Lou stand still or make a move? As we already stated, will Lou add a veteran blueliner or will he look for a 3rd line centerman to play with his wingers Rolston, Shanahan and Clarkson.
5) How will Brodeur play when he returns? He has never been out of the line-up for this long in his career. Will the rest help him and have him fresh for the playoffs or will he come back not in top form and send the Devils into a funk.

WHAT IS UP NEXT: The homestretch begins.
The Devils will come back from the all-star break with two road games at Ottawa and Boston and then play seven of eight on home ice. Scott Clemmensen and the Devils will need to try and put some distance between them and the Rangers and Flyers, while they await the return of Brodeur between February 26th and March 7th.

With 35 games remaining the Devils have nine divisional games left, including three against the Islanders and two against the Flyers, Rangers and Penguins. The Devils will not be doing much traveling the remainder of the season, as their furthest trip is a game at Chicago on March 27th. Besides that game every game will be played in the eastern time zone.

Needless to say the memories of losing to the New York Rangers in 5 games last year do not fade away. That will definitely take some time. As the Devils lost 5-3 to the Rangers in Game 5, I remember saying to myself… “My god… we score and we can’t defend. We defend and we can’t score. Damn that has to change.”

So chug a beer after last year if you’re a Jersey fan… it may not make you feel any better though. The New Jersey Devils did get smart during the offseason. It did help naturally that the Devils were finally out of the Scott Niedermayer mess. Niedermayer signing with the Ducks messed up the Devils’ Salary Cap for 2+ seasons. Over the summer, the Devils were able to sign Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik and sent Vitali Vishnevski back to Russia. They also resigned several restricted and unrestricted free agents. A notable one was Bryce Salvador for 4 years, 11.6 million (until Jeff Finger signed with Toronto). With an improving, young defensive corp, the Devils could surprise many.

Why do I say that? Think about it! This year has been the annual Devils Bashing from media. I guess I have the right to name names at this point. The Hockey News as usual underestimates the Devils around 7th in the East but they are not the worst. ESPN actually has the Devils out of the playoffs. and they may be further from reality than ever. Case in point… ESPN has the Penguins winning the East. I won’t even say what CBS Sportsline thought.

Now hindsight is 20/20 folks. This is an annual occurrence and no one should be surprised. The reality is someday the New Jersey Devils are going to miss the playoffs but it won’t be this year. Here is why…..

I will say that Eklund is almost never right when it comes to these things. He had said that the Devils had the fifth worst offseason. Imagine what would have happened if the Devils had not signed Brian Rolston. Speaking of brainwashing… have you seen this one from Scott Burnside?

They haven’t missed the playoffs in years, but even if it takes 40 years they will eventually. I will predict it too. But how? I know! I will just predict them missing them every single year. I made look stupid at first but when they finally do miss them I will be looked at as the hockey guru of ESPN.

Sorry that will not happen either. I get the point….most network media does not like the New Jersey Devils. Okay well they do have some valid points. Martin Brodeur plays way too much. Hockeydb.com has all the evidence that you will ever need for this argument. All the practice rest in the world does not mitigate the debate at all. Playing games is playing games folks. You have to rest the big horse because face it, no rest equals early playoff exits and that is bad.

The offense was horrible… yet another valid point. However, it is not all bad for New Jersey. They seem to shoot an awful lot though but yet only had 206 goals (only the Isles at 194 was worse in the East). It is hard to make the playoffs with a stumbling offense. Patrik Elias only had 20 goals and 55 points last year and Zach Parise led the team with 65 points… not exactly numbers that scare opposing teams. These are players that probably should average a point or game… maybe even more.

The defense was not that good. Obviously many have said and rightfully so that Martin Brodeur is the Devils’ best defenseman. He does make the defense look a heck of a lot better than it actually was… especially last year. But with youngsters like Matt Corrente and a full season of Bryce Salvador…this team may not be so bad off after all. An improved defensive core is expected as they could not be worse than last year.

Special teams will improve… it has to. The Power Play was abysmal…. ranking 25th at 15.6%. Brian Rolston will be a key cog here and Bobby Holik may help on the second unit clogging the front of the net. Rolston, a natural QB, on the man advantage may even put the team in the top half of the Power Play rankings when all is said and done. The Penalty Kill was 82.8% which ranked a disappointing 13th. Now 13th does not sound that bad but this is the New Jersey Devils. For years, they were ranked in the top 5 or 10 on the man disadvantage. That may return this year with the return of Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston. Again as good as they are on offense..they are even better on the defensive end. With a little mix of youth thrown in, the Devils will improve on this statistic as well.

Prognosis: The Devils are an old, aging team to a point…they ranked 2nd in the league in current age…only Anaheim is older at 30.6. If Brent Sutter can find a way to keep the window open just a bit longer and playing Martin Brodeur maybe 70-72 games maximum… then the Devils will be better off in the long run. The team will improve overall but so has the rest of the Eastern Conference. However, with injuries and defections from teams… the New Jersey Devils will benefit. The Devils will finish 2nd behind the Philadelphia Flyers and again end up 4th in the Eastern Conference. Question will be what playoff lesson did they learn but that is for another time.

The Blues are now confirming the deal to Sportsnet.

TSN now has this on their website with a few comments from the Blues.

“We feel that Cam’s style of play will bring energy and grit to our lineup and being from St. Louis, feel that he will be an instant fan favorite here,” said team president John Davidson in a statement.

“Our depth at defense enabled us to make this move. We admire and respect Bryce as a player for what he did on and off the ice in St. Louis and thank Bryce and his wife April for their contributions as members of our family.”

Stay tuned as more information comes in.

The list includes defensemen Barret Jackman, Bryce Salvador and Matt Walker along with forward Ryan Johnson, but it remains uncertain who stays and who goes.

That will depend on how contract negotiations progress with each UFA-to-be, says Blues President John Davidson.

“We still haven’t gotten to final negotiations with people, and we need to know every avenue before we make a decision,” Davidson said. “That is, ‘Do you want the player? Does he want to stay? How many years does he want on a contract and how much (money)?’ And then, ‘What is the world of trade offering you as an organization for someone’s services?’”

“You’ve got to weigh everything, and until you get to the final chapter of the book, you can’t make a rational decision.”

Word is that Jackman took a pass on a Blues offer of three years extension, averaging just under $3 million per season. It’s thought Jackman is looking for an average of between $4-$5 million, but now says he is willing to take “market value.”

“I want to stay with the Blues, but we’ll see how everything works out from their end,” Jackman said Saturday.

In any case, Davidson is adamant about not overpaying for his UFA blueliners because of the organization’s depth on the blueline.

“You have to project,” Davidson said. “Erik Johnson will get more minutes next year. You’ve got people that are pushing from the Peoria club. We’ve got evolution happening here. They’re close. They’re really close and you never know until you find out. That’s what their here for.”

Meanwhile, there are rumors that the New York Rangers have expressed some interest in forward Martin Rucinsky. Davidson says that if the right deal came along for Rucinsky, he’d definitely ask the forward to waive his no-trade clause.

“I haven’t talked to Marty,” Davidson said. “If something good came up, and we feel it was the right thing to do, I’d certainly talk to him.”

Of course, deadline day could bring some unforeseen opportunities, and Davidson says the Blues will be prepared to deal with anything that comes their way.

“It’s a very intriguing process that will really heat up in the next couple of days. When you have 30 teams involved in this — buyers, sellers, people thinking long-term, people thinking short term — you’ve got to make sure you have everything in place before you make a decision. And that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re right in the middle of that right now.”

Here are the teams said to be looking to bolster their rosters:

1. Anaheim Ducks: With the likelihood that Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne returning to retirement next summer and one Stanley Cup ring already won, general manager Brian Burke has every reason to be aggressive. He has the assets and desire to go after the top available players. Clearly, he will make a play for Sundin, and he will look at most of the premium players. He owns Edmonton’s first-round pick, plus prospects Bobby Ryan, Logan MacMillan and Mark Mitera that he could move, although Burke has said publicly he doesn’t want to move his pick because it could land in the top seven. His objective is to land another premium scorer.

2. San Jose Sharks: More trade rumors have circulated about the Sharks over the past eight months than any other NHL team. The Sharks seem poised to shake up their look heading into the postseason. They could use another scorer and a puck-moving defenseman. They have a strong collection of young players that would be highly desirable, including prospects Logan Couture and Nick Petrecki, plus young NHLers such as Matt Carle. What’s unknown is whether the Sharks, with a history of playoff disappointment, will shake up their mojo by trading away a major veteran, such as Patrick Marleau.

3. Calgary Flames: General manager Darryl Sutter has been digging around the marketplace for a premium scorer for a couple of months. They have enough young prospects to make a strong offer, but don’t ask about Swedish standout Mikael Backlund. He’s not going anywhere.

4. Dallas Stars: Knowing Brett Hull the way I do, it’s a certainty that he would like to land some offensive help. No one is talking much about the Stars, but no one would be shocked if they make a splash. They have played well enough of late to entertain the idea of a long post-season run.

5. Detroit Red Wings: General manager Ken Holland is looking at every possibility of landing a big scorer because Holland always looks at every possibility. He’s made overtures for most of the premium players, but Holland is saying he also doesn’t want to give up his future for a rental player. He believes he has enough depth to be a quality team for a few years if he doesn’t trade it away. The Red Wings will look at defensive depth, but that’s a lower priority than a scorer.

6. Vancouver Canucks: With Roberto Luongo in net, the Canucks have to believe they have a chance to win any playoff series. But they need scoring help. Earlier, the Canucks could have traded defensive depth for scoring, but injuries on the blue line have eliminated that option. Goaltending prospect Cory Schneider is someone a trading partner would like to have.

7. Nashville Predators: No big splash coming this season for general manager David Poile, but he’s looking at his options to acquire scoring depth.

And here are the supposed sellers:

1. Columbus Blue Jackets: Officially the Blue Jackets are undecided about selling because they are still in the playoff race. But it seems likely that they will be the belle of the ball on trade deadline day. If they don’t re-sign Adam Foote, it would seem logical to move him. Sergei Fedorov, Mike Peca, Ron Hainsey, David Vyborny and Jan Heyda are all potential rental players.

2. Los Angeles Kings: Rob Blake has said he doesn’t want to waive his no-trade clause, but my hunch is not all of the cards have been played in his scenario. Essentially, Blake can dictate where he wants to go, and he might still do that. Considering his affinity for the West Coast, the Ducks and Sharks seem like a good possibility. Although the Kings have shown a desire to re-sign Brad Stuart, there is no deal done yet. Stuart also would draw considerable interest, particularly with the lack of available defensemen.

3. St. Louis Blues: If a team is looking for defense, St. Louis is the place to shop. Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador are both going to be unrestricted free agents this summer, and negotiations between Jackman and the Blues haven’t yielded success thus far. Jay McKee might also be a defenseman of interest, although his $4 million salary in each of the next two seasons puts him on the long-shot list.

As for playing in the NHL next season, Sundin says he’s yet to make a decision.

“I have not even thought about it,” Sundin said. “I know I told you guys but I will say it again. Last summer I made a decision that I am really going to play it by year, for my sake and for my team’s sake. I don’t want to lock myself up or lock a team up. I think it’s a fair deal when you are at my age just to listen to your body and your mental state — make decisions once the season is over.”

John Dellapina of the New York Daily News reports that the New York Rangers have inked number one goalie Henrik Lundqvist to a multi-year contract.

The deal is said to be worth an average of $6.5 million per season for six years.

A formal announcement could come as early as Wednesday.

After making a four player trade earlier in the week, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray is not finished adding depth to his roster.

It’s believed that Murray would like to acquire “one more winger and possibly a puck-moving defenceman.”

Speculation is that the Senators have already contacted the Tampa Bay Lightning to inquire about the availability of pending UFA defenseman Dan Boyle. The Senators may also have some interest in St. Louis Blues soon-to-be UFA blueliner Bryce Salvador.

Meanwhile, Murray is still interested in UFA forward Peter Forsberg, though the consensus among hockey people is that the Swede will sign with the Philadelphia Flyers if and when he decides to return to the NHL.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi will meet with pending UFA defenseman Rob Blake to discuss the player’s future with the club.

“There are a lot of things involved in making this decision, and a lot he has to process,” Lombardi said from St. Louis before [Tuesday's] game against the Blues.

Lombardi is said to have given Blake a “list of 10 teams that had expressed interest in acquiring” his services with the hopes the veteran blueliner will waive his no-trade clause and accept a move out of town.

Columbus Blue Jackets pending UFA David Vyborny tells Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch that neither he nor his representatives have had any contract negotiations with GM Scott Howson.

“We haven’t talked,” Vyborny said.

Tom Reed of The Columbus Dispatch reports that Howson will once again meet with pending UFA defenseman Adam Foote to discuss the player’s interest in signing a contract extension.

David Pollak of the Mercury News reports that scouts from the Senators, Lightning, Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers were all present for Tuesday’s game between the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames in San Jose.

All six teams are currently out of the playoff race, and if things remain the same, could decide to move some of their pending unrestricted and restricted free agents, as well as some of their more expensive players.

In Toronto, forward Mats Sundin (UFA) would have to waive his no-trade clause to be moved; contenders would be all over the talented Swede. Other forwards thought to be available are Vaclav Prospal (UFA) of the Lightning, Mike Comrie (UFA) of the Islanders, and Martin Lapointe (UFA) and Martin Havlat of the Blackhawks.

As for defensemen, the Lightning’s Dan Boyle will be much sought after. The New York Rangers are thought to be interested in Barrett Jackman of the Blues and Rob Blake or Brad Stuart of the Kings. Bryce Salvador of the Blues could add some inexpensive depth for playoff-bound teams.

Maple Leafs blueliner Pavel Kubina is also believed to be on the market, but with two years left on his contract at $5 million per season, he could be hard to deal.

Meanwhile, Zipay speculates that if the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, and Colorado Avalanche fall out of playoff contentions they may also be inclined to ditch some payroll and move some of their soon-to-be UFAs.

That list could include forwards Marian Hossa of the Thrashers and Sergei Fedorov of the Blue Jackets, as well as defensemen Brian Campbell of the Sabres and John-Michael Liles of the Avalanche.

Word is that the asking price for top players is a roster player, a prospect, and first round draft pick.

“Definitely,” said Salvador, who could become an unrestricted free agent this summer. “I’ve been fortunate to be here my whole career. I’ve been in the organization for 10-plus years now; it’s been a good time.”

In fact, Salvador’s agent, Carlos Sosa, is to meet with Blues management for “the first real talks we’re going to have.”

But if an agreement can’t be reached and the Blues assess their playoff aspirations as over, Salvador could be dealt.

His future here “depends where (the Blues) come from,” Sosa said. “If there’s a deal to be done, that’s good, and if there’s not, then we’ll all wait.”

The veteran blueliner is well aware that he could end up with another team.

“… sometimes what you want isn’t always what you get. So we’ll just see how it plays out.”

Aside from Salvador, defenseman Barret Jackman and forward Ryan Johnson are also UFAs and might be offered around the league.

If the Lightning let Lecavalier finish out his contract and let him become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 of 2009, speculation is that the Montreal Canadiens may offer him between $72-$75 million over seven years.

While Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell is still trying to re-sign pending UFA forward Marian Hossa, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that Hossa has let it be know that he won’t return to the club.

Meanwhile, Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch suggests that some sort of conclusion to the situation could come after the next eight to 10 games.

If Hossa is shopped, Garrioch lists the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings as the front-runners to acquire Hossa’s services. Teams like the Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins are also said to have expressed interest in Hossa.

According to Garrioch, the Florida Panthers are shopping forward Olli Jokinen due to the players’ falling out with head coach and GM Jacques Martin.

Among teams hoping to get a shot at acquiring Jokinen are the Calgary Flames and the Stars.

Garrioch also reports that the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to move a number of players, including forwards Chris Gratton, Jan Hlavac and Vaclav Prospal.

The Lightning would like to dump salary and clear the deck now so that they can spend some money in the off-season on improving their roster.

According to Portzline, UFA forward Darren McCarty will accept a tryout with the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Bucky Gleason of The Buffalo News and Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal suggest that the move is seen as a way to help the Griffins while also allowing the Red Wings to examine if the 35-year-old still has something to offer at the NHL level.

“Let’s watch him,” Red Wings GM Ken Holland said. “Is there a little bit of something in the well he can go to? We’ll give him a chance.”

Lastly from Portzline, he reports that the San Jose Sharks are exploring the possibility of trading struggling forward Patrick Marleau. It’s believed that they would want a puck-moving defenseman in exchange.

Matheson also reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to determine whether pending UFA defenseman Adam Foote wants to return to the club on a two-year contract, at a much lower cost than his current $4 million salary.

Both Matheson and Gleason agree that the Blue Jackets are trying to move pending UFA forward David Vyborny, who has struggled this season.

Lastly from Matheson, he suggests that the St. Louis Blues may offer up pending unrestricted free agent defensemen Barret Jackman or Bryce Salvador to teams before the February 26 trade deadline if the club does not have a playoff spot.

Philadelphia Inquirer reports that New York Rangers struggling defenseman Marek Malik is on the trade block.

Rangers GM Glen Sather is said to want a “top defenseman” in a trade, but it’s unlikely Malik will garner that kind of return.