Since the lock-out season in 2004-05, the cap has steadily continued to increase. From three years ago until now the NHL has increased it’s cap, with three years left in the CBA, it isn’t ludacris to suggest that by the end of the current CBA the NHL will have a salary cap of over 70 million at the current rate of inflation.

It’s a good thing that the cap continues to climb, sure the fans are paying more for their tickets, but it also means that even if ticket prices have soared the fans are willing to pay, which in turn means more revenue for the NHL, and teams.

Unfortunately for the NHL when the current CBA ends, if the cap is 70 million or over, teams like the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and maybe a few others will be able to maintain a competitive team, however there might be another debate as to small market teams like the Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames–to name only two– and if they will be able to survive with the cap and floor being so high.

This could result in the public and players as well as the owners losing one year of hockey and revenues as well as salaries for nothing, Eventually you might have teams being able to support two three or four players making over 8 million a season. That doesn’t mean that a certain team will be the best. Look at the Tampa Bay Lightning, until the trade deadline Tampa had Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St-Louis, and they did poorly even though those players had a good year.

I presume that for now all the fans can do is go with the flow, and challenge their respective teams to use the accending cap to acquire better players or keep the good players that they already have. However if the world of hockey is subject to another lock-out in three years I don’t think that the fans will be so quick to come back to the sport.

For now let’s all enjoy the fact that there is hockey, and make our teams use the money that is available to them and acquire some more players, let’s enjoy it while we can.

First off, Bob Gainey ( general manager ) thanked the fans for their support through-out the season, especially during the play-offs. Gainey stated that the fans support made the atmosphere of the city a great one, and that the fans made the whole Habs organization feel special.

Gainey went on to say that the Philadelphia Flyers were the better team, and deserved to move on. He also stated that the Flyers did well in their off season by acquiring good players, and that they started their rebuilding after a bad season in 2006.

Gainey stipulated that he now knows, having gone through the play-offs, where the holes are in the team, and that they will look to fill those wholes in the off-season either with free agents, or by their minor league system. Gainey also added that he wants to be a contender next year, and for years to come.

Bob Gainey said that he would be looking for a forward in the off-season, but failed to mention what type of forward he would be looking for.

Carbonneau said that the Habs lost as a team, and that no one player was to blame. The young players grew together, and saw what they will need to perform better in next years play-offs. He went on to say that Carey Price was tired, but that Price also now knows that the play-offs in the NHL are different than in the minors, and that he will be back next year in better physical, as well as mental shape to start the season, and that he will be better in the play-offs to come.

Gainey said that he is aware of the rumour that Andrei Kostitsyn is being tendered a contract by the Russian Super League, and that he accepts the reality of the situation. Gainey knows of the possibility, if Kostitsyn decides to go to Russia, he would deal with it when it would happen, and is fully prepared to do so.

Gainey said about Michael Ryder that Ryder tried to change his game, and that last year he scored 15 five on five goals, this year he scored 13, but that at the end of the day, the Canadiens were a better team without him. Gainey also said that Mark Streit will be interviewed, and if he wishes to stay with the team, perhaps something can be arranged. As for the other free agents, Bob Gainey has not made his assessment of the whole team yet.

Gainey said that by draft day 2008, the Habs will know what direction they are going in for next season, and what type of player(s) could help them.

On the question of if the centennial changes anything, Gainey said that it does as all the media will be focusing on Montreal, and that some pieces of the puzzle are already in place, now they just have to complete the puzzle.

Fabian Brunnstrom was in Montreal this past Saturday, are the Habs interested? Gainey said that they are interested, and have given their proposal to him, and his agent, and that the Canadiens should know by late this week, early next week what Brunnstrom’s intentions are.

Gainey was asked if the team needed more size and grit, to which he replied that they do, but that they are a fast team, and would like to remain as such, but that some more grit couldn’t hurt.

Gainey also replied to the fact that some teams could tender an offer to Andrei Kostitsyn, like the Edmonton Oilers did to a player of another team, and said that it is a posibility, but that he can do the same also. Basically giving an un-official warning.

Well now that the season is officially over Bob Gainey will take a deep breath, and a little break before starting again, the Habs need some little tweaking to be a real contender, what will Bob Gainey do?

Sure there are the Marian Hossa’s, and the Mats Sundin’s of the world, but who are the under-rated players that could help the Canadiens next year? There are some funny rumours in Montreal that fans have brought forth, I guess they are more hopes rather than reality, but the suggestions are to trade Mikhail Grabovski, Jaroslav Halak, the Habs first round pick this year, and possibly Ryan O’Byrne, and maybe Chris Higgins to the Atlanta Thrashers for Ilya Kovalchuk. Well if you want to put all your eggs in one basket, he is not a bad player to get, but trading all of that seems a little steep.

A player which has been getting absolutely no attention from the media in Montreal is Paul Gaustad. This 6′5″ 225 pound centre could be exactly what the Habs need. He’s big, physical, not afraid to get a little nasty, and is a centre, a big one, which could solve some problems down the middle where the Habs need help. I believe that Gaustad would be the no.3 centre that the Habs have been looking for. Gaustad can play well, and isn’t afraid to stand in front of the net either, which could have helped in the Philadelphia Flyers series. Gaustad may not be a superstar, but he could be a piece of the puzzle.

Another player that the Habs should inquire about is the Jordin Tootoo. He does take some stupid penalties from time to time, but he is a pinball, and is definitely not afraid to mix it up. He loves the physical, and nasty play, why not in Montreal? Tootoo might be in the penalty box a little too often, but he inspires his team-mates with loud and crushing hits, unlike Maxime Lapierre. Tootoo could be a good fit in Montreal, as coach Guy Carbonneau enjoys the gritty type players.

If the Canadiens were thinking of landing a proven fighter on the team, then if they are not able to get Georges Laraque, unfortunately, there aren’t many options, perhaps the big Derek Boogaard from the Minnesota Wild would be an option. Boogaard is not fast, but at 6′7″, and weighing 256 pounds, he could crush some people in the boards, and I’m sure that neither Laraque, nor Zdeno Chara would frighten him. There are a couple of other fighters in the league that could use a new home, but they are all about the same as Boogaard, just not as big. However, I do like Zack Stortini from the Edmonton Oilers also as a fighter.

Raffi Torres is another gritty forward which would have helped in the Philly series, he plays physical, and loves going to the net and disturbing the goalie. Although this year he had some problematic injuries, he remains a good player, one which I’m sure the Habs would enjoy. Also in Edmonton, Jarett Stoll, although I prefer Gaustad to Stoll, Stoll does have the edge in winning face-offs. Stoll would be a good replacement for Brian Smolinski, but as I said, I would prefer to see Gaustad.

One of the Canadiens problems is the fact that they are so small at the centre position. Saku Koivu, and Tomas Plekanec, both of whom are talented, but on the smallish side, Smolinski was a decent size, but didn’t pan out, and his best days are behind him. Maxim Lapierre is bigger than Koivu, and Plekanec, but will he be good enough?

The Canadiens have some talented wingers, and defense-men coming up soon, they also have some centres, but they are not much bigger than Koivu, or Plekanec, so perhaps it’s time to think about size, which has been the issue in Montreal for a few years, this year they escaped it by being the number 1 team in the East, but the lack of size up front amongst other things, hampered their play-off hopes.

More to come in part 2.

Take for example the Pittsburgh Penguins, sure they were bad for a few years enabling them to have good draft picks, but still, they are a good young team, with a few older players to help them out. How about the Edmonton Oilers, they are almost all young, and still have a chance to make the play-offs albeit a slim one. The Montreal Canadiens are also a young talented team, but as young talented teams are, they make youngster mistakes, all teams do, but in the end they all learn from their mistakes.

Trying to buy a Stanley Cup with all old veterans doesn’t work anymore. The new NHL is too fast for the old generation, sure they can still play, but they can’t keep up to the young fast kids. It used to be the bigger you were the better, now it’s how fast you are, of course if you happen to be big, and fast, more power to you.

Within the last remaining few years of the CBA, fans will see players the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shannahan, Mike Modano, Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, and so on, retire, all the old school players who stuck around and could play in today’s NHL will slowly dissipate, leaving the game to the new generation of players, faster than the older generation, coupled with the new rules makes the game more exciting for the fans, and filled with more headaches for general managers who try to work within a salary cap environment to make the respective teams compete.

Younger is better, it gives a chance for everyone to learn, when you have too many older players on the team, they try and coach the team, this is good in some situations, but, in the long run there can only be one coach, and it can’t be a player. The only thing hockey is missing nowadays is the respect aspect, too many players are lacking respect towards each other. This is due to the fact that there is a rule in place which prevents players from basically policing themselves.

Enjoy watching your old favorite players which I’ve named above for a few more years, as they will all disappear soon enough, the talented young crop of players that are establishing themselves will certainly astonish a few fans along the way. The experience factor does pose an interesting question, especially in the post season, but it will make it all the more exciting for the fans to watch while all the young up and coming stars emerge in the play-offs, gaining their own experience along the way.

Yes, as long as you are patient, young is good enough, look around this year, it’s answer enough.

The wizards ( NHL planning directors ), thought of something controversial, the team that wins in overtime gets 2 points, the one which loses gets 1 point. By doing this I find that the wizards are rewarding losers, which once you become a professional, should not exist, the players are not children anymore, they don’t have to reward effort, you lose, tough luck, no points. Why should teams be babied, to tell owners that the wizards have their back, well who has the fans back??

The shoot-out is a different story, if both teams have made it past the overtime, then they should have at least one point each, with the extra point going to the winner of the shoot-out. That is the way it should be, if you make it past the overtime, you get a point, you lose in overtime, no point for you, enough with the constant child like rewards.

Unfortunately, the loser point has made things interesting in the race for the play-offs this season as a multitude of teams which should not be in the hunt are. Teams like the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, and so on, even teams which are at the top would possibly not be there if the loser point wasn’t there, but some teams at the top also lost in the shoot-out, so some would still be at the top anyway.

In the current situation, I do not think that the NHL will remove this loser point anytime soon, it’s giving teams which arguably shouldn’t be in the race a chance to get into the play-offs, in the end the owners of low market teams probably like it that way, some teams don’t want to spend more then the floor cap, and they are happy to be in the hunt for the play-offs. It is exciting as all spots are pretty much up for grabs, however they should be challenged by winners, not overtime loser points, shoot-out loss is o.k. as both teams made it past overtime, by the old standard, they both get a point, but please, players, and owners are past the age of positive reinforcement.

First off, the Oilers could use a “sniper” to bolster their attack, some in the mold of San Jose Sharks forward Jonathan Cheechoo.

Secondly, the Oilers will look to add some toughness. While it’s unlikely that former Oilers tough guy Georges Laraque will return to Edmonton, there are other options. Those include UFAs Wade Belak of the Florida Panthers, Jody Shelley of the Sharks, Darcy Hordichuk of the Nashville Predators, and Todd Fedoruk of the Minnesota Wild.

Jean LeFebvre of The Calgary Herald suggests that Calgary Flames pending UFA forward Kristian Huselius may have a hard time getting the contract he wants this summer.

While his play in the months of October, December, January, and so far in March, has been superb, November and February saw the skilled forward play the worst hockey of the season.

Ottawa Senators pending UFA forward Cory Stillman tells James Gordon of The Ottawa Citizen that he’d love to re-sign with the club.

“I’d like to stay. It’s close to home, to my home town,” the Peterborough, Ont., native said. “You know, I was happy in Carolina, but (Ottawa) is one of the places I had said that if I ever had the chance to play, I would jump on it.

“So I’m here now and hopefully I can continue on for a couple years.”

Stillman says he hasn’t had any talks about a contract extension with Senators’ management, yet.

“My thing right now is to come play, win hockey games and continue to play into June,” the 34-year-old said.

According to Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post, Washington Capitals pending restricted free agent forward Brooks Laich could receive a significant raise this summer. A three-year, $3 million deal isn’t out of the question.

The Leafs captain Mats Sundin, would have been traded for a boat load of talent , and draft picks, one rumour, had Mats going to the Montreal Canadiens for Chris Higgins, and the Habs no.1,2, and three draft picks this year, that would have definitely made the Leafs younger, and with all those draft picks, it would have gotten back some of what was lost recently thanks to Jon Ferguson jr, not to mention that Higgins so far is a consistent 20 goal scorer. Unfortunately Sundin refused to waive his no trade clause.

Some other reports suggest that another no trade Leafs player would have been traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Jeff Carter, and possibly a draft pick as well, again this would have made the Leafs younger, and added more draft picks, which were lost by Ferguson, so without anymore than those two rampant rumours, the Leafs would have been better.

Another rumour which is floating around on many radio stations, is that Chris Pronger could have been a Maple Leaf, and the trade would have involved Tomas Kaberle, but he has a no trade clause, the problem is his no trade would have only kicked in a month after the trade would have occurred, but Ferguson caved under Kaberle’s agent who apparently said his client had a no trade and regardless of when it takes effect, Ferguson had to honour that. Wow, nice cowering man he is, Ferguson was lucky to have his job as long as he did. Imagine Leaf fans, that you had Chris Pronger, the Leafs would have definitely been better this year.

Ferguson is the one who allotted those no trade contracts, he really has made Cliff Fletchers’ job more difficult as new interim General manager for the Leafs, Fletcher could have made his team better, but in the end because of Ferguson’s handling, was basically handcuffed at the deadline, he managed to trade away dead weight, one of those being Chad Kilger, who hasn’t reported to the Florida Panthers, and has been taken off their roster for now.

One view about no trade contracts is, if a player is given one, is the player to blame for refusing to waive it, like Mats Sundin, or Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators who has refused to waive his no trade for the past two years. Or is the player who refuses to waive his no trade being selfish, and is basically refusing to help the team in a bad situation. Unfortunately for Mats Sundin, his wanting to stay with a sinking ship as the Captain for fear of being ridiculed as yellow and scared of not making the play-offs, has put him in a bind, next season he either has to retire, or resign with the team for less, if he wants to keep the notion of going down with the ship, or else he runs the risk of being hated by the Leaf fans for sabotaging the future of the Leafs.

Only one thing is for certain, if gm’s are willing to implement no trade clauses, players will almost always accept them. No more no trade clauses, as it punishes the team in the long run, or, the player has to submit a list of at least 10-15 teams which if the possibility arose, they could be traded to.

According to Bucky Gleason of The Buffalo News, the Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon will try to move high-priced forward Martin Havlat and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin during the off-season.

Trading both players, who become unrestricted free agents next summer, would give the Blackhawks $12.75 million to spend in free agency.

If the Blackhawks don’t trade both players, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun believes that the club will certainly deal Havlat.

Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal reports that Los Angeles Kings pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Rob Blake would like to continue his NHL career for one or two more seasons. And preferably with the Kings.

However, for that to happen, Matheson suggests that the veteran blueliner will have to take a significant pay cut down to around $3 million per season.

Matheson also reiterates earlier reports that the Ottawa Senators can buy out goalie Ray Emery between June 15 and June 30 at one-third of the $6.75 million left on the last two years of his contract. That translates to a salary cap hit of $562,000 each of the next four years. Matheson suggests that that the Senators will indeed take advantage of this opportunity to dump Emery.

Look for the Edmonton Oilers to shop defenseman Joni Pitkanen in the off-season, according to Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch.

Portzline also reports that Oilers pending UFA forward Geoff Sanderson will retire at season’s end.

Garrioch believes that the New York Islanders will not trade goalie Rick DiPietro despite the friction he and head coach Ted Nolan.

Garrioch also reports that Colorado Avalanche pending UFA goaltender Jose Theodore could be pursued by the Kings and the Tampa Bay Lightning should he decided to go on the market.

More from Garrioch, he reports on a number of non-trades leading up to last month’s trade deadline.

First off, word is that the Philadelphia Flyers were willing to part with forward Jeff Carter and their first round draft pick for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The deal fell through when Kaberle invoked the no-trade clause in his contract.

Secondly, the Atlanta Thrashers were unsuccessful in their attempts to move defenseman Alexei Zhitnik.

Lastly, Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough wasn’t willing to meet the asking price for Florida Panthers forward Olli Jokinen.

However, by naming Peca an alternate captain, management may be sending him a message.

“Hopefully, it says they want me to be around for a little while,” said Peca, 33.

“This is a place we would love to stay and there has been an indication that it might be a reciprocal feeling on their part, but we’ll see what happens.”

Bob Hunter of The Columbus Dispatch suggests that the Blue Jackets may pursue a trade for struggling San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau to fill their first-line center position.

The Blue Jackets could receive a first round draft pick, from a deadline deal that saw defenseman Adam Foote moved to the Colorado Avalanche, that they can package along with “a good player or two” to acquire Marleau.

Marleau has a no-trade clause that takes effect July 1st, so he’d have to be moved before then without his approval.

Speaking of the Sharks, USA Today’s Kevin Allen suggests that should Sharks defenseman Brian Campbell become an UFA he could get a six-year deal worth at least $50 million this summer.

Campbell will undoubtedly be the most sought after blueliner on the market due to the lack of top-tier defensemen due to become available.

Allen also believes that pending UFA defensemen Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators and Michael Rozsival of the New York Rangers could also get significant contracts.

As for Pittsburgh Penguins soon-to-be UFA forward Marian Hossa, he could definitely land a deal averaging more than the $7 million per season the Atlanta Thrashers were offering him before they traded him.

Lastly from Allen, he suggests that the Thrashers will have a big off-season after losing Hossa, while the Edmonton Oilers continue their efforts to land a “Star” player. Look for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders to possibility do the same.

When the Anaheim Ducks placed goalie Ilya Bryzgalov on waivers last November, Lombardi admits he wasn’t as aggressive in trying to land the Russian netminder. The Phoenix Coyotes picked up Bryzgalov, where he has won 23 of the last 34 games he played for them.

“Uh, yeah. That’s a good one,” Lombardi said. “I think the jury is still out. There were some issues, things you heard out of Anaheim in terms of him being a teammate… In retrospect, we should have been more aggressive. This is how a mistake can lead to another, a logjam of contracts there cut off our flexibility.”

Last summer, Lombardi passed up the opportunity of trading for then Nashville Predators goaltender Tomas Vokoun because he did not want to part with a first round draft pick and a second round draft pick as well as goalie prospect Jonathan Bernier. Vokoun ended up being dealt to the Florida Panthers.

Two summers ago Lombardi tried to acquire Chris Pronger of the Edmonton Oilers but did not want to include rising Star forward Anze Kopitar as part of a multi-player package. Pronger was later traded to the Ducks, where he helped lead them to their first Stanley Cup.

“Thank God we didn’t do that.”

Now, more and more NHL teams are employing the hockey version of cheerleaders.

The Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning all have them. That’s 16 teams.

Three Canadian teams have them, too, including the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, and the Vancouver Canucks.

So, what exactly do Ice Girls do?

Well, according to PuckThatHit.com, this is what the job entails:

Ice Girls often (but not always) step onto the ice, clean away excess snow, wipe down the glass, and of course give away t-shirts. Any excuse to have them parade their increased chest sizes and minuscule waists is good enough for management and fans.

For those interested, there’s a poll over at PuckThatHit.com where you can vote for which team has the best ice girls. There’s pictures, too… pretty pictures… go check ‘em out. I threw in my vote for the Chicago Blackhawks’ Ice Crew.

Anyway, I’m wondering how soon will it be before ALL NHL teams has a crew of Ice Girls dancing in a seat near you? And which team will it be the next in line? Will it be the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, or the Washington Capitals?

This is an unscientific poll, by the way.

The Dallas Stars acquired Brad Richards from the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the fact that they were already a really good team knocking on Detroit’s door, the Stars will be a team to watch in the play-offs, hopefully for them, Sergei Zubov comes back into their line up soon.

The San Jose Sharks acquired Brian Campbell, although this may help shore up their defense, and add a little punch from the blue-line, it won’t help their scoring much, unless Patirck Marleau and , Jonathan Chechoo come out of their funk.

The Detroit Red Wings, acquired Brad Stuart to help fill in the void that was left by Niklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, and company when they all got injured, but besides giving Darren McCarty a contract, the Wings didn’t add to their offense. Let’s hope that when Dan Cleary Comes back along with all the injured defenseman, that they will push hard in the play-offs.

The Colorado Avalanche acquired Ruslan Salei, to go along with Adam Foote which they re-acquired and, Peter Forsberg, which signed for the rest of the year. This is the dark-horse team in the west, being that the Avs lost Joe Sakic, Ryan Smith, and, Paul Stasny to injury, yet they managed to stay a couple of points back of the final spot, now with Sakic, Smith, and Stasny coming back plus the players the Avs acquired, they have a good chance to go far. All this team needs now is for Patrick Roy to come out of retirement

The Anaheim Ducks didn’t do much, but they are 9-1 since Teemu Selanne came back so they didn’t have to do anything, this team will be hard to beat.

As far as the rest of the teams in the Western Conference go, they all have to hope that the Stars, Ducks, Sharks, and Wings somehow falter, but as they say, the play-offs is a complete other season where anything can happen, which it has from time to time when most recently the Edmonton Oilers got on a hot streak and when the the Stanley Cup final.

According to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, defenseman Pavel Kubina invoked his no-trade clause to remain with the club.

Apparently, Kubina gave Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher the go-ahead to shop him, but changed his mind after Monday’s decisive win against the Ottawa Senators.

Either the Edmonton Oilers or San Jose Sharks are believed have had some interest in the Czech blueliner.

Meanwhile, word is that Fletcher had a number of offers for goaltender Vesa Toskala and forward Nik Antropov but didn’t feel the need to move either player. Fletcher mentioned Toskala and Antropov as two players that are penciled in as part of the team future.

However, that does not mean the Maple Leafs will not undergo further changes this off-season. And that may even effect no-trade club members such as Mats Sundin, Bryan McCabe, Tomas Kaberle, Darcy Tucker, and Kubina himself.

“I can assure the fans that this team will be different than it is right now,” Fletcher said.

Of course, all that will depend on the what the yet-to-be-hired, full-time, GM of the Maple Leafs decides to do.

Carbonneau stated earlier this month that whatever goalie wins, stays in goal. Does this mean with Price losing his last outing against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his still being in goal for the next game that Huet will be dealt? Could there be a trade in the works? Possibly Huet, Micheal Ryder, a draft pick, and possibly Alex Emlin’s rights could go to the Edmonton Oilers for Jaret Stoll, Dwayne Roloson, and Joni Pitkanen?

Martin Havlat of the Chicago Blackhawks has been reported to be on the general manager of the Canadiens Bob Gainey’s radar, along with Robert Lang also of the Hawks. Does the fact that some players have exercised their no trade clause tie Gainey’s hands of sort being that he has coveted those players? Marian Hossa of the Atlanta Thrashers, and Olli Jokinen of the Florida Panthers have had their market value triple in the last few hours, does this mean Gainey has to revert to plan B and go after Havlat and Lang?

The Montreal Canadiens defence of late has been less than desirable, will the Habs reinforce their defence for the play-offs by getting Buffalo Sabers Brian Campbell? Would the Canadiens be able to sign him, and with the free agents the Habs have to deal with at the end of next season, how much could they afford to sign him for? The Canadiens need help at defence as it’s hard to believe that Patrice Brisebois will be the salvation of the team. Campbell would be another offensive threat from the blue line and be moderate in the defensive zone which, would be better than nothing, but would it be worth 4-6 million a year, which is probably what Campbell will be asking for.

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

1. Montreal Canadiens: Although Bob Gainey has never been an open book about his feelings, there is a sense that he likes his team and likes the way the East is shaping up. Believing his team can make an extended run, he has been looking at several big-name trade scenarios. He seems interested in one of the major rental prizes, such as Mats Sundin or Marian Hossa. The Canadiens have prospects such as Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty that other teams would like to have.

2. Boston Bruins: The Bruins have shown an interest in landing Hossa, and they clearly are in the hunt for a top six forward. No Eastern team in a playoff position has fewer goals than Boston.

3. Philadelphia Flyers: GM Paul Holmgren already has added a depth defenseman in Jaroslav Modry and he’s still looking for defensive help. He went after Tomas Kaberle, but Kaberle doesn’t want to waive his no-trade clause.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins: It’s a given the Penguins need a winger for Sidney Crosby. General manager Ray Shero is poking around the marketplace, but it’s unknown how aggressive he will be. He also would like to land defensive help. If the Penguins could land a couple of key veterans, they are capable of making a lengthy postseason run.

5. Ottawa Senators: GM Bryan Murray has already made a major move, acquiring Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore. He would still like to land another scorer.

6. New Jersey Devils: Don’t ever discount the possibility that Lou Lamoriello will make a major trade to help his team, and more than likely there will be no rumors before it happens. He always operates in stealth mode. Given the state of the Eastern Conference, why couldn’t this team make a run to the Finals? The Devils could use some scoring help.

7. New York Islanders: With five wins in a row, the Islanders have to be thinking they could still make the playoffs if they could add some defensive help. Their defense has been undermined severely by injuries, but coach Ted Nolan somehow has managed to convince them they can still win.

8. New York Rangers: No trade deadline would be complete without the Rangers weighing in. With points in eight of their last 10 games, the Rangers look like they might have turned the corner at the right time. They could use more scoring.

And here are the supposed sellers:

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: General manager Cliff Fletcher has the top prize of the trade deadline season in Sundin. Most of the top contenders would like Sundin. My hunch is that the price for Sundin will match or exceed what the Nashville Predators paid for Peter Forsberg last spring, top prospect Ryan Parent, everyday player Scottie Upshall and a first-round pick. Fletcher would like to move other players, but the contracts of Pavel Kubina, Darcy Tucker, etc., make them difficult to trade.

2. Atlanta Thrashers: General manager Don Waddell would prefer to re-sign Hossa, but that appears unlikely to happen. He will reluctantly trade him, even though he’s still fighting to win the Southeast Division. He undoubtedly try to get someone back who can help him in that mission. He will want a young player who can play immediately.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning: Presuming the Lightning will sign Dan Boyle, their top rental will be Vinny Prospal, a player with good hands. But TSN.ca is reporting that new ownership is asking GM Jay Feaster to explore what kind of deal he could make to trade Brad Richards. The only problem is that Richards has three years remaining at $7.8 million a season. But there are teams that would like to add a big name to their mix, such as the Edmonton Oilers.

Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli tells the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa that he has no place for suspended forward Stanislav Chistov to the roster at this time.

Chistov, who remains suspended by the Bruins and still their property, left Salavat Yulayev Ufa, the Russian Super League club he played for this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson tells Tom Reed of The Columbus Dispatch he expects to meet with Rick Curran, the agent for pending UFA Adam Foote, within the next 48 hours.

Howson wants to find out what how much money Foote is looking for to re-sign with the club.

James Gordon of The Ottawa Citizen suggests that the idea of the Ottawa Senators acquiring goalie Dwayne Roloson of the Edmonton Oilers or Nikolai Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks is “unrealistic and counter-productive.”

While his name has been mentioned in trade rumors involving Martin Havlat of the Blackhawks, Olli Jokinen of the Florida Panthers and even Mats Sundin of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mark Everson of the New York Post is not convinced that the New Jersey Devils want to part with struggling forward Brian Gionta this season.

That doesn’t mean the Devils aren’t looking to improve their roster.

It’s believed that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is looking to acquire some that matches the the kind of players his head coach, Brent Sutter, likes.

“I like a team that has a junkyard dog mentality,” Sutter said yesterday, discussing the personality of his team rather than the Feb. 26 trade deadline. “You don’t want to be a quiet team because a lot of times, you’re a quiet team on the ice, too.”

Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke said in a conference call with the media that he’s heading into the NHL general managers meetings, set to begin Monday, unsure if he’ll make any deals, reports Rick Sadowski of the Rocky Mountain News.

“I’m not sure what I have yet, and I’m not sure what I’m looking for.”

Burke owns the Oilers’ first-round draft pick for losing restricted free agent forward Dustin Penner to an offer sheet last summer, but he says he’s more inclined to keep it than trade it for a rental.

During the same conference call, Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell sounded as if he was still unsure about what he’ll do with pending UFA Marian Hossa before the February 26 trade deadline.

“We have one of our stars that’s up in the air,” Waddell said of Hossa.

“If we don’t sign the player, then we’ve got to make a decision whether we’re going to trade that player or ride him out for the rest of the year and try to keep our team as strong as we can.”

Hagman says he’s not too worried about the lack of contract talks.

“I just don’t feel a need to rush this. If I play well, then everything will take care of itself. That’s all I want to concentrate on right now – playing well.”

Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe suggests that the Calgary Flames will have to move forward Alex Tanguay because of his pricey $5.375 million price tag for next season.

Even though the Flames are committed to 14 players for next season for a cap hit of $45.5 million, Flames GM Darryl Sutter tells Allen Panzeri of The Ottawa Citizen that there is enough cap room to re-sign pending UFA forwards Craig Conroy, Kristian Huselius, Daymond Langkow, Owen Nolan, and Stephane Yelle, and defenseman David Hale.

Still, Dupont believes that Tanguay could land in Montreal with the Canadiens in exchange for pending UFA Michael Ryder.

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press suggests that with forward Dan Cleary going down for an extended period of time with a fractured jaw, the Detroit Red Wings will be more active in adding a scoring forward before the February 26 trade deadline.

Erik Erlendsson of The Tampa Tribune reports that Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster would like to initiate contract talks with pending UFA defenseman Dan Boyle.

However, due to the uncertainty of the Lightning’s ownership situation the club’s management may have to forgo any attempts of re-signing Boyle, or picking up reinforcements before the deadline.

According to Panzeri, the starting price for Boyle is $7 million per season.

Panzeri also reports that the Edmonton Oilers are trying to unload veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson, and might make forward Jarret Stoll and defenseman Steve Staios available.

Lastly from Panzeri, he reports that Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is looking to add a scoring forward before the deadline.

“There’s hardly anything out there right now, unless you’re willing to give up something very, very significant,” said Chiarelli. “You can get a top-six forward, a goal scorer, but it’s going to cost, it’s going to cost a lot.”

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that the Minnesota Wild might move pending UFA Nick Schultz before the deadline. Apparently, a number of teams have called to inquire about the blueliner’s availability.

According to Garrioch, the Phoenix Coyotes may opt to trade pending UFA forward Radim Vrbata before the deadline because of concerns he may ask for a significant raise.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes would also like to deal defenseman Brendan Bell.

Garrioch also reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets have received inquiries about defenseman Ron Hainsey, although the club is yet to decide whether they’re ready to become sellers.

Lastly from Garrioch, he reports that the New York Islanders are looking to move forwards Mike Comrie and Miroslav Satan. Garrioch suggests the Ottawa Senators could use either player.