The Ottawa Citizen’s James Duthie reports that Murray apparently wanted to get Khabibulin for weeks leading up to the deadline, but needed to move one of his netminders to offset the salaries.

Since he couldn’t deal either Gerber or Emery, Murray decided to get creative and try to make the 2-for-2 swap.

When asked about the 2-for-2 goalie swap, Murray didn’t deny it.

“The trading deadline is over. I talked about a thousand different things. I talked to every manager pretty much in the league about a whole variety of things. I have all these creative ideas and nobody agreed with me, so we’ll just move on,” said Murray.

The Blackhawks didn’t appear to take the offer “too seriously,” because they would gain salary and take more of the cap hit in the deal.

Khabibulin earns $6.75 this year and next and Lalime makes $950,000 this year. Meanwhile, Gerber makes $3.7 million this year and next while Emery earns $2.75 million this year, $3.25 million next year and $3.5 million, after which he will become a UFA.

Thanks to Alex for sending this about the Maple Leafs. Apparently, while John Ferguson Jr. was still the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he received a number of calls from other GMs regarding the availability of some of his players.

During the 2nd intermission of Wednesday’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, former Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. told TSN’s James Duthie that he received a lot of calls from his colleagues inquiring about Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle. JFJ also said that a few teams expressed interest in Darcy Tucker, and to a lesser extent Bryan McCabe.

Meanwhile, word is that Minnesota Wild are pursuing pending unrestricted free agent forward Peter Forsberg.

John Shipley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting in this morning’s paper (2/14) that the Wild still believe they are in the running for Peter Forsberg should he make a return to the NHL. Unlike Anaheim and Detroit, both of which received calls from Forsberg’s agent saying they are off the list, the Wild have received no such call. They need a veteran center in a bad way. The biggest question is whether Doug Risebrough will open that large “Wild” checkbook and start spending.

Thanks to Bill for the heads up on this story.

However, the belief is that the Maple Leafs would never trade Sundin to their arch-rival, the Senators. A more likelier destination remains the Detroit Red Wings, due to their strong Swedish contingent.

Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom tells Ansar Khan of mLive.com that if he was asked by management to try and recruit his fellow Swede, he would.

“If it happens and [Red Wings GM Ken Holland] wants me to do something, I can help out,” Lidstrom said.

Even if the two aren’t the closest of friends as Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press points out.

“We’re not that close, we don’t hang out in the summertime,” Lidstrom said. “I don’t talk to him on a regular basis.”

Meanwhile, Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg, another Swede, tells Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News that he wouldn’t make the best recruiter.

“Only Mats knows what he wants to do and you have to respect that,” Zetterberg said.

“I don’t think I have the power to do that,” Zetterberg said.

Sundin has stated on numerous occasions his desire to remain in Toronto, and with the no-trade clause in his contract he controls his destiny.

Lidstrom is well aware that Sundin doesn’t want to leave the Maple Leafs, as Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun and Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star report.

“From what I hear, he wants to stay there. So I guess that ends that discussion.”

If Sundin does waive his no-trade clause, Khan speculates the Maple Leafs will try to land “a young player and/or prospects and draft picks” for their captain, a price that the Red wings may unwilling to meet. Unless, of course, Sundin signs a contract extension to play past this season.