- Darryl Sutter has hinted in several interviews that he has all but completed a deal with Daymond Langkow. The Flame’s #1 centerman has scored 30+ goals and 60+ points the last two seasons. Estimates suggest the contract (which has yet to be officially confirmed) is in the $5M/year, 3 year range.

- Sutter has also mentioned that he pursued European scorer Fabian Brunnstrom prior to his signing with Dallas and the organization has it’s eyes on some other potential diamonds in the rough from overseas.

Apparently, Swedish Elite league scorer Martin Thornberg is also garnering Sutter’s attention. The 25 year-old left winger 20 goals and 37 points in 51 games last season and added 17 points in 17 games in the post-season. From first-hand accounts, Thornberg was a part of one of the best forward units in the league with linemates Johann Davidsson and Juka Voutilainen. No word on whether the Flames have actually offered Thornberg a contract or simply a try-out.

While it’s difficult to assess his potential impact at the NHL level, the Flames as an organization are woefully shallow at left wing behind Alex Tanguay (Eric Nystrom, Marcus Nilson, Brandon Prust), so Thornberg’s addition would likely be a welcome one, at either the NHL or AHL level.

- Another name that has cropped up recently is former Phoenix Coyotes/Toronto Maple Leaf/Minnesota Wild Erik Westrum. Westrum is a bit older at 29 and has already spent some time in the NHL and AHL. He’s been a scorer at almost every level he’s played, including college hockey (168 points in 161 games), the American Hockey League (295 points in 420 games, including a 98 point season with the Houston Aeros) and, most recently, the Swiss-A League (33 goals and 70 points in 55 games). Despite decent stats at the lower levels, Westrum has never been able to stick in the big leagues, even though he’s had a cup of coffee with all of the teams listed above.

Like Thornberg, nothing official has been announced, although rumors claim that the Flames have offered Westrum a one-way offer. Considering Darryl Sutter’s reticence to grant one-way deals to relatively unproven plaayers (Mark Giordano comes to mind), I personally find that hard to believe. However, with the team’s impending budget crunch, Sutter may be forced beyond his “comfort zones” in order to fill out a roster poised to lose a lot of players to unrestricted free agency (Kristian Huselius, Owen Nolan, Stephane Yelle, Craig Conroy) and lacking enough young prospects to fill the gaps.

1.) Western Canadian guys. Sutter looks for players who were born or played in Western Canada, especially Alberta. In part because there’s a high probability either he or one his brothers have observed the player up close in the past (particularly current Devils coach Brent Sutter thanks to his years of coaching and managing the WHL Red Deer Rebels). In addition, a player who has lived or played in Alberta may be more likely to be familiar and comfortable in Calgary and therefore more amenable to signing a contract with the team. Some recent examples include Brad Stuart (Calgary Hitmen WHL career), Jim Vandermeer (Red Deer Rebels WHL career), Daymond Langkow (born in Edmonton, AB), Jamie Lundmark (born in Edmonton AB) and Eric Godard (born in BC, Lethbridge WHL career).

2.) Former “Sutter” guys. Darryl has been around the league for awhile, coaching for several years in both Chicago and San Jose before becoming the Flames coach and then GM. He draws from his extensive experience and values (some would saying “overly values”) players he’s had – and liked – in the past. Since becoming the Flames general manager, Sutter has acquired or signed Miikka Kiprusoff (Sharks), Tony Amonte (Blackhawks), Jeff Friesen (Sharks), Owen Nolan (Sharks), Mark Smith (Sharks) and Wayne Primeau (Sharks) to name a few.

3.) Guys his brothers know. If he doesn’t have direct knowledge of a player, Sutter leans on one of his 5 brothers (Brent, Brian, Duane, Rich, Ron) to provide him with information. For example, Duane Sutter was part of the Florida Panthers coaching staff from 1996-2002, where he would have had experience with future Darryl Sutter acquisitions Marcus Nilson and Kristian Huselius. Daryl has also made a number of trades with the Phoenix Coyotes during his tenure in Calgary (acquired Langkow and Lundmark) where his brother Rich is a scout. In his first season as Flames GM (’03/’04) Sutter traded for the Blackhawks Ville Neiminen near the deadline. Neiminen’s coach in Chicago that year was Daryl’s brother, Brian.

And so on. It’s clear Sutter likes to have as much primary, first-hand knowledge of a potential acquisition as possible and he takes full advantage of his extensive familial connections (as well as personal experience) throughout the NHL to that end. He’s also stated publicly that he deeply believes in Western Canada’s grass roots and junior hockey systems and their abilities to produce quality players, thus his resultant preference for those players with Western Canada somewhere in their past (over and above the reasons alreayd stated).

So as the deadline nears and the Flames look to tinker heading into the stretch-drive, keep the above in mind…you’ll be way ahead of Eklund, or most other media rumor mongers, in predicting Sutter’s moves.

Rangers’ director of player personnel Gordie Clark and a number of the club’s scouts have been scouting the Blue Jackets at home recently.

The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont suggests that the Boston Bruins may be talking trade with the Anaheim Ducks. The senior adviser to Ducks GM Brian Burke, Al Coates, was on hand for Boston’s game against the Canadiens Thursday.

Dupont suggests that Ducks veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider would be the most “tantalizing” player for the Bruins, as they could really use a puck-moving blueliner.

With the return of forward David Moss to Calgary Flames’ expected in the near future, Steve MacFarlane of the Calgary Sun speculates that forward Marcus Nilson could be placed on the waivers.

However, the Swedish forward believes he can help the Flames.

“I really think I can help this team,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’m the only one that thinks that, maybe.”

Nilson has been a healthy scratch in 14 of the last 15 games, and used sparingly.