What is going on these days, NHL-KHL, now KHL-NHL? This has to stop! First of all Zherdev was still under contract to play in the NHL so his departure was a no go, fine. Now rumors are surfacing that Jagr could come to the NHL and play for the Oilers? Don’t get me wrong, Jagr was one of the best players in the NHL for a long time, and might still have what it takes to play, not to mention that he has been playing hockey all season unlike a certain Swedish player who sgined in December and just got in to shape now, but how can the NHL allow this?

If a player decides to skip town when his contract is over and play in the KHL that’s fine, same goes for leaving the KHL and coming to the NHL, but why mid-season, this is completely ludicrous! The players have to wait untill the current season is over.

This all started with Teemu Selanne, and Scott Niedermayer taking their sweet time in coming back, then Zherdev wanting to leave, followed by Mats Sundin having to ponder his future in the NHL until late December when he signed with the Vancouver Canucks, now Jagr?

Yes I know, if the teams are willing to let this happen and be a part of it then the players will use and abuse it, but does that make it right? And let’s not forget Brendan Shanahan signing late this season as well.

The NHL has to put a stop to this other wise more and more players will do this, and the league will be a joke. The NHL has to put a policy in place that players have until the day before the season opens to sign their contracts and if the players have to ponder their career, well they have the whole summer to do so, or else they will have to wait until the current season is over.

This might become really annoying to fans who already think that players are making too much money, now they are allowed to sign contracts in the middle of the season? Ridiculous! but as long as owners are willing to let this happen and the league goes along with it, well then I imagine it will keep happening.

More on this NHL-KHL topic, pick one. NHL or KHL and live with your decision, no well i would like to play in the NHL again, too bad. Wait until the season is over then sign a free agent contract or else too bad. Same goes the other way. The Montreal Canadiens lost one of their defense-men to the KHL, Pavel Valentenko decided that if he wasn’t playing with the big club then off to Russia it is. I say suspend him for a whole year from coming back, after his contract is up with the Habs affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.

Enough with this non-sense. You play in the NHL or the KHL, not come and go as you please. Let’s hope that the NHL will look into instating a policy which prohibits players from signing with an NHL club once the season has started, and also that they look into more specificaly players from another league whichever one it is and prevent NHL clubs from signing them during the current season.

The week started off with the signing of RFA forward Maxim Lapierre for a two-years contract awarding him 575 000$ in 2008-2009 and 800 000$ in 2009-2010. Was it a right move? Definitly, since Lapierre has been able to establish himself as a hard worker and a devoted player for the Montreal Canadiens and he just keeps getting better at what he does, and let’s not forget to mention how well he plays defensively when the Habs are on the penalty kill. Lapierre ended the 2007-2008 season playing 53 games and scoring 7 goals and 18 point.

That is a good news for the Habs, but what about Andrei Kostitsyn? How are things going with him and did Bob Gainey even start negotiations yet? Gainey told the press two week ago that they have contacted Andrei to talk about his future with the organization, but it appears that a team from Kazan in Russia has made an offer for next season that values 1.5 million. However, Don Meehan, Kostitsyn’s agent, commented the rumor stating that his client intends on sticking to his career in the NHL, but that he would prefer to get him more of a short-term contract, unlike the ones that have been given to other young players such as Mike Richards from the Philadelphia Flyers. He went on adding that he expects the negotiations with the Canadiens to be all but easy. If the rumor happens to be true, than I believe giving 1.5 million for 2 years should do the thing for him to stay in Montreal.

What about other players waiting to know what to do next season? Well it appears that Corey Locke, one of the Habs’ prospect playing in Hamilton, is currently being chased by the Kloten Flyers from Switzerland’s national League. The Flyers’ sports director commented the rumor simply by confirming it and saying his team did indeed make an offer for Locke to consider.

While some are probably going to look at every options, one has made it clear that he is leaving the organisation. Yann Danis, another Habs’ prospect and goaltender for the Hamilton Bulldogs, prefers to leave the Canadiens for good and test his UFA status starting July 1st. Danis was portrayed as one of Montreal’s future goaltender a couple of years ago, but simply lost his place with the team when Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price showed up and took over. I wish Yann all the best and hopefully he will end up with a good team that will use his undeniable talent to the fullest, maybe a team like the Ottawa Senators would do the thing.

Now there are some good UFAs on the market the the Habs are definitely going to pursue come July 1st. Let’s start with Mats Sundin. Sundin is beeing pursued by probably every team in the NHL seeing how good of a player he is and the price to get him probably isn’t going to be that high. Although any team would take Sundin, he wouldn’t take any team. Since he wants to stay in Canada, Montreal is certainly a strong option to consider. The Sundin case is surely and interesting one.

Then you have Teemu Selanne, one of Saku Koivu’s best friend. It appears Koivu has finally been able to convince Selanne to play his last NHL season with the Canadiens while spending time with him at the World Championships. This rumor has been going on for years, but Selanne has never accepted the offer to join the Habs. This time, things are looking a bit different because even the Anaheim Ducks’ GM Brian Burke believes this time might be the right time and that Selanne might finally accept Montreal’s offer. Two days ago, Anaheim’s defenseman Francois Beauchemin commented the rumor saying it was clearly impossible since Selanne has been living in Anaheim for over 10 years and has a house, a family and kids that attend school in Anaheim. He believes that if Selanne plans on playing for another season in the NHL, he’s going to play it in Anaheim and nowhere else and if he can’t come down to an agreement with the team, he is probably going to announce his retirement. One thing is for sure, we are going to have all the answers to our questions come July 1st, since that is the last day Selanne could give an answer to Burke.

Now on to the main event: Marian Hossa. Rumors have been all over the place with that guy and it’s not about to stop, at least not until he inks his name on a contract. Hossa is definitely going to be a target for Montreal this summer and I’m sure Gainey already has an offer planned specially for him. Is Hossa going to consider it? Maybe yes, maybe not. Earlier this week, Hossa said on a radio station in Pittsburgh that he enjoyed his stay with the Penguins and would definitely consider signing a contract for less money to be able to stay with a good and competitive team like the Penguins. But the thing is Montreal isn’t the team it was a year ago. Montreal has become a good and competitive team in the NHL and, if the right moves are pulled by Gainey, they are probably going to become a Stanley Cup contender for next season. Well now it appears that Pittsburgh really intends on keeping Hossa with them since rumors have been circulating as of yesterday that they have pitched a 7-years/50 millions$ contract at him. Is it going to be enough to persuade him to stay with the team? It could to the thing, but how big is Evgeni Malkin’s contract going to be? If they sign Hossa, they are probably going to have to give up on forward Ryan Malone and defenseman Brooks Orpik. If the Penguins do manage to keep Hossa, Malkin, Crosby and Stall all together, Ray Shero definitely deserves to have his name on the hall of fame.

Now enough with the stress and let’s talk about something else.

The NHL awards took place this week and Guy Carbonneau was nominated for best coach of the year. Unfortunately, the award finally went to the Washington Capitals’ Bruce Boudreau. Although I really wanted Carbonneau to win that award, I must say Boudreau deserved recognition for his work just as much as Carbo. He took the worst team in the NHL in November and led them to win their division’s championship and and believe me, nobody expected that to happen.

If Carbo didn’t get recognition for his hard work, Carey Price and Alex Kovalev did. Price was named on the All-Star rookie team and Kovalev had his place on the 2nd All-Star team of the NHL. Now that puts a smile on my face!

Just want to remind everyone that the NHL draft is coming up and the Habs are drafting 25th overall and I wouldn’t be surprised if some trades are made so that recruiting director Trevor Timmins could draft at a higher position. That is going to be very interesting to watch and who knows what Montreal is going to pull out from their sleeves. I would personally be pleased if they manage to draft Jared Stall, the youngest one of them that is expected to get drafted in the 30’s overall. I have learned one thing in the NHL, and it is that you can not go wrong with a Stall! They are like the hockey factory or something!

Enough for now. I will definitely come back soon for more.

In the article by RDS, it is also stated that Anaheim Duck’s General Manager Brian Burke also believes that Selanne could accept this time.

This is the confirmation to an article I wrote about this rumour. Selanne is the right player for Koivu to play with. They played together in Finland. Koivu tried to convince Selanne to come here a couple of years ago. Selanne decided to play for the Ducks, which won the cup, last year he gave the team another chance.

This year however, is Koivu’s last contract year. Why wouldn’t Selanne play one year with his best friend before retiring?

Considering what happened to Michael Ryder’s production this past year it would be a vast improvement. Selanne still has what it takes. And the chemistry between Koivu and Selanne would give the Canadiens a second scoring line which they need.

If the Habs manage to sign Selanne, at a modest salary, then I’m all for it. He would help the Habs.

If the Habs manage to sign Selanne, then it leaves a veteran goalie to get, and a centre, or winger.

First off, RDS is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens are under negotiation with Andrei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn who is slated to become a restricted free agent come July 1, is said to be general manager Bob Gainey’s top priority.

Bob Gainey said this about the RFA,

“We think in Andrei’s case considering the season he just had, that he is the most important RFA that we have to resign.”

When asked about Mark Streit Gainey had this to say,

“Mark brought the team a particular contribution this year. He had many points on the power-play. The question is if we will have enough room in our team salary structure.”

With the Streit statement, one could surmise that the Habs want to keep him but not at any price. Could there be something else going on for the Habs to possibly use their money?
RDS is also reporting that Habs affiliate team the Cincinnati Cyclones have won the Kelly trophy in the ECHL. A team which Bob Gainey has helped to build.

Now for the good stuff.

The Hockey News is reporting that soon to be unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin might not resign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And that the Detroit Red Wings could be gunning for him. But Sundin is also rumoured to be asking for 2 years at $8 million per year. Montreal and Ottawa are also rumoured to be getting ready to make a pitch to Sundin.

Next we have un-confirmed reports that Saku Koivu could be trying to convince Teemu Selanne to play with the Habs, this being Koivu’s last contract year. Koivu would like his best friend to play at least one year with him before Selanne retires for good.

Another un-confirmed report states that the Canadiens could be interested in soon to be RFA Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators. Although I do believe that Redden still has juice in the tank, is he the answer the Habs need at the blue-line? Redden is a puck mover, and is not physical, considering that when the Sens went to the final last season that the Anaheim Ducks pounded him like there was no tomorrow, I’m not sure that he is the answer. He is still good, depending on the price, and depending on who the Habs will have surrounding him to be the physical presence.

Next there is the fact that Pavol Demitra could be interested in the Vancouver Canucks and the Canadiens. Although this winger might still have a good season or two left in him under optimum conditions, he is not the answer for the Habs. He is good but why take a roster spot away from a youngster, I would rather see Selanne.

Lastly, something I mentioned in another article is that Olaf Kolzig could be in Montreal next season. With the New York Rangers so far being the only other team manifesting interest in him, the Habs could luck out. Kolzig is also part owner of the Tri-City Americans, a team which new number one Habs goalie Carey Price has played for.

Also there is mounting evidence that the Tampa Bay Lightning may be a little worried about Vincent Lecalvalier’s shoulder, and might be willing to trade him. Montreal is rumoured among other names to have thrown in Chris Higgins as part of a possible trade. Wouldn’t that be nice.

“If I wanted to move I would have signed somewhere else,” said Kaberle. “I like playing in Toronto. I like the pressure. I just want to be part of the team.”

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that the Detroit Red Wings have signed unrestricted free agent forward Fabian Brunnstrom of the Swedish Elite League.

However, Rich Chere of The Star Ledger suggests that Brunnstrom will sign a contract with an NHL team (the Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs are said to be the contenders) after his Swedish Elite League season is over in a couple of months.

Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe reports that Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli would like to add some depth to his injury depleted roster before the February 26 trade deadline.

“Realistically, I don’t see us getting a top six forward,” he said Friday. “There are just too many people looking for a top six forward, and they’re not out there – not in the numbers to meet the demand. So that puts our focus more on guys who maybe are specialists – someone, say, for the power-play or penalty-killing units.”

Bucky Gleason of The Buffalo News suggests that the Ottawa Senators will move underachieving forward Antoine Vermette before the trade deadline.

Speaking of the Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson tells Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch that he has not discussed trading pending UFA forward Sergei Fedorov to the Senators in exchange for defenseman Joe Corvo. Howson says the he has not talked to Senators GM Bryan Murray “in more than a month.”

Portzline also reports that the Philadelphia Flyers are not happy with their goaltending duo of Antero Niittymaki and Martin Biron, and will look to acquire a “big-time” goalie before the trade deadline.

Lastly from Portzline, he reports that the Calgary Flames are closing in on a contract extension with pending restricted free agent defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer tells Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun that he has not tried to convince UFA forward and former teammate Teemu Selanne to rejoin the Ducks.

“It could happen. I’m leaning one way. I’m not going to say which way,” Selanne said. “Right now, I feel there’s a very good chance I’m going to come back. When? That’s the question. When I feel ready. Every week, I’ve been feeling better and better and better.”

“Obviously that’s why I decided before the All-Star break that I wanted to see how my body feels.”

The Finnish-born forward has been skating for more than two weeks to get into shape and says he’s feeling good.

“Otherwise I wouldn’t be here every morning,” he said. “I have a perfect situation. If I’m coming here and I don’t feel 100% that this is the right place to be, I know that when I leave my house, I can turn back the other way.”

“I don’t want to make promises,” Selanne said. “But it’s fun to be on the ice. Let’s put it that way. I’ve put myself in position to go back when the time comes to make a decision.”

While a final decision has not been made, Ducks GM Brian Burke says the club will happily re-sign their former player.

“Our arms are open,” he added in an e-mail before boarding a flight to Atlanta for the NHL All-Star weekend festivities.

Selanne and Burke are set to meet next week to discuss things and come to a decision.

If Selanne chooses to return to the Ducks, it’s expected that the 37-year-old forward will sign a “one-year pro-rated contract with incentives.” The Ducks have around $2 million left to spend under the salary cap, so it’s likely Selanne will earn less than that amount.

Selanne has been considering retiring since the off-season, but it appears as though he may have had a change of heart.

Though GM Brian Burke wouldn’t confirm the it, sources are telling The Hockey News that Selanne may return to the Ducks as early as next week.

While it’s unclear exactly when the Finnish-born sniper will suit up for the Ducks, he has resumed skating on his own recently in an effort to get in shape.

Earlier in the season, Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer returned from a long hiatus. Niedermayer had also contemplated retiring from the NHL, but decided to play instead. Since his return, the Ducks have gone 12-5-1 and have moved into fourth place in the Western Conference with 61 points.

In the Ducks’ Stanley Cup season of 2006-2007, Selanne was the club’s points leader with 48 goals and 94 points.

However, Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal believes that there is a 75% chance Selanne will return to the Anaheim Ducks this season.

Matheson also reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets have been scouting the Ottawa Senators in recent games against the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes.

The Senators are pursuing a top-six forward, likely a center, and may have some interest in Blue Jackets’ forward Sergei Fedorov. The link here is that current GM Bryan Murray traded for Fedorov while he was the GM in Anaheim.

Both Matheson and Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Post Dispatch agree that if the Edmonton Oilers haven’t locked up a playoff spot by the February 26 trade deadline, they will shop goalie Dwayne Roloson.

The Chicago Blackhawks might have some interest if they can move their Nikolai Khabibulin, their high-priced starter.

Portzline also reports that the Blue Jackets are interested in Pittsburgh Penguins forward Erik Christensen, and may have to part with defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen in return.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that the Carolina Hurricanes would love to acquire Senators defenseman Joe Corvo or forward Antoine Vermette.

However, Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford isn’t willing to meet the Senators’ asking price of forward Erik Cole. That’s contrary to chatter that Rutherford might be interested in sending Cole to the Blue Jackets for forward David Vyborny, though.

Garrioch also reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to dump goalie Andrew Raycroft, but aren’t finding any takers.

Lastly from Garrioch, word is that Florida Panthers prospect Michael Frolik might re-enter the draft, where “he’d be a top-five pick.” The Czech forward is yet to sign an entry-level contract with the club after being low-balled by the Panthers.

Their expensive salaries and long-term deals make them virtually untradeable.

Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Jan Hejda to a long-term contract.

Still from Matheson, he reports that the Carolina Hurricanes are pursuing Colorado Avalanche pending UFA defenseman John-Michael Liles to bolster their blueline.

The Hurricanes are said to be offering forward Andrew Ladd or defenseman Tim Gleason in return.

Matheson also suggests that UFA Teemu Selanne will return to the Anaheim Ducks in early February for a $1 million salary.

Lastly from Matheson, he speculates that the agent for pending restricted free agent goalie Henrik Lundqvist, Don Meehan, is trying to get his client an average of $6 million per season on a contract extension.

“I talked to [Ducks GM Brian Burke] before Christmas, and said I would start skating after New Year’s and just go from there,” Selanne said. “I want to make the decision this month. This is the last process in my thinking. I want to start pushing myself and make sure how I feel. I feel great (physically). I think it’s more mental – if I’m ready to push myself enough at that level again.”

“I have to be honest. Obviously, I have a great situation. I don’t have to come back. Especially when I come to games and see all the boys play, I get really excited, but I have to get the feeling, that this is going to be awesome. I have to feel 100 percent that everything is there.”

While Selanne has resumed skating on his own recently, the Finnish-born player tells Wood it doesn’t “necessarily mean” he’s ready for a comeback.

Even after skating “three times last week” Selanne says he is still trying to determine if he has the passion to put up with the grind of NHL play.

“So far, I don’t know yet,” Selanne said. “I’m going to skate for a couple of weeks now, start pushing more and more, and then I will feel for sure if I feel good enough. The good thing is I have done everything I have to do if I want to come back.”

“I’ve been working out five times a week, but I haven’t been skating before. We all know it doesn’t matter what you do – it’s not the same as skating.”

It’s believed that Ducks GM Brian Burke has been holding trade discussions with a number of teams, including the Florida Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, Chicago Blackhawks and Caroline Hurricanes.

Since the Ducks only need to cut $880,000 from next year’s payroll, the likeliest player to be traded is defenseman Sean O’Donnell, who earns $1.25 million this season and $1.25 million next season, with forward Todd Marchant a close second.

Of course, if Burke is worried about not having enough cap room to re-sign pending restricted free agent forward Corey Perry, defenseman Mathieu Schneider and forward Andy McDonald could become casualties. Shedding Schneider’s $5.75 million annual salary would immediately create room for defenseman Scott Niedermayer and Perry under the cap. Speculation is that the New Jersey Devils are interested in Schneider if he becomes available.

But what happens if unrestricted free agent forward Teemu Selanne says he’s ready to come back to the Ducks?

However, Youngman speculates that Selanne “wouldn’t make any outrageous demands,” and so it’s unlikely the Ducks would have any salary cap problems upon his return.

As for when Selanne may return, Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe reports that the smooth skating Finn will decide if he’ll return to the club between January 1st and the February 26 trade deadline, while Youngman believes he may wait until the January 27 All-Star Game to decide, and could return for the last 30 to 40 games of the season.

Should the Ducks need to make more payroll cuts, there are other options.

According to Greg Logan of Newsday, the New York Islanders need to bolster their offense and could use someone like Ducks forwards Chris Kunitz or McDonald.

Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin might also interest the Islanders, though they would probably have to part with a “decent player and a draft pick” in exchange.

Forsberg visited a doctor in Phoenix recently to have a look at his surgically repaired right foot after feeling pain during a practice session with the Swedish national team earlier this month.

“I can say now that I think we can solve the issues with his foot [with the help of a new brace], so that it won’t hinder Peter from playing hockey again,” Dr. Bertil Romanus told the paper. “In the beginning of October, Peter’s foot was so good that he was able to skate all out, and I definitely believe we can find a way to get him back to that.”

Allen Panzeri of The Ottawa Citizen reports that Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin has turned down a deal worth an average of $8.7 million per season from the club. The contract extension was similar to what Sidney Crosby received from the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer.

Miami Herald’s George Richards reports that the Florida Panthers are looking to improve their club from within the organization, rather than through trade.

Eric Stephens of the Los Angeles Times reports that unrestricted free agent forward Teemu Selanne is yet to officially filed retirement papers, suggesting he may still be contemplating a return to the NHL.

And despite denials from their GM, speculation is that the club may have to move forward Brad Richards to get a goalie.

On the Washington Capitals, Garrioch reports that the club is having trouble coming to an agreement on a new deal with pending restricted free agent forward Alex Ovechkin.

Ovechkin, who recently fired player agent Don Meehan and hired a lawyer to act as his advisor, is said to be looking for a deal worth between $9 to $10 million annually. The Capitals are prepared to offer their star player a five-year contract worth $8.7 million per season, a similar deal to what Sidney Crosby received from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

If he were to hit the free agent market, Ovechkin is sure to receive multiple RFA offer sheets worth close and perhaps even more than what he’s currently asking for from the Capitals.

Talk is that the Atlanta Thrashers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks have all inquired about the availability of Boston Bruins forward Glen Murray, according to Garrioch.

However, Larry Brooks of the New York Post believes that the Bruins will have a difficult time moving Murray, who earns a $4.15 million annual salary through next season.

Should defenseman Scott Niedermayer and unrestricted free agent Teemu Selanne decide to return to the Ducks this season, Garrioch suggests that the club may have to move defenseman Mathieu Schneider.

Schneider, who is signed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract, may garner some interest from teams such as the Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche and Thrashers who are all looking to bolster their blueline.

Even after hearing “One more year” chants from 17,285 fans while attending the Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony at the Ducks home arena on Wednesday, both Niedermayer and Selanne say have not made up their mind one way or the other.

However, Niedermayer has apparently softened on his stance he held during the summer when he made it clear to Ducks GM Brian Burke that he was strongly leaning towards calling an end to his career.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Niedermayer said. “There’s no doubt I feel responsibility to the guys in the (locker) room. That’s been my motivation as long as I’ve played.”

On the other hand, Selanne appears to remain consistent in his stance. The Finnish-born player says that while he was touched by the fans’ reactions, he admits that, at the moment, he does not have the drive to return to the NHL.

“It was awesome,” Selanne said. “It has been easy (so far) because I haven’t been around. When I was out there, I started to get goose bumps. But if I’m going to come back, it has to come from inside. So far, I haven’t really found the motivation.”

“Obviously, it’s great to see the fans appreciate what we’ve done. It makes us feel very good, and very important.”

The New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers were each represented by a scout, while the Boston Bruins had two watching the game.

Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that the Anaheim Ducks are still awaiting a decision from defenseman Scott Niedermayer and unrestricted free agent forward Teemu Selanne on their playing future.

“As far as those two players, they’ve been given an opportunity to make that decision over the course of time, and we’ll live with that decision,” [Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle] said.

Brian Biggane of the Palm Beach Post that the Florida Panthers are continuing their attempts to sign defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a contract extension before he becomes a UFA in 2009.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Toronto Maple Leafs are pondering signing UFA forward Dave Scatchard for depth purposes.

The Devils and Bruins remain interested in UFA defenseman Danny Markov, reports Garrioch. However, it’s believed the blueliner’s asking price of more than $2.5 million per season is scaring them away.

Garrioch also reports that the Ottawa Senators are yet to begin negotiations on a contract extension with pending UFA defenseman Wade Redden. The Senators are said to want to get pending RFA Jason Spezza under contract first before making any offers to Redden. If a deal with Redden isn’t reached by the trade deadline, the Senators may consider putting him on the trade block.

Lastly from Garrioch, he claims that the Flyers placed defenseman Denis Gauthier with the hope of another team claiming him and his $2.1 million salary on re-entry waivers.

Word is that Tallon has called the Ottawa Senators to inquire about the availability of Wade Redden, but talks ended quickly when it became obvious that the price to acquire the All-Star defenseman would be “steep.”

Sassone believes that Tallon could still pull off a deal for a defenseman by “using his surplus of forwards and prospects as bait.”

Chuck Gormley of the Courier Post Online suggests that Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren may have make a trade to fill the void left by injured forwards Scottie Upshall (six weeks) and R.J. Umberger (two weeks).

To bring in some depth at forward, Holmgren’s best move would be to move one of the many defensemen fighting for the team’s last remaining spot on the blueline, namely Denis Gauthier, Alexandre Picard and Randy Jones.

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero tells Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, that the club has not offered forward Adam Hall a contract yet. Hall is in training camp with the Penguins on a tryout basis.

Speculation is that that Teemu Selanne’s decision to came back to the NHL depends on whether Scott Niedermayer returns for another season, according to Rich Hammond of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Molinari also states that the Penguins aren’t likely to trade forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal any time soon.

However, Molinari suggests that the time may come when the Penguins will have to deal one of them due to financial reasons. Should that time arrive, the consensus is that Malkin would be the one to go.

After spending a few days at the Anaheim Ducks’ training camp, Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail believes that defenseman Scott Niedermayer and unrestricted free agent forward Teemu Selanne will be back with the team at some point during the season.

Duhatschek suggests that the duo will likely “play at some later date this year.”

The Senators, Canucks, Oilers are looking to bolster their offense with a top-six forward, while the Flames are looking to complement Jarome Iginla.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Wade Redden tells TSN that he is not sure he will be a Senator past the trade deadline, let alone past this season.

“I don’t have any plans to go anywhere,” he told TSN. “Who knows what will happen in four months. There is lots that can happen between now and then.”

Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke tells TSN that UFA forward Teemu Selanne is no closer to making a decision on his paying future.

“I met with Teemu this morning,” said Burke. “But no change. No direction from either player as to what their plans are.”

Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times quotes Burke as saying he hopes Selanne decides to return to the Ducks.

“I talked to him and told him, ‘You know we want you back. You tell me if and when you’re ready,’ ” Burke said. “I’m not going to beg, I’m not going to bribe.”

Speaking of the Ducks, if both Teemu Selanne and/or Scott Niedermayer decide to continue their NHL career, Burke will have to move some players to make room for them on the roster and under the salary cap.

According to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times, Burke might it difficult to get fair value in exchange for whomever he moves “because he’d be operating from a position of weakness.”

However, the agent for the 37-year-old Selanne says he has not received any word from his client, one way or the other.

“I spoke to Teemu at the end of last week and he indicated he would call me as soon as he made a decision,” Selanne’s agent Don Baizley said Wednesday. “And I still haven’t spoken to him.”

Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal suggests that Selanne may be waiting on defenseman Scott Niedermayer to decide on his playing future before making up his mind. If Niedermayer chooses to retire, Selanne may do the same.

The Anaheim Ducks, Selanne’s former team, are said to be very interested in having their Star player back. Ducks GM Brian Burke tells Eric Stephens of the Los Angeles Times that Selanne would be welcomed back if he chooses to resume his career.

“He’s free to do whatever he wants to do. We’ve made it clear we want him back.”

According to Matheson’s sources, Selanne would be signed to a one-year contract worth around $2 million, plus bonuses for games played.

While speculation is that Forsberg had “dinner with members of the Flyers’ front office” recently to talk contract, Dater believes that it was more of a “courtesy call” than anything else.

Besides, for the Flyers to sign the Swedish forward, they would have to clear some major salary cap room as they currently sit about $1 million under the cap ceiling. Essentially, the Flyers would have to trade “some of their top guys” for an injury-prone, 34-year-old, something that is not likely to happen.

And that’s why teams like the Ducks and Avalanche could be better fits, according to Dater.

In Anaheim, it appears that UFA forward Teemu Selanne will retire, “so that opens up the money” to sign Forsberg. And should defenseman Scott Niedermayer retire as well, the Ducks will have a lot of cap room to play with. After losing Dustin Penner to the Edmonton Oilers, the Ducks could really use a top forward like Forsberg.

As for the Avalanche, they currently have around $5.5 million in cap room. Dater notes that it’s somewhat curious the Avalanche have not used up all their cap space. Perhaps they’re waiting to “see when/if he’s healthy enough to play” and if he’d like to return to Colorado for another shot at the Stanley Cup.

Avalanche GM Francois Giguere says that he would not discount a Forsberg return. While he maintains that he does not want to disrupt “the current makeup of his team,” Giguere also says that “things could change.”