Rumors/Speculation Thread

Yanks said:

Doobs is a top 6 forward, Boyle has a ton of potential and can contribute now and a 1st? I've seen worse - but then again, this is from a Ranger fan who is hoping for the best.

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Report: Take the Bruins out of Kovalchuk Sweepstakes
02.03.2010 / 9:05 p.m. ET

The latest from ESPN.com's Pierre Lebrun has sources telling him that the Boston Bruins are no longer in the running for Ilya Kovalchuk's services and the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils are only monitoring the situation.

That would leave the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers as the two most likely suitors for Kovalchuk as of right now, but this story is seemingly changing by the minute.

UPDATE at 9:20 p.m.: According to Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com, the Flyers are not in the running anymore. Team sources told Panaccio that the team fears signing Kovalchuk, who is can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, would "mortgage our future." Kovalchuk is reportedly seeking more than $10 million per season, and the Flyers don't appear willing to pay that.

A Bruins' source told Lebrun that the team is "not in it" because the price the Thrashers are asking for in return is too high.

Thrashers GM Don Waddell did spend this past weekend in the northeast, taking in games in Philadelphia and New Jersey, where the Kings were playing Sunday night. He was seen talking to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, but NHL.com can not confirm that he talked to Kings GM Dean Lombardi at Prudential Center on Sunday.

Lebrun is speculating that the Kings are the "most logical destination" for Kovalchuk. However, he also wrote that a Kings' source told him that they too believe the price is too high right now.

Again, this can all change within the hour, but it is well known that the Thrashers are looking for a player or two who can have an impact on their lineup this season as they try to stay in the playoff race despite trading their superstar. Atlanta is also likely seeking a high-end prospect and a high draft pick.

Finally, Lebrun is also reporting that the Thrashers offered Kovalchuk an eight-year contract worth $80 million, but Waddell had not heard back so he had to move to tell the interested teams to pony up their best offers for Kovalchuk.

-- Dan Rosen

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playmaker7 said:

IMO if the Rangers want Kovalchuk

Callahan
Del Zotto
Grachev
Anisimov
1st rounder

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Yanks said:

Yeah... All 4 of those players are better than Sid.

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playmaker7 said:

IMO if the Rangers want Kovalchuk

Callahan
Del Zotto
Grachev
Anisimov
1st rounder

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: Helene St. James reports the Red Wings might consider placing either Brad May or Ville Leino on waivers to create cap space for the returning Andreas Lilja and Johan Franzen.

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Oilers pushing trade hard. Moreau and others, but deals unlikely unless Edmtn sweetens the pot.

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SnipeShow21 said:

Man I would have to like Leino. He's still has some offensive upside in him. He's just in a slump.

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LeafsFan4Life said:

A season long slump....

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eLeMeNOhPe said:

More like, a career long slump....

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Baggino said:

Okay, so this isn't a rumor but it's just thoughts from a concerned/interested fan. I was overlooking the Bruins current situation today and was wondering what this team could do to add some scoring without crippling its core or prospects. So I have a couple guys who aren't "blockbuster" names but I believe Chiarelli should be looking at and some players that need to go. Bear with me on the proposed trades, I don't really know much about what other teams want or how they value their players. It's more what I think could get a deal done.

1. Jack Johnson - I've heard the Bruins are very interested in Dion Phaneauf but, honestly, I'm not a fan of him or his big cap hit. Nor am I a fan of what the cost would be to acquire him. Conversely, I like Johnson. Sure, his +/- is very bad but I think that he would benefit from a change of scenery, kind of like Wideman in his first season here. Playing with a guy like Chara would benefit him a lot, I think. His price, cap and otherwise, is a lot cheaper than Phaneauf's.
Possible trade: A 3rd rounder and a couple prospects?

2. Sergei Samsonov/Jussi Jokinen - there's been a lot of talk about the Bruins interest in Carolina's Ray Whitney but I haven't heard much on these other two guys. Personally, if it's gonna cost a 2nd rounder (the rumored asking price for Whitney), I'd rather have a guy, or both, who's under contract for next year and wouldn't require another piece to be moved to acquire them (Whitney's $4 million cap hit would require a move). Jokinen would add some firepower to a pretty anemic PP. I also will always have a soft spot for Sammy, he was one my favorite Bruins growing up.
Possible trade: TB 2010 2nd, Michael Ryder (salary reasons), and a prospect?

3. Paul Kariya - The B's have been linked to him since last season. He'd be relatively cheap would probably only cost a couple prospects.

4. Teemu Selanne - same as Kariya

5. Dennis Wideman - Trade him for a bag of pucks, don't really care. He looks unmotivated and uninterested out there. Could possibly be added to a trade as part of a salary dump to move a prospect.

6. Marco Sturm - I love the guy but, honestly, trade him while he has (if he has) some value left.

My proposed post-deadline lineup (in the hope that they can keep Sobotka and Bitz)

Lucic-Savard-Selanne
Jokinen-Krejci-Wheeler
Samsonov-Bergeron-Recchi/Satan
Paille-Sobotka-Thornton/Bitz

Chara-Johnson
Stuart-Boychuk
Morris-Ference

Thomas
Rask

Coming: Jokinen, Samsonov, Selanne, Johnson
Leaving: Wideman, Sturm, Ryder, Hunwick (?), Begin (?)

It's a bit of wishful thinking but I don't think it's too far fetched

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STLZACH said:

noones gonna want kariya, we will most likely shop him around but noone will take him.
we will resign him next year for like 1 mil instead of his massive <Censored>ing cap hit of 6 mil. hes a 60 point forward for <Censored>'s sake

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