Tim Connolly
8:00am ET - The Sabres and Tim Connolly are closing in on a new contract, which might make him unavailable for trade.

Good morning, folks!
7:41am ET - Let the games begin! We're approaching the home stretch now, and one big name is apparently off the market: Chris Pronger. It looks as if the Ducks weren't getting the right offers, so they've decided to pull Pronger. Negotiation tactic? Maybe. But as of last night, he was told he's staying... In other news, the Red Wings are actually looking around for a goalie.

Penguins still looking for top-six winger
12:33am ET - The Penguins, from what we're hearing here at TFP headquarters, are still very much in the market for another top-line winger. Chris Kunitz has worked out well, but alongside Jordan Staal. With Miro Satan on waivers, the Penguins are hoping he's picked up so they can free up his salary and add another top-line guy.

Coyotes/Flyers
12:28am ET - Talk around the hockey circles now is the Coyotes and Flyers trying to hammer out a trade for Derek Morris. There are conflicting reports of Ilya Bryzgalov being tossed into the mix, but the Coyotes like this guy between the pipes, so I'm not entirely sure about it. Joffrey Lupul's name has been linked to these discussions.

Tue., Mar. 3, 2009
Clemmensen and Antropov
10:59pm ET - Quick update... Devils are actively shopping Scott Clemmensen, and the Leafs have an offer of a second-round pick for Nik Antropov. I'm not sure whether it's a high or low 2nd.

Talks continue & Morris
10:45pm ET - I'm told there are a few deals out there being finalized, but likely won't be official around the late-morning. Teams will probably "sleep on it," and send them in to the league office in the morning... meanwhile, Derek Morris is waiting to find out which team he'll be traded to. I'm told nothing has been finalized and there's still a chance a deal gets done later tonight.

More trade talk brewing
10:21pm ET - Here are a few quick notes based on info I've received lately. First off, the Hawks remain interest in Antoine Vermette, but they're also talking to Tampa about Jeff Halpern and Mark Recchi... Second, speculation out of Edmonton has the Oilers potentially moving Robert Nilsson in a package for a top-six sniper. I should point out, though, that Nilsson's been scratched before so this might not really be linked to a potential trade... Third, the Dallas Stars have an interest in Recchi... Fourth, Flyers remain in the hunt for Jay Bouwmeester. Talks are ongoing... Finally, the Sabres and Tim Connolly's agent are discussing a contract extension.

Getting to your emails... (and there's a lot of them)
9:54pm ET - I'm getting a boat load of emails here, so I've decided to reply to some of them here:
Pittsburgh - The Miro Satan experiment hasn't worked, so they're hoping someone picks him up. I've heard they're looking elsewhere for another winger to play on one of their top-two lines, and they're also trying to land a physical third-liner.
New Jersey - With the Devils reportedly looking for a second-line center, that doesn't entirely mean someone like Travis Zajac will lose ice time. It simply means the Devils and Lou Lamoriello are trying to strengthen their firepower heading into the post-season. With that said, however, I haven't heard anything new on the Devils.
Montreal - A couple reports out there saying the Habs are out of the Olli Jokinen running because of cap restrictions. I've been told the Canadiens are in the holding pattern right now simply because they're trying to shed some extra cap space elsewhere. Dealing Mathieu Dandenault will help, but Montreal may need to move another body. Remember, the Habs have some extra space space because Robert Lang is on long-term IR. Technically, the Habs can add someone making $4M, but Jokinen's cap hit is $5.25M.

Leafs talk
9:18pm ET - Brian Burke has received multiple offers for Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore, and the Leafs are reviewing them as you read this.

Hossa injured!
9:11pm ET - Marian Hossa just left the Red Wings game tonight. He went head first into the boards and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. He was moving and waved to the crowd. So, that's a great sign, but we're waiting on an update on that.

Morris update, and Ryan Malone
9:04pm ET - Morris talk continues, but now TSN is also reporting a deal is likely coming tonight. We're keeping a close eye/watch on the situation... There's been some rumblings lately that the Lightning have made Ryan Malone available. I haven't heard anything being imminent, but there's certainly some chatter around the league about it.

Morris could be moving...soon
8:29pm ET - Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris could find himself on the move later tonight if talks go well. Speaking to one source, Phoenix is still mulling over offers from today, and revised offers. Washington remains very much in the mix, with Boston and Philly in the back end. Don't be surprised, though, if another club comes in with a last-ditch offer.

Gerber to Toronto??
8:17pm ET - TSN's Bob McKenzie's reporting the Leafs might take a look at claiming Martin Gerber off re-entry waivers because Vesa Toskala might shut down his season because of a groin injury.

Update on the Canadian teams
7:26pm ET - Going east to west, the Habs continue to look around for some extra punch. They're getting Alex Tanguay back in the lineup this weekend, which is a huge push, but they're also looking for a physical and gritty top-six winger. Reports continue to suggest they're eyeing another defenseman, so we're keeping our eyes and ears open... In Ottawa, it looks like Filip Kuba and Antoine Vermette are certain locks to be traded. Chicago and Columbus both like Vermette.... In Toronto (where I'm actually not at the game tonight), the Leafs continue to get plenty of calls. Nothing new on the Antropov or Moore front, but they're both goners soon enough. Matt Stajan is getting some looks, as are Ponikarovsky, Jason Blake, Jamal Mayers and Ian White... Over in Edmonton, the Oilers continue their search for a top-six sniper and a gritty third-liner. There are some whispers suggesting they're willing to move some young talent for a legit first-line player... In Calgary, GM Darryl Sutter is looking, but he's relatively calm right now. Yes, the Flames are searching for a defenseman and a second-liner, but nothing is imminent, but that can change within hours... Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks have enough cap space (about $2.25 million) to make a significant addition, or two, but things have been relatively quiet on that part of the country. The Canucks are looking for a top-six winger and a third-line center.

Nylander, Cheechoo, Pronger & Antropov
4:43pm ET - Michael Nylander won't be playing for the Capitals tonight, and he might not be playing for them much longer. The Caps have held talks with other teams about Nylander and the belief is he'll be moved by tomorrow's deadline. As for Jonathan Cheechoo, the Sharks are apparently dangling him as bait as they look for a top winger. Maybe Ryan Smyth comes into play? I'm certain the Sharks would need to sweeten the pot. And, regarding Chris Pronger, I spoke to two separate league execs who said they're not sure he gets traded. Yesterday was a different story, but today --so far anyway-- the tide has turned. This could simply be teams trying to play with the Ducks. We'll be keeping our eyes wide open. Meanwhile, TSN is now reporting that Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore will not be playing for the Leafs tonight. I'm told they'll both be dealt, along with other Leafs players.

Ryan Smyth watch
4:31pm ET - First, Ryan Smyth has not yet been approached by Avs management about a possible move. That being said, teams are definitely calling and the interest is there. San Jose and Montreal lead the list, from what I'm hearing, but Smyth would have to waive his no-trade clause.

Lots of chatter out there
4:23pm ET - Here's a very brief rundown of some trade talk going on today. Leafs GM Brian Burke was on the Fan590 in Toronto about an hour ago and said he doesn't expect Tomas Kaberle to be moved. Players like Nik Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky, though, are likely on the outs... The Blue Jackets and Rangers have been talking... There's been some chatter about Marian Gaborik, but nothing earth shattering to this point... Bill Guerin remains in limbo (for now), as offers continue to be presented to Isles GM Garth Snow... The Rangers are looking for a physical defenseman... Avalanche are fielding offers for Jordan Leopold, Marek Svatos and Ian Laperriere... There's a bunch of talk surrounding a possible 3-way trade involving Phoenix, Philly and Buffalo. Derek Morris would end up in Philly, Martin Biron back to Buffalo and Henrik Tallinder to Phoenix. I know the Coyotes like Tallinder, but what does Buffalo want with Biron?

Flyers really want Bouwmeester
3:57pm ET - It looks like the Philadelphia Flyers are trying hard to get Jay Bouwmeester out of South Florida, but the asking price is a little more than they're willing to spend. Apparently Joffrey Lupul is in the mix, along with James van Riemsdyk, but the Panthers also want Braydon Coburn or Ryan Parent tossed in a package too. The other issue is Philly's proximity to the salary cap and if they can't package enough salary to Florida, they'll have to find room elsewhere.

List of players on waivers...
1:19pm ET - These players have been placed on waivers and can be claimed by noon ET tomorrow. Jon Sim (NYI), Miroslav Satan (PIT), Brendan Morrison (ANA), Craig Adams (CHI), Gary Roberts (TB), Martin Gerber (OTT), Aaron Voros (NYR), Erik Reitz (NYR), Brendan Bell (OTT), Peter Olvecky (MIN) and Eric Perrin (ATL).

Update on Morris
1:14pm ET - The Phoenix Coyotes are presently mulling over three offers for Derek Morris. The Washington Capitals really want to get their hands on Morris, but the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers are also in the mix. The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers also made inquiries recently but they're not thought to be in the mix right now.

Sim, Satan on waivers
12:08pm ET - A quick update while I'm in the middle of my radio show... The New York Islanders have placed Jonathan Sim on waivers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Miroslav Satan on waivers. (Please, Devils, put in a claim for Satan).

The Senators are getting plenty of calls about Filip Kuba and Chris Neil, but teams are also asking about Jason Smith, Antoine Vermette and Jarkko Ruutu. Ruutu's interesting because a lot of teams would love to get their hands on a player of his style.

The Flyers have been scouting the Colorado Avalanche for some time. I'm not quite sure who they're looking at. Philadelphia has a scout at tonight's game against the Islanders.

Back from Dallas
2:59pm ET - Just arrived back at TFP headquarters in Toronto from a five-day stint in Dallas. For those pondering a trip out to Big D, I certainly recommend it. Check out a Stars game, and if you're into steak, be sure to visit Bob's Steak and Chop House. Best steak I've ever had. Special thanks to the Stars and to all you fans who stopped by to say hi.

Now, on to this thing called the 'Trade Deadline.' A quick note, the TFP home page will be changing into a 1-page, 1-stop all-you-can-eat buffet of trade deadline coverage. We'll have live blogs on the main page, real-time rumor and trade updates, player interviews and so much more!

As for all the talk going on right now... talk to any GM and he'll tell you the phones are on fire. Teams are calling each other trying to get a gauge on last minute offers, price tags, possible discounts and more. I haven't had a chance to speak with Bill Guerin since all hell broke loose Saturday night, but he wants things to be over and done with... he just wants to play. I suspect something will be completed shortly, but it appears since news broke on Saturday (by the way, great job Chris Botta over at islanderspointblank.com) another team has come into the picture. There are conflicting reports about Washington's involvement in all this. Various papers have denied Boston and New Jersey being in the mix, while I can't see Philadelphia moving the necessary cap space to make this move. Montreal remains a possibility, but I haven't heard anything concrete on their end, so as far as I'm concerned, they're a mystery too and I wouldn't want to drag this out there any more than it's already been, because it's simply not fair to Billy.

Moving on... the Coyotes are mulling over a handful of offers for Derek Morris. I don't believe anything is on the verge of being completed, but we could see a move within the next 24 hours. It sounds like the Coyotes would like to get this done sooner rather than wait until D-day.

In Toronto, Leafs GM Brian Burke was on AM640 radio station and said he is reviewing an offer that he called "intriguing." Apparently it's a player and a draft pick for two Maple Leafs players. Burke suggested he'd reject the offer, but said it's being reviewed.

Finally (for now), the Blackhawks are looking at bringing in a second-line center, but would settle for a third-line center if that's all they can get. They're interested in Toronto's Dominic Moore and the Rangers' Blair Betts. Also, according to a source close to the team, the Hawks are likely to re-sign Martin Havlat after the trade deadline. It could happen sooner, but it's more likely to be done before the end of the regular-season.

I'll be upcoming this as often as I can over the next couple of days, then I'll be posting short-version updates every few minutes throughout the day of the deadline.

...which brings me to trade discussions. If Tortorella feels certain players aren't going to get the message, GM Glen Sather could start moving some guys (now or in the off-season). The Rangers are looking to shed some salary and word out of NYC is that Sather has been toying with the idea of moving Gomez. Even though he's making an average of $7.357 million per season, he's probably the Rangers' biggest trading asset. With the way Drury, Redden and Michal Rozsival have played this season, there aren't many teams willing to take on their mega contracts. If Sather can convince his old buddy Scott Howson in Columbus to take Gomez and his fat contract, there might be a connection.

- Meanwhile, I've been getting a bunch of emails asking me about the Canucks and some rumored trades out there. Apparently, Vancouver's set to acquire half the league. While I haven't heard most of the stuff people are tossing up against the wall, I do know the Canucks would like to add some secondary scoring, a depth forward and a top-four defenseman. Whether GM Mike Gillis can get his hands on all of that is another story, but he's trying.

- The Philadelphia Flyers would love to get their hands on Jay Bouwmeester. The problem, however, is they can't fit his salary under the cap. The Florida Panthers and GM Jacques Martin would move Bouwmeester for a big package, but the Flyers will need to shed serious salary. If someone's willing to take on Danny Briere's mega-contract, the Flyers might throw a post-trade party. The Camden Courier-Post recently reported the Flyers might try to package Briere with top prospect James van Riemsdyk for Bouwmeester, and that might actually be an intriguing option for Florida.

- In Arizona, the Coyotes might be willing to trade away Olli Jokinen, but they won't sell him for draft picks and prospects. The Coyotes would want to make a "hockey deal" here, according to a source I spoke to in Phoenix, and are looking for young, NHL-proven talent in exchange.

- And finally... yes, I called the Anaheim Ducks the "Mighty Ducks" during last week's broadcast. I didn't realize it would cause such an uproar, so to all those Ducks fans, I apologize.

I'm only privy to certain information, and I'm only able to share certain information. And to be frank, it's not really any of my business, as a sports reporter. If what's being reported is accurate, and I'm not the papers only have half (if that much) of the real story, then this no longer becomes an all-out hockey matter.

I've been around the game long enough to know what goes on when young star athletes are out in public. I've spent my fair share of time with them off the ice. Bob Gainey knows this as well as anybody, and I completely understand what he meant today when he said:

"It's not very surprising if you had a sense of how many people would like to get their tentacles into not only the players individually, but into our organization."

That's very accurate, and star players, not only in Montreal, must be careful with the people they associate themselves with.

Now, with all that said, let's also try to show a little bit of respect to the players mentioned in this story. They don't want to comment on the situation right now, nor should they. To my colleagues, I know you want to get the latest scoop, but let's give these kids some breathing room and if they don't want to comment then drop it. They'll talk about it when they're prepared to do so.

About the Habs and breaking news...
1:27am ET - Well, it looks like this was blown way out of proportion. Hate to say I told you so, but...

1:19am ET - Roman Hamrlik's been linked to this whole situation too, for some reason, because he's been spotted at bars with the Kostitsyn brothers. (Teammates hanging out, off the ice... weird).

1:18am ET - So, as RDS is reporting, the Kostitsyn brothers are being linked to a presumed drug dealer. Apparently the police have telephone record of the two parties talking (about what is unknown). The Habs arrived home with no arrests - it was originally thought that half the team was going under (media hype, who says it exists?). Montreal's La Presse asked Andrei Kostitsyn following last night's game/tonight's game against Pittsburgh if he knew the presumed drug dealer. Andrei admitted he knew of him, but not who he was or what he did.

12:51am ET - Updating the situation a bit here, it looks like the Kostitsyn brothers are being linked to some type of criminal activity, which I'm trying to figure out what. Apparently it's related to some prostitution ring, but it's all media hype at the moment and again, speaking to my sources, members of the team aren't worried about the situation.

12:38am ET - Spoke to a second source with the team and he said they're not worried about all the reports out there... again, leads me to believe this isn't as serious as everyone's making it out to be.

12:30am ET - I just spoke to a source with the Canadiens, and they've all heard the reports. They are not worried about the situation, which leads me to believe it's not of overly great concern.

12:23am ET - More news stemming from Montreal. Apparently there are a few Montreal players involved in some sort of gang activity. To what degree, I do not know. I'm feeling very uncomfortable reporting this, as I do not have full knowledge of the situation, but the amount of emails I'm getting here I thought I'd keep this up for now.

12:16am ET - According to Le Journal de Montreal, Sergei Kostitsyn has been linked to some sort of street gang bust. Nothing criminal is being reported, Kostitsyn was interviewed by police last week about a discussion he apparently had with a gang.

12:07am ET - Okay, so my mail box is FULL! Filled with emails about some kind of breaking news coming out of Montreal. The media in Hab-land is going nuts over some kind of supposed scandal.

I'm trying to figure out what the heck is going on. The Habs are on a plane and don't arrive back in Montreal for another half hour, give or take, and apparently there are certain people waiting for them to land.

That's all I know, based on the reports out of Montreal. I can't get a hold of anyone, because they're in the air, so for now, we're all in waiting mode.

It could turn out to be nothing... or it could be something pretty big. We'll have to wait and see.

Anyway... I thought I'd spend some time here replying to some of your emails.

Chicago - Regarding Havlat: The two sides continue to talk, but nothing is imminent. Havlat wants to stay and the Hawks want to keep him, if he's willing to take a pay cut (which appears to be the case, to an extent). To what degree Havlat's willing to cut his salary by, I do not know, but I'm told the Hawks would like to bring his salary down to the $5 million range.

On the trade front, the Blackhawks are still looking for that second-line center. Washington's Michael Nylander remains a slim option (slim, because the Hawks would still need to shed some salary to bring him on board). A cheaper alternative would be Toronto's Nik Antropov or the Islanders' Doug Weight. A couple emails suggests the Leafs' Dominic Moore, and while Moore is on the block, he isn't a second line player, despite the solid numbers he's putting up this year.

Philadelphia - Apparently Philadelphia's using top prospect James van Riemsdyk as trade bait to get a top-end player on the blueline. However, the Flyers will need to package a roster player or two to off-set the salary addition.

Montreal - Yes, yes... Habs are in a funk right now (a bad one), but don't expect Bob Gainey to make everyone happy and pull the trigger on a trade just for fun. I know they got smoked by Edmonton tonight/last night (depending on the time zone you're in right now), but Gainey, assistant GM Pierre Gauthier and Montreal's scouting staff is very busy trying to find the right pieces to add to the lineup. The Habs have plenty of options on the blueline (Chris Pronger, Tomas Kaberle, Derek Morris, John-Michael Liles) and they're also active in trying to land a top-six forward. Don't forget, Alex Tanguay comes back from injury next week.

Toronto - Just to sum up what Toronto's trying to do here. Leafs GM Brian Burke wants to change the entire look of his team. If he can get a physical, young scoring forward, he'd do it, but the Leafs are primarily looking for top prospects and high draft picks for guys like Antropov, Kaberle, Kubina and Blake.

Not sure why the change, but the Hawks will still start next season in Europe, with either Sweden or Finland the expected destination.

The Wild want Backstrom signed to a new long-term deal, likely around the 3-to-5 year range. According to a source, negotiations are ongoing between the Wild and Backstrom's agent, Don Baizley, but it's not yet to the point of being close to finalized.

"There's a deal out there, somewhere, and the Wild is hoping to have him signed in a few weeks," said a source.

That being said, though, it could be pushed back past the trade deadline, and Wild GM Doug Risebrough is also busy focusing on the upcoming trade deadline.

Backstrom is in the final season of a two-year, $6.2 million contract.

12:22pm ET - Speaking to a source close to Avery, he feels pretty good (playing wise) and apparently he feel's he can return in the next week or so. That being said, though, he'll have to spend time in the AHL for about two weeks to get back into game shape. On a personal level, he's "improved" after going through his rehab stint.

Quickly... I'd assume Dallas wouldn't mind unloading Richards' mega contract, but he's done well in Big D lately and the return wouldn't consist of a top-line player. I don't have any first-hand knowledge of talks between the two clubs, so from that point, I don't have much to comment on other than what's been reported. If the Stars want to move Richards and grab someone like Tomas Plekanec and Jaroslav Halak, I guess it's possible. The Habs gained more room against the salary cap with Robert Lang now gone for the season. They'll save the cap hit from when he's placed on long-term IR, giving them a little over $1.5 million in extra cap space. That would help to add a nice player by the deadline. Now, I can't deny talks are ongoing between the two teams, because I simply don't have that information right now. But, I was pretty surprised when I first heard the report.

And about Lecavalier... there's a report in Montreal newspaper 24 Heures, that the Lightning would want Price and Alex Kovalev for Lecavalier. I'll make this short and sweet: Not happening. Montreal's not moving Price, and from the sounds of things, the Bolts are no longer considering moving Vinny.

First off, in Minnesota, it looks like Marian Gaborik's getting better; he's going to be hitting the ice last this month. Gaborik had surgery to repair a torn labrum last month and has been rehabbing in Colorado for the last four weeks. I still don't expect him to be dealt this season, but the Wild will probably move his negotiating rights in the summer for some draft picks and/or prospects. They might even get lucky and pick up a decent roster player.

Toronto's OT loss to Florida isn't sitting very well with the Leafs tonight. This team is frustrated, and who can blame them? There are too many rumors surrounding the future of half this team and it's taking a toll on the players. GM Brian Burke has been busy taking calls and negotiating with his counterparts, but it doesn't look like a trade is on the verge of being completed (not unless something significant happened in the last 3 hours). But don't worry, this team will be very active by the deadline.

In Anaheim, if the Ducks fall out of the playoff race in the next few weeks, you can expect the Chris Pronger speculation to heat up significantly. The Ducks have received plenty of interest in Pronger, but Anaheim isn't about to throw in the towel just yet. But, if things go completely wrong for the Ducks, Pronger might not be the only guy on the move. Todd Marchant, Rob Niedermayer, Travis Moen, Kent Huskins and Brendan Morrison are all UFAs at season's end and could be solid rental acquisitions. And yes, I've heard the Scott Niedermayer rumors too, but I wouldn't bet on him being moved.

Finally, touching on the Panthers. I've been getting a lot of emails asking me what I'd do with Jay Bouwmeester if I'm Florida. Well, it's simple. If I'm Jacques Martin (Panthers GM), I sit down with Jay and ask him point-blank, "Do you want to stay?" If he says no, or if he's unsure, then I trade him. The Panthers are still very much in the playoff race. If they can get some help up front, they stand a good chance even without Bouwmeester. There's a reason why Martin built up his defensive core by adding Bryan McCabe, Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton. If Bouwmeester isn't set on staying, you move him for a top-six forward and a first-round pick. I'm not saying to move him now, but by the trade deadline, Florida should have a better idea of where it stands. Don't wait for the summer to trade away his negotiating rights, because his value won't be nearly as high.

Unfortunately for Murray, it wasn't Craig Hartsburg's fault. The Senators, for lack of a better term, stink. This group couldn't get the job done last season with John Paddock and they aren't getting it done this year.

Ottawa has a solid group up front, but their goaltending is sub-par and their defensive core isn't close to what it once was. This team talks about a lack of confidence? That will only take you so far. It's deeper than that. This group need a significant change on the ice. Whether it's dealing away a guy like Jason Spezza or moving certain pieces to revamp the roster over the summer, Murray needs to shake this team up.

The current group isn't getting the job done. It's that simple. I hate singling out players, and in the case of the Senators, I don't need to. Everybody is playing below their capabilities, and they know it. Get prospects and draft picks for guys like Filip Kuba, Chris Neil, Shean Donovan and Antoine Vermette. Focus on the summer, create a target list and go from there. Need extra cash? Wave goodbye to Spezza. Move him for depth assets; a second-line player, a top-four defenseman, a combo... fix the holes on your team and use the freed up cap space to attract free agents in the summer.

It's been a long time since the Senators missed the playoffs. The 2008-09 campaign is a nice wake-up call. There are certain pieces that you keep and build around, and that will allow for a shorter rebuilding period because guys like Alfredsson and Heatley can get the job done. Sorry Mr. Melnyk, but it's time to bring in the bomb squad and blow this puppy up. Focus on 09-10, because it can't get any worse.

As the NHL trade deadline inches closer, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in an interesting position.

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren would like to add another physical body to his blueline, but the team will have to move some salary in order to make any changes to the lineup.

Read the entire entry...

Buffalo - I'm not sure where this Bobby Ryan rumor started, but I can tell you the Ducks aren't interested in moving this young stud.

Phoenix - I talked about this in Yahoo!'s weekly chat with Puck Daddy (Greg Wyshynski) and Spector (Lyle Richardson)... and if you're the Coyotes, do you really plan on giving this guy up? Think about it for a second. Just because the team is having financial trouble doesn't mean they're going to blow things up when they're in the middle of a playoff race. Doaner isn't going anywhere.

Tampa Bay - I guess we'll wait until after the deadline for the Lecavalier rumors to end. I do know that the Oilers inquired about Vinny's availability, but it talks haven't gone much further than that. I'm not sure where this "imminent trade" is coming from. I'll admit I don't know everything that's going on out there, but I wouldn't bank on this one happening.

And because of all the emails, etc., TFP will be posted a chart later today involving some players that might be moved before the March 4 trade deadline. Be sure to check that out!

The Red Wings wanted to get Zetterberg inked to an extension, that much was clear. But they did have to make a few sacrifices along the way. The Wings were originally thinking of a deal around the 7-year range, and Zetterberg's camp wanted closer to $8 million per year. So, they met in the middle. Zetterberg was willing to reduce the cap hit for more years, and the Wings were happy to do it.

This new contract will put Zetterberg in a Red Wings' uniform until he's 40 (I wonder if Chris Chelios has anything to do with that).

Now, the Red Wings have to decide whether to re-sign Marian Hossa or get Johan Franzen locked up to a new deal.

Hossa is making $7.45 million this season and has really enjoyed his time playing in Detroit so far this season. But, there are a lot of question marks surrounding his future. Remember, he turned down a huge 9-year offer from Edmonton over the summer (believed to be worth $81M). Given the economy, I highly doubt he'll get that offer again, but would he be willing to sign for a little less, long-term, to stay in Detroit?

It's possible.

If Hossa stays, though, Franzen and likely Mikael Samuelsson leave. That's what GM Ken Holland has to mull over the next few weeks.