The All-Star Game won't ever go away (umm, except for next season because of the Olympic break). But in 2011, it will be back. The league brought in $10 million in corporate sponsorship and millions more from merchandise, games and so on. From a fans perspective, outside of the skills competition, most of you don't care to watch it on TV. But, I would recommend going to the event if you have the opportunity to do so.

There isn't much that can be done to elevate the play in the game itself. The players are there to have fun, so don't expect any bone-crushing hits. The event is for the players, executives, sponsors and fans in attendance. If you can get to Phoenix in '11, I'd suggest going.

First off, the Mathieu Garon trade. The Oilers were looking to move a goalie, and they got their chance. Ryan Stone fell out of favor in the Pittsburgh organization, so he was expendable. Garon's a better goalie than Dany Sabourin, who isn't likely to play for the Oilers anyway. The Oilers wanted to shed some salary, and they did. Sabourin will likely go to the AHL, or he'll be traded, again

As for the Oilers being linked to guys like Vincent Lecavalier and Jason Spezza... I've been told the team's made some inquiries, but nothing is serious (or imminent) at this point. Oilers GM Steve Tambellini is merely testing the waters. It's no secret the Oilers want to get their hands on a big-name forward. They tried to sign Marian Hossa in the summer and made inquiries about Marian Gaborik and Ilya Kovalchuk earlier in the year. As they sit in 8th spot in the West, they want to make sure they remain at that position, or higher, by season's end. If the Oilers are presented with an opportunity to make a big splash that makes sense, they'll take it... even if that means giving away a good young player or two.

So what's out there? Maybe the Senators move Spezza, but it would be for a very solid return and I know Ottawa GM Bryan Murray isn't asking for peanuts for his star center. Edmonton might have to wait until the summer before getting a stud up front, but if they notify the rest of the league that they'd willingly move someone like Sam Gagner for a top-line player, they'll get some nibbles. Perhaps even the Panthers might throw Nathan Horton in the mix if the Oilers would add to a package. Just a thought...

I was hoping these Vinny Lecavalier rumors would die down, but alas, here I am talking about them again. I know I was supposed to touch on this yesterday, but a few personal matters got in the way. So, on to Monday and we're talking Lecavalier. Again. (sigh)

Reports over the weekend continue to suggest Tampa is still getting calls about Vinny and that the Bolts are fully engaged in discussions. They talked about it on CBC's Hotstove, it's been discussed on a few radio stations and brought up in a few papers... again.

I'm going to make this short and sweet. Are talks still going on? Yes. Is the Lightning any closer to making a trade involving their captain? No!

Until the trade deadline passes, we'll be hearing more chit-chat about Vinny. The bottom line is, the Lightning would be committing franchise suicide if they moved Lecavalier, and I'm hearing most of th people in charge of this team are starting to get that message.

I figured I'd take some time here to reply to the most common emails I'm getting on the teams outlined below.

Atlanta - No, the Thrashers aren't done dealing. GM Don Waddell has been pretty active these days, with a number of teams calling about guys like Todd White, Niclas Havelid, Marty Reasoner and Slava Kozlov, among others. First, I'd be a little surprised if Kozlov's dealt. He has a no-trade clause and I was told the Thrashers want to keep him. White's having a great year and could command a decent price, while Havelid and Reasoner are UFAs at season's end and will likely be moved. Mathieu Schneider's also on the block.

Boston - The Bruins are looking for help on the blueline and a second-line forward, but nothing appears imminent. This time of year there is plenty of trade talk, but it's still goofy talk. Until we get to the 2-3 weeks before the trade deadline, "serious" negotiations won't begin until then. And by "serious" I mean a GM calling another telling him they want Player X and they will give up Package A, leaving out the BS tactics and such, for the most part. Bs GM Peter Chiarelli's getting calls, and making his own, but these discussion won't pick up until likely after the All-Star Game.

Edmonton - A quick note here, as the emails were all very short and to the point for some reason... Anyway, Edmonton is testing the waters and seeing what big-name players are available. I don't know who exactly they're targeting, so I won't speculate.

Montreal - Habs continue to look for a top-four defenseman, but might wait until Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay are back from injury. Max Pacioretty could very well stick with the big club if Chris Higgins (who needs to return from injury) is moved for a blueliner closer to the deadline. And no, I don't buy the Higgins-Schneider rumors. And there isn't much else to say about the Vinny Lecavalier talks. There have been talks. The Habs may have always inquired each year, but they've never been this serious until this season. Again, as I've said many times, I don't expect the Bolts to trade Vinny (more below).

Pittsburgh - Are the Penguins trying to do something? Yes, very much so. Is something close? Not according to the people I've talked to in Pittsburgh. They are looking for a top-six forward, that much appears to be certain.

Tampa Bay - Quickly about Lecavalier. Do I think the Lightning will trade him? No. Now, regarding the rest of the team... if the Bolts may a significant move before the trade deadline, it will likely involve Marty St. Louis. He has a no-trade clause, but he might be willing to waive it and accept a move to the right environment.

Toronto - Holy schnikeys, a lot of emails about the Leafs. Brian Burke is getting a bunch of calls and is looking at various options. He's checking out impending college free agents and looking for ways to improve his club on the trade market. According to a source, the Leafs have received many calls about the following: Tomas Kaberle, Nik Antropov, Matt Stajan, Pavel Kubina, Lee Stempniak, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Niklas Hagman and Luke Schenn (who won't be dealt, so don't worry). There's also been some attention paid towards Jason Blake, Dominic Moore, Vesa Toskala and Anton Stralman. I can't see the Leafs moving all these bodies, as guys like Hagman, Kubina and Stempniak will likely stay, but Burke's a busy boy these days.

Meanwhile... Michael Nylander's still available; the Canucks are looking for a top-four defenseman and a second-line winger; and there have apparently been preliminary talks between the Blue Jackets and Senators about Pascal Leclaire and Jason Spezza.

First off, regarding Jaromir Jagr. Let's not blow this out of proportion. Yes, Jagr said he'd love to return to the Penguins if Mario Lemieux asked him to come back. Yes, he said he'd play for the league minimum for Mario, because he owes him one. That's all well and good, but Jagr's under contract with Osmk of Russia's KHL until the end of the 2009-10 season and isn't going to be joining the Penguins sooner than that. (And I doubt he'd sign for the minimum - he's making $7M a year in Russia.)

If Jagr does make a return to the NHL, it won't be until he turns 38. The Penguins made a courtesy call to him over the summer, but no offer was pitched.

Secondly, the Penguins are looking around the league for some extra fire power. They have been for a while now. But, just because they're looking, it doesn't mean something is imminent. I've mentioned the possibility of the Lightning trading away Martin St. Louis (which, by the way, would be a much smarter decision than dealing some guy named Vinny Lecavalier), and the link to Pittsburgh.

St. Louis would look just swell playing alongside Sidney Crosby. Is it about to happen? No. Could it happen before the March 4 trade deadline? Possibly.

Right now, the Bolts are all mixed up with the Lecavalier situation. Once that cools down, and if they haven't stupidly traded him, they'll focus on the rest of their roster. If the team needs to deal someone, it should be St. Louis and the Penguins make a lot of sense. Because of Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar being placed on IR (Whitney's back), the Penguins have saved about $4 million in cap space. That's more than enough to add a key body or two, and if I'm Ray Shero (Pens GM), I'm calling Tampa GM Brian Lawton and I'm working out some kind of deal for St. Louis.

The logical candidate potentially involved in any major trade talks surrounding the Pens is Jordan Staal. His new contract eliminates any excuses other teams may have had about the risk of losing him as a restricted free agent. Some of you have emailed me suggesting that Whitney might be a good choice. I tend to disagree. The Penguins need a player like Whitney in the backend. With Crosby and Evgeni Malkin up the middle, Staal is expendable. He's not a winger, he's a second-line two-way center, and if the Bolts want him and think they can convert him to the wing, go for it.

Again, this isn't a deal on the verge of being completed, but it makes sense. And according to the people in the league I've spoken to, it could be something these clubs talk about before March 4.

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I've spoken to a number of people very close to Vinny, and those who opted to comment did so off the record. The only thing I can tell you is that Vinny doesn't even know what to make of this situation right now. I'll have more on this subject later today.

In other news (just a few tidbits)... on the trade front, the Islanders are getting quite a few calls about their veteran players; the Blue Jackets and Oilers wouldn't mind Jason Spezza, but Nik Antropov might be a decent consolation prize; and despite the Jay Bouwmeester likely to be dealt thing, don't be surprised if the Panthers make a move to bolster their roster in the near future.

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Alright. So, from the looks of things, the Lightning can basically trade Vincent Lecavalier any time. But, they're letting him decide what he wants to do.

Aww, that's nice. But from those I've spoken to in both Montreal and Tampa, the Habs and Bolts have a deal in place. So, it looks like the Bolts are set on trading him, right?

Not exactly.

Ownership wants to keep him, management does not. It's that simple. It's also very unfortunate for Vinny. I've spoken to him a number of times over the years. He loves Tampa. He truly does... but given all the crap that the organization has gone through this season, you can't help but wonder if those feelings have changed.

I haven't had a chance to talk to him this season. Not yet, anyway. But I hear he's a little frustrated with everything going on with the team. I'll touch more on that later, as I'm just writing an article about the situation. Waiting on a few calls back from certain people and I'll have more shortly.

With names like Marian Gaborik, Jason Spezza, Ilya Kovalchuk and Jay Bouwmeester floating around the rumor world, fans are itching to see another mega blockbuster trade, one that could very well come in the New Year.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been looking for a long-term solution to plant on Sidney Crosby's left or right side. They had hoped to have found the answer last season when they acquired sniper Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers on trade deadline day.

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If you've followed my preaching, you'll already know that I'm a big fan of bringing a team to the city of Kitchener. With 2.5 million page within a 30-minute drive, it's the best option. A new owner wouldn't have to pay any fees to the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Buffalo Sabres, as this location would be out of those territories. I've never been a real supporter of bringing a team to Hamilton, even though it might be more recognizable to the average U.S. fan than Kitchener.

And while I firmly believe that another team will end up in Southern Ontario soon enough, there are other options North of the border.

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