Transactions from around the NHL this evening…
TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment is always good for some tidbits of news, and the trio of Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun, and Bob McKenzie delivered earlier today. We’ve compiled some of their more notable remarks below:
There were a handful of transactions from around the NHL this afternoon. Let’s check them out…
It’s March, and that means the college hockey playoffs are starting to ramp up. If you watched this week’s conference championships, you’re likely familiar with some of the teams that will be fighting for a chance to play in the Frozen Four in Chicago. Today, the NCAA announced the official matchups for the upcoming tournament, which you can find below:
West Regional (Fargo, ND)
East Regional (Providence, RI)
Midwest Regional (Cincinnati, OH)
Northeast Regional (Manchester, NH)
Assorted transactions from around the NHL this afternoon:
The Penguins are reportedly seeking some defensive reinforcement prior to the March 1st trade deadline. However, as Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, the team recently lost defensemen Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta, perhaps adding some urgency to their pursuit. General manager Jim Rutherford told Molinari that the recent injuries wouldn’t urge him to quickly make a deal.
“I don’t think it changes a whole lot,” he said. “Everybody is going to move their players at their own time. I don’t think, necessarily, that they’re going to move up the date on when they decide to move any of their players.
“We were considering a defenseman going into the trade deadline, and we’ll [still] consider doing that. Whether we’re able to pick up one or two, we’ll have to see what the market is.”
Let’s take a look at some other notes out of Pittsburgh…
Ty Rattie is back with the Blues. After getting waived by the Hurricanes yesterday, the right winger has been claimed by St. Louis (via Sportsnets’ Elliotte Friedman on Twitter). The 24-year-old originally joined the Carolina organization after being waived by the Blues earlier this season. Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that Rattie will likely land in the AHL.
The 2011 second-round pick ultimately played in five games with the Hurricanes, compiling two assists and averaging 13:28 of ice time. During his previous stint with the Blues this season, Rattie didn’t collect a point in four games. The forward has played in three AHL games this season, although he did collect 17 goals and 29 assists last season with the Chicago Wolves.
Rattie is making $650K this year and will be a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration eligibility.
Meanwhile, the Sabres waived blueliner Taylor Fedun yesterday, and Friedman tweets that the 28-year-old has cleared waivers. The team announced that he’s be assigned to the Rochester Americans.
We’ve heard Brian Boyle’s name come up several times as we approach the March 1st trade deadline, but the Lightning center told Joe Smith of TampaBay.com that he’d prefer to stay with the organization.
“We’re really blessed to be able to play here,” Boyle said. “We’ve talked about it plenty of times, how wonderful it is to be playing in Tampa, being close to her family. The community here. We want to keep playing here.”
The rumors make plenty of sense, as the impending free agent would be an excellent acquisition for those seeking some offensive reinforcement. Smith mentions that the Maple Leafs, Blue Jackets, and Oilers as the teams that have been connected to the 32-year-old veteran. The writer also notes that the organization is currently seeking a haul for the forward, with other teams being hesitant regarding the high asking price. Of course, Boyle is more interested in helping his current squad.
“If teams want you, it means you’re doing something right,” Boyle said. “I want to add something to this team. I want to be an impact player, help us get to where we want to go. That’s the way I’ve approached (the trade rumors). It’s what’s best for our team. Stuff like that, you have no control over.”
Boyle has played in 51 games this year, his third with the organization. The forward has compiled 13 goals and eight assists this season. Tampa Bay is currently sitting 16 points out from the final wild card spot.
“I want to stay here,” Boyle said. “We’ve been on a mission for a few years now and haven’t accomplished it yet. We want to do it here.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Assorted transactions from around the NHL this morning…
Following the Canadiens sudden hiring of head coach Claude Julien last week, we learned that several teams had reached out to the Bruins in hopes of securing an interview with their former head coach. Now, we’ve learned that at least one team (besides Montreal) was in negotiations with Julien.
“It was well known that the Boston Bruins had been asked by several teams to have permission to talk to Claude Julien,” reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. “One of the reasons Montreal had to move quickly was because there was at least one other team that was in negotiations with (him).”
What team was Julien talking to? Friedman believes it wasn’t the incoming expansion franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights. Instead, the insider believes it was “somebody who has a coach right now. That’s one of the reasons Julien did so well financially.” Julien ultimately earned a five-year, $25M contract, and Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos says the coach will possibly be earning $12 million through the first two years.
Following a recent stretch that saw the team drop 10 of their past 13 games, the Canadiens decided to fire head coach Michel Therrien and replace him with Julien. The 56-year-old spent much of the past decade in Boston, where he led the team to seven playoff births and a Stanley Cup Championship. However, the Bruins failed to make the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, and their 26-23 record led to Julien’s firing earlier this month.