The Washington Capitals could be looking to add a veteran presence in their quest for a Stanley Cup this season.
Head coach Barry Trotz was in Hershey to watch the Bears - Washington's AHL affiliate - over the weekend. He said Scott Gomez is "on the radar" Tuesday, according to NHL.com's Katie Brown.
Gomez is on a 25-game PTO with Hershey, so if the Caps don't sign him, another team could.
Gomez inked a professional tryout deal after a mutual agreement to terminate his contract with the St. Louis Blues earlier this season. He has been solid, recording four goals and 18 assists in 15 games for the Bears.
The 36-year-old had one goal and seven assists in 21 games with St. Louis.
Trotz also added that the team could look at reinforcing its depth, but "nothing crazy" is expected - not surprising considering Washington's current salary-cap situation.
General manager Peter Chiarelli confirmed Tuesday that the Oilers will be sellers before Monday's trade deadline.
"We haven't been good enough, so there will be changes," Chiarelli told reporters.
He added, "We've got some players who have underachieved and may need a new venue."
The Oilers have the league's worst record at 22-32-6, and they're tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the NHL's worst point total (50).
Connor McDavid has enjoyed a productive rookie campaign, averaging over a point per game, but he missed 37 games earlier in the season with a broken clavicle.
Chiarelli said injuries to McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oscar Klefbom, and Andrew Ference have hurt his ability to assess the team, adding that a deal for one of the Oilers' core players isn't likely to happen soon, but could make sense in the offseason.
"I’m not really looking at (trading a core player) now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be looking at that in the summer.” - Chiarelli
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this month that the Oilers decided to be sellers at the deadline, and that forward Teddy Purcell was a candidate to be moved because of his status as a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $4.5 million.
Reaves sent Tennyson face-first into the boards from behind, earning a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct on the play.
Tennyson appeared unconscious as he hit the glass, and then his head slammed into the ice violently after the collision. He's "likely concussed," head coach Pete DeBoer said Monday.
Reaves has no prior history with the DOPS, but is likely facing a suspension.
As the Feb. 29 trade deadline draws closer, Andrew Ladd's future has become both clearer and murkier.
The Winnipeg Jets captain said Tuesday he has yet to receive a contract extension offer from the club, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Ken Wiebe, and also reiterated his desire to be a Jet for a long time.
Ladd said he didn't think there has been much in terms of contract talks with #NHLJets since around Christmas-time
The Jets head out on the road after Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars, and won't play in Winnipeg until March 1. That means Ladd could be suiting up for his final game in front of Jets fans Tuesday night.
"It's kind of sad," he said, when contemplating that the end of a five-season run with the team may soon be upon him. Ladd came over to Winnipeg in 2011-12, when the Atlanta Thrashers became the Jets.
The 30-year-old has 16 goals and 17 assists this season. He's earning $4.5 million in salary, and carries a cap hit of $4.4 million.
Elliott sustained the injury Monday against the San Jose Sharks. He left the game and did not return. The ailment comes just after Jake Allen returned in a backup role following a 17-game absence.
The 30-year-old Elliott was sensational in relief of Allen, going 12-3-2. He has a 2.14 GAA and .929 save percentage this season.
The Florida Panthers will pay tribute to the most successful team in franchise history next month.
The Panthers will honor members of the 1995-96 squad as part of a 20-year reunion on March 12 when Florida hosts the Philadelphia Flyers at the BB&T Center.
John Vanbiesbrouck, Ed Jovanovski, Scott Mellanby, Ray Sheppard, Brian Skrudland, and Bill Lindsay will be among the former players in attendance, along with former head coach Doug MacLean and executives Bryan Murray and Chuck Fletcher.
The Panthers advanced to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final before being swept by the Colorado Avalanche.
The Wake County (N.C.) District Attorney's Office dismissed assault charges against former NHL defenseman and television analyst Aaron Ward on Friday, according to TSN.
Ward was charged with two misdemeanors - assault on a female and interfering with emergency communications - after an alleged domestic incident in October.
The DA reviewed the case and determined "that further prosecution is not warranted."
I am deeply humbled by my experience the last few months. I want to thank everyone who has supported and prayed for my family.
The Calgary Flames should be sellers before the trade deadline, and Jiri Hudler is one of their most intriguing assets.
The 32-year-old forward can play both center and right wing, and while his production has dropped off significantly following a career-best 76-point season in 2014-15, he's still a solid playmaker with occasional scoring touch.
Hudler is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4-million cap hit, and while he has only nine goals and 24 assists in 51 games, he's elevating his trade value at the right time with nine points in his last 10 contests.
Here are three teams that should pursue Hudler:
St. Louis Blues
Alex Steen won't be ready to return from his injury for at least a month, and there's no guarantee he won't need more time to recover, making his playoff availability uncertain.
Either way, the Blues need to fill the void created by Steen's absence in the short term and cement their forward depth for the postseason even when he returns.
St. Louis will have less than $1 million in cap space on deadline day, but if the Blues can find a taker for veteran forward Troy Brouwer - a pending UFA with a cap hit of $3.66 million - that could facilitate a Hudler deal.
The Blues haven't advanced past the second round in nearly 15 years, but a move like this would help that cause.
New York Rangers
The Rangers could use an injection of offense with Rick Nash on the shelf due to a bone bruise that's escalated from a day-to-day concern to a month-long ailment.
Hudler's 2015-16 production has mirrored Nash's output in a number of ways:
Player
GP
Points
PPP
ES Corsi For %
Jiri Hudler
51
33
7
48.4
Rick Nash
45
33
6
49
They're not the same player by any means, but Hudler could help kick-start a floundering Rangers power play and give New York an uptick in offensive skill up front. They'll have about $4.85 million in cap flexibility on deadline day, so adding his $4-million hit wouldn't be an issue.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers will need help on the left wing if Jonathan Huberdeau is forced to miss significant time, and Hudler can play on that side, too.
Even if Huberdeau makes a rapid return from his injury, Florida would benefit from Hudler's versatility, and they'll have plenty of cap space ($27 million) to do it.
The question for the Panthers is how much ownership is willing to spend to improve on a core group that's already shown plenty of promise.
New York Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle has been mired in trade speculation for most of the season, but that might be far from the case heading into the trade deadline on Feb. 29.
Yandle - a pending unrestricted free agent - is in the final year of a five-year, $26.25-million deal, and carries a very team-friendly $2.625-million cap hit this season after the Arizona Coyotes retained half his salary when he was traded to New York last year. He would certainly be a very valuable trade chip on the open market.
"Multiple sources report keen interest in the 29-year-old, much of it coming from the Western Conference," Brooks writes. "Dallas has been dogging the Rangers for weeks. The Blueshirts perhaps would be able to get the Stars' immensely talented 20-year-old winger Valeri Nichushkin as part of the return package. Such a possibility would surely tempt Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton."
The Rangers are 7-1-1 in their last nine games despite an injury to captain Ryan McDonagh. Yandle has averaged 24:03 minutes of ice time per game in McDonagh's absence, and his recent play may be among the prime causes of the team's apparent shift in intentions ahead of the deadline.
The 29-year-old admittedly has no problem with remaining in New York.
"Anyone who knows me, anyone who sees me, they can see how happy I am playing in New York and with this group," Yandle said. "I even got a text from my mom the other day saying that she has never seen me look so happy. That should tell you everything."
