NHL Rumors IX: Kesler, Blackhawks, How Hartnell Trade Went Down, Michalek and Wild
  • Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times: If the Canucks really want either Brandon Saad or Teuvo Teravainen in any package for Ryan Kesler, would likely be a nonstarter for the Blackhawks. If the Canucks want a lesser prospect than Teravinen or a completely different package, it might work. GM Stan Bowman said earlier that they don’t need “wholesale changes,” but later added that if adding a center presented itself, it could be an option. Patrick Sharp’s name has been in the rumor mill the past couple weeks.
  • Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: Sources saying the Ducks and Blackhawks are front-runners for Ryan Kesler. He would fit in as a No. 2 center on both teams. Unless the either team offers the Canucks a package they like, they won’t move him. The Penguins did show some interest, and he may have to play the wing, but it’s not clear if he would go to Pittsburgh.
  • Randy Miller of NJ.com: Scott Hartnell called Ron Hextall after the trade to ask him what happened.

    “Hartsy eventually called me,” Hextall said on Tuesday. “One question that he asked me was, ‘When did I fall out of favor?’ I said, ‘No Hartsy, you haven’t fallen out of favor. This is just something that fits for us and we want to move forward with it.’

    “I didn’t really say anymore than that, that we wanted to move forward. That’s as harsh as it got.”

    On how the Hartnell for R.J. Umberger trade went down.

    “Actually, I talked to (Hartnell’s) agent originally, and I wasn’t shopping Scott Hartnell,” Hextall said. “What happened there was when I was circling around with the other (general) managers, I just said, ‘We need some cap relief here, so if you can think of anything let me know.’ And Columbus ended up coming pretty hard after Scott.

    “Now it didn’t give us a lot of cap relief, ironically, but it was a deal that I thought about for a few days before I went to Scotty’s agent because I realized that he had a no-move clause and it’s a sensitive issue. So then I circled back with the agent when I decided that (a trade) was right for this franchise and talked him through how it all happened, and in the end it was the same thing I told you guys (Monday) … that the speed factor and the cap flexibility (were the reasons).”

    In two or three years, the Flyers will have Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn, Braydon Colburn, Steve Mason and others as free agents.

  • Bruce Garrioch: The Senators have made Milan Michalek an offer and there will be more talk. He is also likely to see what else is out there.
  • Michael Russo: Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said that depending what is available at No. 18, they could move back and collect more picks.