NHL Rumors III: Subban, Whitney, Hemsky, Khabibulin, Sullivan, Kessel and Iginla

From twitter unless noted otherwise

  • Joe McDonald of ESPN: Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli this morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s,

    “I can tell you this: I’m not trading Malcolm Subban,” Chiarelli said. “He’s young. He’s a very good goalie prospect and I see him in our future and being a big part of our future. We’ve got some goalie depth, but I’m telling you I’m not trading Malcolm Subban. There are other players, and we’ve got a fairly well-stocked cupboard of prospects, but I’m not trading Malcolm Subban.”

    Chiarelli said that it’s “two to three years” or “might be sooner” that Subban would ready to play in the NHL.

  • Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: Mark Streit would be the perfect player for the top of the Bruins wish list for defenseman.  Keith Yandle would also be nice, but it would take a huge package to get him. Jay Bouwmeester and Dan Boylewould be nice, but they have big money for next season. Oilers Ryan Whitney is an intriguing name.

    “Whitney doesn’t skate as well he as he did prior to having some foot problems, but he can still play in this league,” said one talent evaluator that’s watched him play. “He can make every pass in the book and he’ll produce offense if he’s in a lineup like the Bruins.

    “He could be a good fit there, but it all depends on if Claude and Chiarelli like him as a player.”

    The Oilers did have scouts at two recent Bruins games. There are rumors that Hemsky could be one of the Bruins backup plans if they don’t land Iginla.

  • Jim Matheson: Teams are keeping eye on Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin at the trade deadline.
  • Nick Cotsonika: (Thinking out loud) – What if the Penguins brought Steve Sullivan back to play with Evgeni Malkin and moved Brenden Morrow to the left side of Sutter?
  • Jimmy Murphy: Murphy thinks the Bruins need a top-four defenseman just much, if not more, than a top-six or nine forward.
  • Howard Berger: Berger has a hunch that the Maple Leafs are quietly asking teams about Phil Kessel before the trade deadline, but otherwise will only make minor adjustments. Kessel is their only hope for a blockbuster deal.
  • Lisa Dillman of the LA Times: With the salary cap going down next season, it may be part of the reason Jarome Iginla doesn’t fit. The Kings have 8 restricted free agents. The price to acquire him just as a rental appears to be too high.