On the Buffalo Sabres …
Mike Harrington: (answering question) The Blackhawks are out of it, so trading for goaltender Robin Lehner is unlikely. If Lehner is traded, teams that might be interested include that Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders.
On the Edmonton Oilers …
Jim Matheson: Would be shocked if someone doesn’t try to trade for forward Mike Cammalleri for a mid-round draft pick.
Jim Matheson: Mark Letestu could be on the move to a contender at the deadline. The Pittsburgh Penguins make the most sense, with the Winnipeg Jets being another fit.
On the Ottawa Senators …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Elliotte Friedman on his 31 Thoughts podcast with Jeff Marek. Marek wonders if Erik Karlsson may not be “long-term for this franchise.” The Senators are rebuilding and he may not be interested in that process. But Karlsson loves being an Ottawa Senator.
“I see a guy like that as seeking a reason to believe. ‘Give me a reason to stay.’ They haven’t really done that yet. But that doesn’t mean they can’t do it.”
Friedman notes that the Senators could use some of their cap savings from the Phaneuf-Gaborik trade and maybe sign some other guys.
“The contenders change every year. I could understand if you told me Erik Karlsson wanted to go to Tampa. Hey, that’s as good a bet as you’re going to make. They missed the playoffs last year. Look at Ottawa – every other year, the opposite thing happens. One year they have a playoff run, one year they bomb out. So I look at it as if you’re Ottawa, can you give Erik Karlsson a reason to believe. Right now, no.
“And I’m not convinced – and please don’t go crazy with this quote for people who listen to it – I am not convinced he’s not getting traded before the deadline. I could see Ottawa doing it. I’m not saying it will happen, but I could see it. But if he doesn’t, everybody gets time to take a big, deep breath and really think about where they’re going.”
