Rangers Acquire Jody Shelley

The New York Rangers have acquired tough guy Jody Shelley from the San Jose Sharks for a 6th round pick in 2011 which becomes a 5th round pick in 2011 should the Rangers re-sign him.

This signals the end of Donald Brashear who will presumably be sent to Hartford for the remainder of the season where his cap hit will be removed from the books and the Rangers will figure it out in the summer where next year his cap hit will be counted regardless.

Chicago/Wild and Rangers/Sharks strike last minute deals

To Chicago:

D Kim Johnsson
D Nick Leddy

To Minnesota:

D Cam Barker

Corey's Note: Seems like a win-win, Hawks shed some salary off next seasons payroll by getting rid of Barker, and get's a 16th Overall pick D-man, that was drafted last summer.

To Rangers:

F Jody Shelley

To Sharks:

Late Round Draft Pick

Corey's Notes: Good move for the Rangers, with the waiving of Brasher they pick up a younger tough guy for the playoff run, I'm not quite sure what round the pick is in

Cullen a Sen, Murray re-signed

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=309934

According to TSN the Ottawa Senators have acquired forward Matt Cullen from the Hurricanes for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a second round pick in this summer's draft.

Corey's Note: Although the sens didn't really need another center, Cullen brings some veteran leadership and some offense (he has 12 goals and 40 points this season). I assume he will take the 3rd line center position, with one of Kelly or Regin moving to the wing, or to the minors.

The Senators also announced today that GM Bryan Murray as been re-signed for another year, making him a "UFA GM" (as I like to call them) at the end of next season.

Corey's Note: Maybe this contract extension gave Murray some motivation to swing the Cullen deal, probably not, but wait and see what Murray does next if anything....

Habs acquire Moore as they approach Frolov acquisition

The Montreal Canadiens acquired Dominic Moore from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2nd round pikc in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The Habs are and I repeat ARE NOT DONE!

The Alexander Frolov to the Montreal Canadiens rumor has been floating around all day. The Kings have apparently told Frolov's agent to expect a deal before the 3pm trade freeze tomorrow. I am expecting Frolov to be property of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge by then. Names floating around to be heading back appear to be D'Agostini, Pacioretty, Lapierre and D-man Yannick Weber. The Canadiens also announced they have called up P.K. Subban and sent back forward Ben Maxwell to Hamilton of the AHL, thus adding fuel to the fire.

Frolov a Hab by morning?...Kings trying to get Whitney

According to a few reports Alexander Frolov should be a Montreal Canadien by tomorrow morning. The return at the moment appears to be Yannick Weber and one of either Max Pacioretty or Matt D'Agostini, though the names have yet to be confirmed. This deal may be pending another deal which appears to be the Kings trying to acquire forward Ray Whitney from the Carolina Hurricanes.

Olympic Freeze

With the NHL's Olympic trade freeze taking affect at 3 P.M Friday February 12th there should be a few trades made within the next 27 hours as teams want to unload some of their players before the Olympics so they don't kill their trade value with a possible injury in the Olympics.

Some of the bigger fish on the market (Ponikarovsky, Neidermayer, Turco, Kariya amongst others) will probably not be moved before the freeze. Some of the guys that could be dealt today/ early tomorrow are Matty Cullen out of Carolina, Michael Ryder out of Boston, and Ray Whitney out of Carolina.

I fully expect to see at least a couple of trades be announced before the freeze, so we'll sit tight and watch the action unfold.

NY Rangers trade

Sources have indicated to me that the Rangers are nearing a trade. The names are still unclear as to who is headed to the Rangers but a trade sounds close. If there is a trade made it will be announced after the game vs Nashville tomorrow night.

Some names I have heard mentioned from the Rangers side are Dubinsky, Callahan, Rozsival, Brashear as well as some other prospects. Players the Rangers are targeting include Sheldon Souray, Nathan Horton, Dennis Seidenberg, Francis Bouillon and other cheap defensemen that are UFA's-t0-be.

In addition, the Rangers have called up a 7th defenseman in Corey Potter. The team has played the entire season without a 7th defenseman and with the Olympic break just a few short days away one has to wonder why this move is being made with no injuries on the blue line.

Stay Tuned for the latest!!!!!!

Sens Shopping Lee AND Cheechoo

According to SensChirp the Sens continue to try to shop Brian Lee but now they may be adding Cheechoo to the package. While Cheechoo may not bring in as much I believe him and Lee together can generate some interest, apparently LA Kings may be willing to take a chance on Cheechoo but nothing confirmed yet.

Andy Strickland has stated on his twitter account that D Carlo Colaiacovo is available, I have no idea what kind of return he might bring or what team could benefit from his services at the moment but it is interesting to see all the available players that are coming out these days.

Finally, NHLSources on Twitter has been rambling about the Penguins targeting Moreau and/or Ponikarovsky. Ruslan Fedotenko may find himself the odd man out even though I'm sure Leafs fans hope they can get Staal (highly doubt that'll ever happen)

Links

http://twitter.com/andystrickland

http://twitter.com/NHLSourcesSay

http://www.senschirp.ca/2010/02/off-to-calgary.html

Gainey Steps Down, What next?

Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey will officially announce at a 4pm press conference that he has stepped down from the position of General Manager. The current assistant GM Pierre Gauthier will take over for the time being. Some may not agree with me but I think Pierre McGuire should be the next GM. Also wanted to throw in that I believe this will be the end of Carey Price with the Canadiens.

Wings flip Leino to the Flyers

The Detroit Red Wings have traded forward Ville Leino to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a 5th round draft pick.

RIP Brendan Burke

I would just like to give my condolences to the Burke and Reedy families on behalf of all hockey fans for the loss of their sons Brendan and Mark. Such a tragic accident and a young men gone way before his time.

Everything seems to be put aside right now as everyone comes together to hope Brian Burke all the best and the best wishes to get through these difficult times. This is a tough and shocking tragedy to take in considering that a few weeks ago he was all over the news. At least he got to know how much his Dad loves and supports him.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=309095

Boynton on Re-Entry

TSN's Bob McKenzie is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have put d-man Nick Boynton on re-entry waivers. I would not be surprised if a team were to pick him up, which team is the main question at this point.

Bruins to respond to Kovalchuk trade?, Sabres closing in on Stempniak

According to a source the Boston Bruins are looking to respond to the fact they missed the boat on Ilya Kovalchuk. My source is claiming the Oilers' Andrew Cogliano, Blues' Paul Kariya and Hurricanes' Ray Whitney as main targets. One thing has been made clear and that is the Bruins need someone to hit the score sheet and they need it fast.

Also the Buffalo Sabres are inching closer to a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Lee Stempniak.

Scotty

Apology for delay, Kovalchuk a Devil

I would like to apologize for the delay of posting this. I was denied access to post on my own site which to me is somewhat bizarre in honest opinion. So the Kovalchuk deal looks like this:

To Devils:
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ansi Salmela
ATL 2nd Rounder in 2010 Draft

To Thrashers:
Niclas Bergfors
Johnny Oduya
NJD 1st Round pick in 2010 NHL Draft
NJD 2nd rounder in 2010 NHL Draft

I did write a blog a few days back saying it was unlikely for Kovalchuk to be traded to the Devils, however on this day, February 5th,2010 I am going out on limb and saying ILYA KOVALCHUK WILL NOT RE-SIGN WITH THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS BEFORE JULY 1st.

Wallin Waives

NHLSources on Twitter just released information that Nik Wallin has waived his NTC to go to the Sharks but deal is waiting for NHL approval. The return is rumoured to be a mid-pick

http://twitter.com/NHLSourcesSay

Brendann Witt from the NYI has cleared waivers. Tim Gleason and Ryan Whitney have been named as replacements for Komisarek and Martin on the Olympic American team.

http://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie

There are rumours that the Stars may be thinking of trading

Ott (if re-signing talks don't work out) along with forward

Mike Ribeiro Also, the Flyers are talking contract extensions with Ray Emery

Link

--Still nothing new on the Kovalchuk front except that the Hawks are probably out of it and LA remains the most ideal destination for him

Kovalchuk Rumors 2/3

Just to recap a very busy day yesterday in the rumor mill, many teams have thrown their names into the Kovalchuk sweepstakes ranging from Washington, NYR, NJ, Boston, Philly, Minnesota, Chicago, Los Angeles. We can expect a Kovalchuk trade to take place at any time.

For the rest of this rumor I will not be updating with every rumor because there will be too many to keep track of so we will only go with the most serious ones.

My sources have indicated that the Devils and the Rangers are the two likely scenarios with Boston still keeping an eye on things.

Larry Brooks from the New York Post reported this morning that Atlanta is seeking Michael Del Zotto/Marc Staal, Ryan Callahan/Brandon Dubinsky, Chris Kreider/Derek Stepan/Evgeny Grachev and a 1st. That is not that far off than what my source has indicated the Rangers are talking about which is Dan Girardi, Brandon Dubinsky/Ryan Callahan, Evgeny Grachev, Bobby Sanguinetti and a 1st in 2010, along with one of Michal Rozsival or Wade Redden for Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Kubina.

At this point the Rangers are believed to have tabled the best offer even with demanding that Redden or Rozsival be part of the trade.

So it looks as if we are in for another longggggggg day with rumors of where Kovalchuk will end up. Stay tuned for the latest!!!!!!!!!!

Jason

Jackets fire Hitchcock

According to Aaron Portzline the Columbus Blue Jackets have fired head coach Ken Hitchcock.In my opinion he just wasn't a great fit for that team. He will be back to work in no time alongside the Canadian Olympic coaching staff serving as the "Eye in the sky".

NHL TRADE FRENZY CHATROOM!

COME ON OVER TO THE NHL FRENZY CHATROOM RIGHT NOW AND TALK SOME HOCKEY!....JUST HIT THE LINK ON TOP RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN OR CLICK HERE!

Scotty

Exelby still may be a King.

Last night a rumor broke that involved yet another Maple Leaf Trade. This time, Garnet Exelby would be on the way out. The trade would see Exelby go to the Kings for a 4th rounder, the expected return for a gritty 5th or 6th defencemen.

What made this more interesting was the fact that after the rumor broke, Exelby did not see another shift on the ice, and while the rest of the team congratulated Giguere on a fantastic debut, Exelby skated right off the ice.

I personally expected to wake up this morning hearing about the continuation of Brian Burke's sudden overhaul, but instead, no deal was made. This could be in relation to the fact that Mike Komisarek is meeting with doctors today, to find out if he will be cleared to play... or if he will need surgery.

This could be holding up a possible deal, if Komisarek gets shut down for the season (or most of the remainder) due to surgery, Burke may keep Exelby and instead waive (or some how try and trade) the more expensive Jeff Finger.

This is a good idea for Burke, as it clears out more cap room for Burkes "buy and sell" deadline technique (as seen in the Phaneuf deal) and and also gets rid of yet another overpaid unmovable contract off the main roster.

One thing is for sure, it's looking as though Exelbys future with the Maple Leafs is in the hands of Mike Komisareks MRI results.

We will have to wait and see, but for now, lets enjoy the speculation and rumors that everyone enjoys.

***UPDATE: Teams updated in Ilya Kovalchuk as per McKenzie's twitter include: Boston, Devils, Rangers, Flyers, Blackhawks, Kings and Flames

Email me at: Leaf_Hero_13@hotmail.com

Follow me on twitter at: Hockeybum_Corey

Kovalchuk moved within hours/days?

According to RDS the Atlanta Thrashers have met with star winger Ilya Kovalchuk and have told him he may be moved within the next few days or possibly hours. The speculation has lasted for what seems like months and the time may finally be here to see who Kovalchuk will continue his career with. The teams mentioned were the Bruins, LA Kings and as we mentioned before the New York Rangers. I wouldn't write off the face Kovalchuk could be re-signed but at this point id consider it unlikely.

Sabres looking at Biron and Stempniak

I'll go ahead and state that as far as sources go I don't have many other than the TSN, Sportsnet and other hockey networks of the world. I do, however, have a couple and I will share the info I get from them as they've come through for me before.

I received an email from one of my sources who said the Sabres are looking to be closer to acquiring goaltender Marty Biron from the New York Islanders. He also mentioned that the Sabres are taking a good look at forward Lee Stempniak from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sens sign 1st Rounder Jared Cowen

According to James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail the Ottawa Senators have signed defencemen and 1st round pick Jared Cowen to an entry level contract. Here's a video of Jared Cowen, courtesy of YouTube:

Ryder on the Market, Witt hits the waiver wire

TSN is reporting that Bruins forward Michael Ryder is officially on the trade market. He has been mad available by the Bruins in an attempt to make a move to possibly shake up a roster who simply put hasn't put up the goal totals that were expected at the beginning of the year. Any takers? Which team would he fit best with?

TSN is also reporting that the New York Islanders have placed veteran d-man Brendan Witt on waivers.

Kovalchuk to Rangers?

According to my sources the New York Rangers are close to landing superstar sniper Ilya Kovalchuk. While a trade is is not expected to be completed within a few hours it is expected that a deal will be finalized before the Olympic break trade freeze which is February 12th.

It is not yet clear who Atlanta will be receiving but according to The Insider on Pittsburgh Sports the Rangers have given Waddell a list of players to choose from headlined by Girardi, Callahan and Dubinsky. According to DePaoli "Waddell's asking price is so steep that when it comes down to it, there is league speculation that Atlanta may have no choice but to accept an offer from the New York Rangers.

I expect a pick or two and maybe a prospect to be included in a trade and some combination of those players (not all 3) and maybe some miracle that Wade Redden would be included as well to help offset Kovalchuk's cap hit. Should Redden not be included, the Rangers could also deal Michal Rozsival or waive Wade Redden and send him to Hartford for the remainder of the season and decide what to do with him in the summer.

Stay tuned for the latest.

Bruins Remodeling Soon?

According to Jeff Marek on Twitter the Bruins may have had enough with their losses and something may be brewing soon

"Tonight's Boston loss will prompt a trade and change of direction for the Bruins as per my convo w/Jack Edwards on HNiC Radio this aft."

I wonder who it will be and what kind of help are they looking for. Last time the Bruins had a bad season they traded their main man and Captain Joe Thornton, will they make the same splash this year? Highly doubt they'll get rid of Savard, Lucic or Chara so anyone think Thomas may be out? Who on the Bruins do you think is expendable and can bring in a decent return to salvage the Bruins' season?

Edit: Bob McKenzie just "tweeted" that the Bruins let everyone know that Ryder is available, he is a good asset for the team and can be useful to many team. And the Flames did the same thing with Lundmark (I guess they're not done their "facelifting"). This many changes at this time of the year isn't always a good idea, beware Sutter

Ilya Kovalchuk Rumors 2/2

According to various reports it seems that Ilya Kovalchuk will be traded sooner rather than later. It is believed that he will be moved before the roster freeze takes effect on February 12th.

Atlanta is reportedly looking for a package revolving around a young NHL roster player, a top prospect and at least 1 1st round pick.

The teams that are rumored the most are Los Angeles, Calgary, Washington, Rangers, Flyers, Chicago, among others.

However, my sources have indicated the Flames, Rangers and Kings are the serious contenders for the superstar sniper.

Personally, I see Calgary making a move for a center rather than another winger (they currently have 13 on their roster). I see Los Angeles and Calgary battling it out for Vinny Lecavalier and the loser would battle the Rangers for Kovalchuk.

In the end, I see the Rangers landing Kovalchuk for a package resembling Dubinsky, ONE OF Grachev/Sanguinettti/McDonagh plus a 1st rd pick.

**- a second 1st round pick would be included should he re-sign with NYR

Having a top powerplay unit of Jokinen Prospal and Gaborik up front with Kovalchuk and Del Zotto at the point would be deadly and would certainly give the Rangers a punchers chance in the playoffs with the top teams in the East.

EDIT: According to a tweet from Darren Millard who says that Nick Kypreos is reporting the Atlanta Thrashers are sitting on an offer for Ilya Kovalchuk and that there is a good chance he is moved before the Olympic break. Things are heating up!!!!!!

http://twitter.com/darenmillard/status/8569229784

http://twitter.com/darenmillard/status/8569240417

Thoughts/Reactions?

Cheers,

Jason

Hawks looking to acquire D-man

Reports earlier this morning out of the Daily Herald that the Chicago Blackhawks were close to acquiring a defencemen. Speculation had Jay Mckee, Garnet Exelby and even Aaron Ward from the Canes. As of now the rumor that I believe came from insider Darren Dreger is Meszaros possibly heading to the Hawks from the Lightning, that it's extremely dependent on the asking price which is apparently pretty high at the moment.

Jackets, Torres on the Block

According to Columbus Blue Jackets writer Aaron Portzline forward Raffi Torres is on the trading block. Torres is happy in Columbus and actually wants to remain a Blue Jacket in the future. I guess sometimes teams need to make the change. Torres does have some value as he carries the experience of a Stanley Cup run with the Edmonton Oilers where he put on a warrior-like performance before eventually falling to the Canes. The Jackets are looking for a decent draft pick or prospect in return.

With Rumors Flying, Mueller gets another Shot to perform

Rumors have been thrown around over the past couple weeks and in my opinion one of the more interesting names is Peter Mueller. He is a decent sized forward with great skill but has yet to display much of anything special as far as this year goes. USA Today's Kevin Allen is reporting today that Mueller may have just grabbed his chance to keep his hockey career going in Phoenix(as much fun as it is). Mueller has been placed on the top line due to an injury to Scottie Upshall. This will give Mueller a chance to prove his worth and if nothing else raise his value. Kevin Allen's blog does go on to mention that the last thing Coyotes GM, Don Maloney wants to do is trade Peter Mueller but they need to see him perform and have him give management a reason to keep him around.

Kovalchuk to Devils Just Would Not Work!

A Rumor popped up earlier today on the site of Hockeybuzz stating that the New Jersey Devils may be in on Ilya Kovalchuk....I almost choked on my food in the midst of my laughter. I think it's safe to say it's just not going to happen. I don't think a Lemaire, Kovalchuk relationship would come close to being cooperative and i'll go ahead and say 110% sure Kovalchuk will not be a New Jersey Devil and if by some Eklund miracle he does, then he will not be there next year.

Bits and Pieces

So here's a few rumours I've came across this morning from different teams

1) Ottawa Senators still trying to package Brian Lee with a roster forward to get some better offense, Minnesota is rumoured to be interested. From the Wild, the Sens are interested in Andrew Brunette. They are also interested in Whitney but at this point I think there are many teams interested in him as well...... http://www.senschirp.ca/

2) Canucks were recently scouting the Canadiens-Blues game, they could potentially be interested in Tomas Plekanec

3) LA Kings could be interested in Ilya Kovalchuk (one of many teams) and Vincent Lecavalier but Atlanta is rumoured to want Wayne Simmonds as a return. Does anyone think they'll part with the young kid?? I think it could be worth it and Simmonds is exactly what the Thrashers are looking for.

A more detailed post of the rumours here

4) The San Jose Sharks are rumoured to be interested in Hurricanes veteran Niclas Wallin. I dont know why they'd need him, they're defense along with goaltending looks pretty solid but then again you can never add too much veteran leadership and experience, right? Wallin has a NTC and it remains unknown if he'll waive it. http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/sjs100131.html

I'll update if I find anything new

Rangers Acquire Jokinen, Prust

According to Darren Dreger the trade is official as reported last night

http://twitter.com/DarrenDreger


Jokinen and Prust to NY for Kotalik and Higgins

Quick reaction: WOW Glen Sather is a genius and raped Sutter big time

More reactions tomorrow

Could Hagman be Holding Up Jokinen Trade?

Just wanted to throw in a quick thought that possibly the Flames organization is waiting to see how their new acquisition Hagman plays with fellow fin Olli Jokinen before shipping Jokinen over to the Rangers. It is extremely possible in my opinion. We will see after tonight's game and/or in the next day or two. Until then discuss in the comment section.

Scotty

Dreger on Versus' Intermission Show

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger appeared during the 2nd intermission of the Penguins/Sabres game to share a few tidbits on some players who may be on the move before the March 3rd NHL Trade Deadline. I took off little chunks of each and have them to share with you:

Tomas Kaberle: The ball is in his own court, his no-trade clause gives him the ability to provide a list of teams for Burke to move him to. Burke would like to package Kaberle for a top tier forward and possibly a prospect or 1st round pick, however that could be difficult if Kaberle wants to stick around.

Ilya Kovalchuk: As of now, the best option for Ilya Kovalchuk is to re-up in Atlanta. Right now lots of interest has been generated for him, however Thrashers' GM Don Waddell is asking for a lot in return which may be the case as to whether a trade is made or broken before the clock strikes 12:00pm on March 3rd.

Ray Whitney: He is somewhat of a hot commodity now. In all honesty what team in the race wouldn't want someone who not only has a Stanley Cup ring and is a source for leadership but who does put the points up on the board. Dreger also mentioned that due to Kovalchuk's high price tag, Whitney is considered more valuable to a few GM's and could possibly fetch a 1st rounder and/or a prospect or two.

That's all for now,don't forget to drop a comment,

Scotty

The Sens Fan

Hello all, I'm one of the contributors here as well. I'm a huge Sens fan but I'm interested in all NHL teams and will always make the time to catch at least 2 games a day.

Gotta say I absolutely love teams wheeling and dealing and I'm hoping to bring you all everything that's being said in the NHL gossip world and have it all in one place for your convenience.

Can't wait to get this going and hear all your feedback. Let the frenzy begin ;)

For any questions contact me at SensAmry91@gmail.com or follow me @http://twitter.com/SensDew19

- Dew

Rangers-Flames Trade

Darren Dreger is reporting that the stalled trade between the Rangers and Flames that would send Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the Rangers for Christopher Higgins and Ales Kotalik is still very much alive and could be announced after the Flames Flyers game tonight at the Saddledome.

https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/8519364449

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=308607

Now that we have had a bit of time to review this trade, I am still perplexed as to why Calgary would do this trade. Higgins is a UFA to be and Kotalik has another 2 years at 3 mil per left on his deal for a very talented albeit underachieving UFA-to-be in Olli Jokinen and a young fireplug gritty forward in Brandon Prust. I just do not see what Calgary stands to gain from this unless there is another move in the works where they get a forward in return that has yet to be mentioned.

As a Ranger fan, you have to be thrilled to get out of the Kotalik contract that can free up much needed cap space for the summer where Marc Staal (RFA) will need a new contract, as well as the unrestricted superstar sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, whom the Rangers will undoubtedly go all out for.

Anyway, as we sit here and wait for this trade to either be completed or fall apart I would love to hear your thoughts on the trade and what else can be in the works for both teams.

New Blogger

Hey guys, I'm Jason and I will be contributing to this blog as well. First things first, I am a hugeeee Ranger fan, but also very interested in the NHL in general. Secondly, I was a regular viewer over at Hockey-bums so I know the high quality of reporting that is to be expected around here.

I hope I can provide you guys with the latest rumors and breaking news. Until then, enjoy the rumors and the hockey!!!

Any questions can be sent to trueblue231930@yahoo.com or you can follow me on twitter at

https://twitter.com/NYfan1610

Feel free to drop me a direct message or a mention and I'll try to respond as much as possible

Jason

WELCOME TO NHL FRENZY!

Welcome to NHL FRENZY!, I'm Scotty , formerly of HockeyBums and have decided after about a 6 month hiatus that their needs to be more sites like this. News and rumors right from the league, truth and not fiction and above all entertainment. We hope to provide all of you with a bit of each leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline of 2010 and also keeping you up to date on the latest piece of news to hit the wire or the latest rumor. So strap on in you've entered the frenzy!

We are looking for contributing bloggers as well who have time so hit me up with an email at hendrickshockeybum@gmail.com when you've got a chance!

Scotty