Chat Is Back!

I am happy to announce that the hockeyleaks Chat has returned again, just in time for deadline day 07'. At the moment we are using new software and I am eager to try it out and see if it's the one we will use for our deadline talks. Tonight I will be holding an open chat at 10:30 EST and I'd like you all there! We can discuss rumours, what might happen and what already has. It would also give us an idea of how many ppl our chat can hold, and how some features work. Please stop by at 10:30 EST tonight, it will be fun.

Some rumours for you:

The moves should start coming in fast in the next week or so. Teams like Toronto, New York, Edmonton, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Tampa are right on the bubble and need to win games now, not in March. The deadline is earlier this year than usual, but it's not early enough for these teams. Expect at least half of these teams to make a move before deadline week.

The Senators have interest in Aaron Miller, who is almost guarenteed to be leaving LA.

Derek Morris to Calgary is looking likely, Edmonton may have something to say about that though. The Oilers are also interested in Brad Stuart.

Islanders have asked the Rangers to put Kasparaitis on re-entry waivers, but the Rangers dont seem interested in eating up dead salary at this point.

The Rangers have serious interest in Tkachuck and Smolinski.

Chris Drury is not going to get dealt, but San Jose still has hope of landing the winger, and are expected to make quite a push for him. They have a lot of young defensivemen that could be used to lure him, I wouldnt count this out.

See you all in chat at 10:30, or else!

Conroy To LA - Done Deal

Jamie Lundmark, a fourth-round draft choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round draft choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft head to LA.

A key piece of the cup-finalist Flames is back in Calgary, and while it is unclear if he's the center they've desperately needed over the past two seasons, he will immediately step in and make the Flames a better team. As for the Kings, they get three pieces to their future, which is what is most important to the Kings at this point. Good move for both teams.

I Told You He Would: Forsberg Waives His NTC

Forsberg has told the Flyers that if they want to trade him, they can. This coming after weeks of speculation. If you've been a regular reader of this blog and The Rumour Mill located on Hockeyleaks.com you will know that Detroit, Colorado, Vancouver, Atlanta, Montreal, Ottawa, Anaheim, Vancouver, Nashville, San Jose and Calgary are all teams that have been in the mix thus far, and I'm hearing up to twelve teams have interest at this time. It's too early to guess who wins, but I expect Forsberg will be dealt at least a week, maybe more, before the trade deadline. This one will be fun.

Some Leafs news today, as it has been confirmed that both Edmonton and Calgary have interest in Toronto's Darcy Tucker. We've all heard the Torres and a 1st for Tucker rumour, I wonder what Calgary can offer to beat that? Dallas and San Jose also have interest in the gritty scoring winger.

Mats Sundin is also in the news today, as apparently the Anaheim Ducks have a lot of interest in Sundin, and is their main target this deadline. With the goalies, prospects and players the Ducks have to offer, you have to wonder how the Leafs dont make this deal with Anaheim.

Tampa Bay is looking to bring back Jason Cullimore from the Islanders.

The Oilers have interest in Brad Stuart and are looking at giving back a package including Torres and Greene. Looks like Torres will be on the move this deadline...

Check hockeyleaks.com for all the latest, and email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com for all your questions and comments

Sunday Rumours

With the all-star break and lack of off-ice action, there hasn't been much reason for a blog, but here are some rumours I'm currently hearing.

LA Kings may actually have interest in taking Theodore from Colorado, maybe Rob Blake in return?

Boston is said to be working on something big and wants it done in the next week or so. They want to make changes before it's too late. One rumour involved getting Smith and Bergeron from Edmonton for Stuart and Sturm...but I don't see how that helps them now...I'd rather have Stuart and Sturm.

At this point I'd put Colorado in the lead for Forsberg, with Detroit in second and Montreal in third. This is going to be the most fun race to watch as Feb. 27 approaches. I expect Vancouver to really jump into this race as well, and really, how can Atlanta not have interest? A Kovalchuk-Forsberg-Hossa line would be the most disgusting league possibly in NHL history.

There are rumours that the Wild may shop Manny Fernandez. They have to be false, as they're currently a playoff team with Manny, and won't be one without him.

Montreal and NYR have looked into bringing in Nagy from Phoenix.

Thats all for now, I cannot wait for the deadline, it's going to be a wild one

Brand New Q &A

Make sure to check out the Q & A section at Hockeyleaks.com, as we have just finished one with ESPN's John Buccigross. This is one of my favourites, right up there with Wade Belak's and James Duthie's. Make sure to check it out.

Sorry for the late update today, I have been running around all morning and day trying to get the fan fixed in my car. The good news is: it's fixed!

New Fantasy article is up as well, so make sure to read that!

Question of the Day: Who is your pick to win the Stanley Cup? You know you want to discuss this so make sure to stop by the forums and voice your opinion.

No rumours on the blog today, but there are plenty in the rumour mill so check Hockeyleaks.com for them!

If anything breaks, you'll hear from me, enjoy your Monday

Oops!

In the blog I just sent out, I had Modin as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, when obviously he's a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, meaning Toronto could get him because Columbus has no competition with Toronto at all, until one day when the BJ's will be moved into the East where they belong. Sorry for this mistake!

Forsberg To New York or Canada?

The New York Rangers have contacted the Flyers to see what it would take to get Forsberg. The Flyers are looking at three players from the Flyers: Montoya, Prucha and Staal. Obviously all three would not be part of a deal, but two of them easily could.

The Sens and Habs also have a lot of interest in the big centre, while I believe the Habs would have more interest than the Sens. Atlanta, Toronto, Detroit and Colorado are all in this mix as well.

I am hearing more and more that Anson Carter ends up in Canada by deadline day. Vancouver, Toronto and now I'm hearing Edmonton are all very interested in him. All three of those teams also have interest in Fredrik Modin out of Tampa Bay, however, it's not likely Modin will get traded to one of Tampa's closest rivals in the standings, Toronto.

TJ Hurst has a brand new article up, previewing the CHL All-Star game. He takes a look at the rosters for the game, and gives his analysis on it. It's a good read, check it out.

Also drop by the forums and drop your opinion on todays Question Of The Day. Today we ask, "Who Was The Biggest All Star Snub?". You can pick one player, so make it a good one!

Some day games today have finished up.

Florida beat Washington 4-1, led by Gelinas' two goals.

Atlanta beat the Rangers 3-1, Steve Rucchin has two assists.

New Jersey battled back to beat the Flyers in a shootout. Elias had two assists, while Gionta had the game tying goal, as well as the shootout winner.

If your a Leaf fan, those games were a good thing, as a Toronto win puts them in 8th place by themselves, while a Tampa loss would put the Leafs in a tie for 7th, with a game in hand on the also-7th place Lightning. Leafs and Pens go tonight at 7, it should be a good one. Suggy has cleared waivers, and Tucker will not play tonight.

That being said, tonigh't game of the night is going to be St. Louis @ San Jose. Who would have thought St. Louis would be in a game of the night, however, they are red hot and a win tonight could put them as close to seven points behind Minnesota for a playoff spot, with a game in hand. That being said, the Sharks are still one of the best teams in the NHL, this game should be great.

I used to give a quick recap of all the previous nights games, would you guys like to see that brought back in the blog? I also want you to email me with suggestions for Question Of The Day. Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com for all your feedback, I always write back!

Enjoy a hockey-filled Saturday everyone.

No Longer On Top

Well, for the first time in a very long time, Anaheim no longer leads the West. The Nashville Predators have taken over, and don't look like they're going to slow down at all. Vokoun and Mason is the new top goalie pair in the league, and niether one is even hinting at possibly playing a bad game for the rest of their careers. Chris Mason currently leads the league in Save % with a .930, which is .001 better than Brodeurs. The Preds look towards the Presidents Trophy, but the season is far from over.

Atlanta has fallen from their familar #2 spot in the East, as New Jersey passed them and moved into 2nd last night.

Is there a hotter team in the league right than St. Louis? This team has been fun to watch over the past few weeks, and are closing in on that .500 mark. Seven points out of a playoff spot, its unlikely, but in this new NHL, anything can happen.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have put Alexander Suglobov on waivers. I'd be surprised if nobody claimed him.

Adam has a new article up, it's part 2 of a 3 part series on the first half of the season. Its a great read, check it out.

Also, check the forums out, as we have a new forum called "Question Of The Day". Each day I will post a question worth discussing. Yesterday we looked into who the best goalie in the NHL today is. Today we look at expansion, and who's for and against it. So far I'm the only one supporting it, so make sure to drop by the forums and make your voice heard.

Game of the night tonight, for me, without a doubt is Vancouver at Buffalo. Vancouver has climbed back into 3rd place in the West, as they've been very very good lately. Buffalo looks to prove their still one of the best teams in the league tonight, as they've struggled a bit as of late, going a mediocre 5-4-1 in their last 10.

cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com for all your questions and comments, I will respond, promise! Have a good friday everyone, and check Hockeyleak.com for all the latest.

Martin Brodeur

Is there a better goalie in the history of the NHL? At this point in the season, Brodeur leads the league in the four main goaltending categories: Wins, Sv %, GAA, and Shutouts. I can't remember the last time a goalie had all four titles. This guy seems to get better with age, and is the sole reason the New Jersey Devils are still a dominant threat in the league. Without Brodeur, the Devils may not even be a playoff team, but with him, their a top team.

Sean Burke has been claimed off re-entry waivers by the LA Kings. When I saw Burke go on re-entry waivers yesterday I had a feeling LA would pick him up, but I was kind of hoping they wouldn't. Sean Burke is past his prime, and not what LA needs unless they are purposely going for the 1st overall pick in the 07 draft. It makes me wonder how long players such as Visnovsky will be around in LA, as he will want to win at some point, the Kings don't seem to be too motivated to do much of that at the moment.

Deadline Day must be getting closer, as we had 75 000 hits yesterday, which is always a good sign. Thank you for visiting hockeyleaks and inviting your friends along as well. As most of you know Hockeyleaks.com is a non-profit website, and we don't even get paid for the few ads we do have on the site at the moment, so don't think otherwise. The people that work here and write here do this all for free, and the best reward is to see hockeyleaks grow like it has. We started out as a blog, then slowly grew into a website. Now I can't go on many message forums that do not have a hockeyleaks related discussion on them! Keep telling your friends, we had 850 000 hits last deadline day, lets shoot for a million this year!

Check the rumour mill for all the latest rumours, it's been updated twice already today. Make sure to check out the rumour involving Shane Doan to Detroit, it's really spreading around the internet fast, and there is something going on there. Have a good one, more if something breaks, and remember you can always contact me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com, I usually reply pretty quickly. Thanks

Rumour Update

Both Samsonov and Rivet are healthy scratches tonight. Could they be on the way to Philly as I mentioned earlier? This is exciting.

Also, rumour just came out that the Lightning are offereing one of Richards or St. Louis to Chicago for Khabibulin +. Tampa needs that goalie, and they've had success with The Bulin Wall in the past.

I'll let you know if anything else comes up, check the forums and hockeyleaks.com for all the latest.

Montreal/Philly Rumour

First off, as reported by our friends at Hockeybuzz.com, Garth Murray has been put on waivers. I don't see anyone claiming him, but we'll have to wait and see.

I often get emails from readers who claim to know things. Some have been very accurate, while others are as far from it as possible. Just minutes ago I recieved an email from someone who claims to have overheard Guy Carboneau at a restaurant this morning. Apparently, according to this email, a deal will go down later today as follows: Aebisher, Rivet and Samsonov to the flyers for Esche, Pitkanen and a draft pick.

Is this a deal that could work? Maybe. But I must warn you, we are in deadline season, and the rumours are beginning. Some will be close, others wont be. This is what this time of year fun for all of us involved. Did this person really hear the head coach of the Habs discussing a soon to be announced deal? I guess we'll soon find out.

Power Rankings will be up shortly so make sure to check them out. Stay Tuned

Jokinen and the Florida Panthers

Well i was suppose to be heading back to the city tonight, however, my car's defroster has decided to crap out, and thanks to that I cannot get the ten pounds of ice off my windows/windshield. For this reason, updates will not occur until mid-day tomorrow, but I felt that I should post what was going to be tomorrow's big story, tonight, just incase other rumour outlets pick up on this too.

One of my writers messaged me tonight saying he heard a rumour involving Datsyuk to Florida, and wanted to know if I'd heard anything. I took a look around, and what I found was actually quite interesting.

The Panthers are at a point where they realize they will not be a playoff team this year. In fact, they are at the point where unless they make some major changes, they won't be a playoff team for awhile. Changes are coming in Florida, and to make these changes they need cap room. Jokinen is unhappy in Florida (remember, he signed when he believed Luongo was staying, and when the Panthers looked like they were building a contender). Jokinen to Detroit would give Detroit a player that still has a few years left on his contract, and is just as good, if not better than Datsyuk, who is a UFA this July 1st. Florida in return would get a player who could provide for them this year, and then leave in the offseason, giving them a lot more cap room. This deal makes sense, and even if it falls through, I am hearing Jokinen is gone from Florida by Feb. 27.

Bertuzzi is another player who could be on his way out of Florida. Florida wants prospect/picks in return for him. Bertuzzi is another player that will be a UFA this July, and all signs point to him leaving Florida.

As we get closer to the Feb. 27 trade deadline, more and more rumours will come our way. Stay tuned to Hockeyleaks.com and this blog for all the latest. This years deadline may be the best one yet, with so many great impending UFA's out there, there could be a lot of them on the move. Stay Tuned

Forsberg, Sundin and The Minnesota Wild

I hope everyone had a great weekend, nothing too exciting on my end. The highlight of my weekend was probably winning $100 on a tetris scratch ticket, if you live in Ontario, go out and buy one right now! It's not my fault if you lose though....but I want 50% of whatever you win.....lets get to some rumours.

Forsberg back to Denver just makes sense. Colorado is right in the thick of the playoff hunt, while Forsberg has played well since his return. Forsberg is a UFA at the end of this season, and obviously cannot be happy with playing on a last place NHL team. Colorado has a lot of young talent they could deal to obtain Forsberg, and Forsberg would only make Colorado a stronger team heading into the playoffs. That being said, if Colorado doesn't make a deal for another top four defenseman, they could be in trouble either way.

Mats Sundin, likely to stay in Toronto, but if he does end up waiving that no trade clause, I am hearing as many as nine teams are interested. While many teams in the playoff hunt may find it hard to absorb his cap hit. Sundin's situation could be much like Tuckers. In fact, if I'm Toronto, I deal both Sundin and Tucker, get a top prospect and a first round draft pick for each of them, and then sign them both back in the offseason. If Sundin and Tucker are both serious about Toronto and winning here, this is the best thing they could possibly do for the team.

The Minnesota Wild have put Pascal Dupuis on the trading block, in a move likely to free up some cap space as we head towards the trading deadline. Teams like Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Minnesota, Chicago, Phoenix, Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, etc who are right around that 8th place in their conference will start making room for the deadline, as whoever makes the best push at the deadline will likely be the one who gets in.

If you haven't checked out our Sponsor Doc's Sports, please do so. The Links are on the Hockeyleaks.com homepage, right under the standings, whihc are updated daily I might add. Enjoy your Monday, I'll see you tomorrow, or sooner if something awesome happens, which as a hockey fan I'm always hoping for.

Buffalo, We Have A Problem

The mighty Buffalo Sabres, they've been on top of the Eastern Conference the entire year. This is their year in the East, many believe, and their best chance at a cup is now. But it's not all sunshine in Buffalo, in fact, things could get messy.

Martin Biron and Daniel Briere are both UFA's at the end of this year, and according to several sources, the Sabres would deal one or both at the deadline if they got something good in return. Both players are in for raises, and sources in Buffalo tell me that the team isn't confident that either will return. The question is, can the Sabres be cup contenders without Briere and Biron? I can't see the Sabres dealing either unless what they get in return keeps them cup contenders, but it's going to be a tough decision for Buffalo management, and they don't have a lot of time to make that decision.

Darcy Tucker continues to work at returning for Toronto, but when he does, how long will it be for? While the Leafs would love to sign him to a long term deal, what they could get in return for him in a trade would be beneficial long term, not to mention he could re-sign with Toronto in the summer even if he was dealt. If the Leafs were to not make the playoffs, and make the rumoured Tucker for Torres and a 1st deal, and then re-sign Tucker in the summer, the Leafs could have Tucker, and would have obtained Torres and 1st Round pick for free. Thats not bad at all, not to mention it gives Tucker a chance to go for a Stanley Cup.

This years trade deadline is going to be very interesting. There are a lot more high profile players available this year than anyone realises at this point. Stay Tuned.

Also, I want to ask you all to check out Doc's Sports. Please go to Hockeyleaks.com and click a few of their links underneath the standings. They have some great offers, and checking them out would help both Doc's Sports and Hockeyleaks, and I know you all want to help Hockeyleaks out!

Have a good day everyone, check Hockeyleak.com for all the latest

Esche On The Move? Forsberg Back To Colorado?

First of all, the Flyers have claimed goalie Michael Leighton off waivers from the Nashville Predators. A lot of speculation as to why they did this, when they already have two goalies fighting for their #1 spot. Well, I'm quickly hearing that this could set up a deal involving Robert Esche. LA has interest, while I'm hearing Anaheim for some reason may also. Colorado is another team, while rumour this morning had a Theodore and a pick for Forsberg deal floating around.

Starting today, the trade rumours will heat up. Some will be so wacky, you won't believe it. Some will make so much sense, you'll think it's a lock. Both types of deals will happen, and both types of deals will not. It's hard to sort out the garbage from the facts this time of year, and at hockeyleaks we try our best to do that. That being said, I will give you almost all of the rumours I hear, because like I said, anything can happen.

Adam has a new column up where he takes a look back at the first half of the NHL season, take a look, and enjoy your day. I'll be back if more breaks, but make sure to check the forums for the latest.

Leafs Make Giant Move

The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed centre Travis Green off waivers, am I the only one who thinks this move was not needed and will hurt the Leafs more than it helps them? The Leafs need to make a move that actually helps them, and if they don't do it soon, John Ferguson Jr will be looking for a new job.

Bertuzzi is still weeks away from returning, but when he does he could be on the move. Dallas is one team said to be looking for a winger, while Washington, San Jose, Chicago, and Carolina are all other teams rumoured to be looking at big Todd, should he come available.

Not much else going on today, make sure to check out the articles on Hockeyleaks.com and to discuss them in the forums! Also, a reminder that the power rankings are up and are really great, we're happy to haave someone really good at doing them on board

San Jose On Top! But Could Wilson Be Fired?

The brand new edition of the Power Rankings have come out, and San Jose is in the #1 position. http://www.nhlanalysis.com is our new power rankings provider, they do a great job and I'm very thankful we've made this partnership. The Power Rankings will now be a weekly feature that I think we can all enjoy.

A rumour was floating around this morning that Ron Wilson is on the hot seat. While San Jose still finds itself as one of the best teams in the West, management believes they should be better with the team they have, and that if they were to fall into another slide like they did recently, Wilson may lose his job. I'm not too sure if I buy into this rumour, but it's something to keep an eye on.

For those of you who just read this blog, make sure to check out Hockeyleaks.com as well as it's forums! We get thousands and thousands of readers each day, I'd love our forum to be a great place to talk hockey, and a great way to kill some time. If you haven't join the forums, please give them a chance, we have some great members there and always great opinions. I'd love you guys to go to the Power Rankings forum and give some feedback on them! Thanks

Rory's No Star

Something that should make Hockeyleaks Columnist Mark Valeri Happy : Rory Fitzpatrick was not voted into the All-Star game. While it has not been officially confirmed, and won't be until later today, I have spoken with several sources and all have confirmed such a thing for me.

Speaking of Marc Valeri, he has a brand new article up on Hockeyleaks.com, as does our newest writer Mike Lindsay(aka forum member Allison), so make sure to check both of those out.

While many teams feel Forsberg will be too much of a risk to pick up on deadline day, I believe several teams will make offers for the veteran center. Teams I've heard as possibilities include Colorado, Calgary, Washington, Toronto and Chicago. The Flyers would like to get a solid young prospect or a high draft pick in return, but with Forsberg's questional health, a conditional draft pick may be more likely.

Rumour floating around the NHL is that the Ducks and Bruins could do a goalie swap, where Toivonen would go to Anahiem and Bryzgalov would end up in Boston. Each team would also swap several other prospects.

For more rumours make sure to check out Hockeyleaks.com. The Trade deadline is fast approaching, and we will once again feature the best deadline coverage on the internet. Last year we had almost a million hits on deadline day alone, and broke each and every trade as it happened. We featured a live chat all day long, and updated more often and frequently than any other website around. You can expect all of this and more with Hockeyleaks '07 Deadline Coverage, so make sure to be here on Feb. 27! I am already excited, it's always a lot of fun for me and the rest of the Hockeyleaks team.

Finally, I have been updating the main page and the rest of the site by myself for the past month and have found little time to do the Power Rankings. For this reason, I am looking for someone to join the Hockeyleaks' staff as our power rankings writer. If this is something you'd like to give a try, please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. The Power Rankings are a very important Hockeyleaks.com and I'd really like them to return on a weekly basis. We're always looking for more columnists as well, so please contact me if your interested.

Thanks, and have a great day. The OHL trade deadline is tomorrow, so expect a wrap-up of that from our OHL Specialist TJ Hurst in the next week or so! If something breaks in the NHL today, I'll let you know. Check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest.

Habs Looking For A Centre

The Habs are actively trying to find a #1 or at least a #2 centre as we head towards the deadline. While names like Allison and Federov have come up in the past, I can confirm the Habs have called LA regarding Michael Cammalleri. The Kings are not interested in dealing him, but I'm hearing if the price is right, they'd part with him. That being said, I am hearing that price may be one of Huet or Price, two players Montreal is not interested in dealing.

Trade in the NHL today, it's a big one! Well, not really, but head over to Hockeyleaks.com's TradeLeaks section to check it out, as well as view my thoughts on it.

Finally, The Rumour Mill has been updated today, as it is most days, sometimes twice a day, so make sure to keep an eye on it every couple of hours. Also, we have a brand new columnist, who has taken a look at the Canucks in his first article. The Fantasy section has also been updated, so you poolies make sure to check it out to find out how to get the advantage in your hockey pool.

For Hockeyleaks.com, I'm Corey Johnson (I think I've always wanted to say that).

More later if something breaks

Oilers After Pitkanen

Tom Panaccio from the Philadelphia Inquirer has just blogged that the Oilers are willing to part with both Torres and Lupol in exchange for Joni Pitkanen.

If your the Flyers, do you take that deal? Discuss this in the forums, under the blog section. I'm interested to see what Flyers and Oilers fans have to say. Personally, I think if I'm the Flyers, I take this deal.

Three In A Row?

Did I not tell you that Phoenix/Atlanta game would be a good one? Coyotes take it 5-4 in overtime, great balanced scoring by Phoenix, this team is really hot right now. You have to think it's much to the improved play of Doan, Nagy and Nolan, these three have really turned it up lately.

Tonight's game of the night? Toronto at Buffalo. The leafs struggle in Buffalo, but these teams both enter this game oppositely. Toronto enters having just beat the Bruins 10-2, while Buffalo comes into this game after loosing last night to the Penguins 4-2. This game should be a great one, I expect things to get physical.

What a great World Junior tournament we had this year! Yesterday's game capped it off wonderfully, and Canada took home it's third straight title. Steve Downie was a player on that team, and he plays for the Peterborough Petes...but for how long? The OHL trade deadline is fast approaching, and our very own TJ Hurst gives us a little preview on who may be on the move in the next little bit. Check out the articles section on Hockeyleaks.com and read brand new articles by TJ Hurst and Adam Forsyth. Make sure to email them some feedback, they love to hear from you guys.

We should have a few new writers debut over the next week, but we are still accepting more! Email me at Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com if you're interested.

I enjoy updating the Stats section of Hockeyleaks.com because I now always know who leads the league in each category, and am always keeping an eye each night to see who surpasses who. I find it interesting that Giguere had a huge lead in Wins, but since his injury two players have caught up to him: Brodeur and Luongo. Could these three be the three vezina finalists? Hasek, Huet and Miller I'm sure all would have something to say about that. Have we ever had better goaltending in the NHL? I'd love to hear from you, so drop me an email, I'll post the best responses, and I may even post my responses to them as well.

Enjoy your Saturday!

I Pick Good Games!

Yesterday I told you to keep an eye on the Toronto vs Boston game, as well as the Edmonton vs. Dallas game. Well, what games they were. Steen had five points as the Leafs destroyed the Bruins 10-2, while the Stars took down the Oilers in the shootout, but what an ending to the third period of that game. For those of you who missed it, Patrik Steffan skated down the ice and had an empty net with ten seconds to go. He tried to just push the puck in, but fell. The Oilers picked up the puck, and passed it out of their zone with just six seconds left. The puck made it's way to Hemsky, and he scored as time expired. What a great game!

On that note, I will tell you to watch the Phoenix @ Atlanta game. The Coyotes have won four straight and have played very well over their last ten. Atlanta is always a challenge, and I look this game to provide us with a ton of offense.

Speaking of great games, I hope you all are watching the World Juniors final between Canada and Russia, with Canada leading 3-0 after the first period. You can watch the game live on TSN or TSN.ca, so make sure you do so!

Finally, I'll share one rumour with you that has been around for awhile, but continues to grow. The Leafs are open to the idea of trading Tucker, and believe if they can get younger and cheaper with a deal involving him, they will have made a good move. The latest version of the deal I'm hearing would send Tucker, Bell, Ponikarovsky and possible one more pick or prospect to Edmonton for Torres, a 1st or 2nd round pick, and a prospect, possibly Coglianao if that draft pick is a 2nd rounder. Toronto and Edmonton have had talks regarding this, as well as a brief discussion involving Kubina, though that didn't go far.

Check Hockeyleaks.com for more news and rumours. Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com for any questions or comments.

Kansas City Penguins?

Officials in Kansas City have made quite a pitch to the Penguins. The Penguins could play at Kansas City's Sprint Center rent free, while also becoming equal managing partners of the arena. While the Penguins will decide within the next thirty days if they are to move from Pittsburgh or stay, if they move, Kansas City seems to be the likely destination of the promising young franchise.

I have gotten several emails from readers who feel that I want to the Penguins to move, and I want to say that is not true. Pittsburgh has great fans, and I believe the Penguins should do whatever they can to keep a team in Pittsburgh. If you want my honest opinion, I'm a fan of the NHL's re-allignment, while adding two teams (one canadian, one american) to each conference. Seattle, Kansas City, Winnepeg, QC, Hamilton and Portland are all places that could support an NHL team, and I am actually a fan of expansion. I don't think any of the 30 teams should move, as that is unfair to the growing fan-base in each market.

Mike Ricci has left the Coyotes to ponder retirement. I find it upsetting that Ricci is just one game shy of 1,100, yet has been a healthy scratch for the past seven games. Give him game 1,100, it's only fair to a player who has been a big part of the NHL over the past ten years.

Canada vs. Russia goes tomorrow at 12:30 EST. Should be a great game, I can't wait to watch it. While I am worried that Russia may be able to overtake the Canadians, I'm going to predict a 4-2 Canada win.

A lot of good games in the NHL tonight. Toronto vs. Boston should be great, as Monday's contest between the two featured a lot of scrappy play, I expect that to carry over. Detroit vs. San Jose should be another great battle.

That being said, the game of tonight is Dallas @ Edmonton. I remember the great playoff matches of a few years ago. Curtis Joseph standing on his head, Mike Modano scoring classic goals. What a great rivalry this has been. Playoffs create rivalries, not division play.

Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com for all your needs. I'm still looking for more writers, so talk to me, we'll set something up.

Sens Get Their Guy

Mike Comrie is their guy. The Sens have traded Alexei Kaigorodov to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Mike Comrie. For my thoughts on the this trade check out the Tradeleaks section of Hockeyleaks.com

What a game for Canada this morning as Toews took down the Americans in the seventh round of the shootout! Great game, if you missed it, find a replay and spend the few hours watching it, you'll thank me.

Eric Brewer may be on his way back to the Oilers. The Oilers are very interested in bringing him back, while according to a source close to the Blues, Brewer has told John Davidson that he would like to be dealt back to Edmonton if the opportunity came up. Brewer feels his best hockey was played with the Oilers, and wants to bring his game back to where it was.

For more rumours check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest. Also on Hockeyleaks.com, a brand new fantasy update, as well as the top 50 fantasy players of the year thus far. All can be found on the fantasy page. Have a good one everyone, I'm off shopping (Yes, I'm terrified of the malls this time of year, it's worse than pre-christmas).

cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com for all your questions and comments

Steal!

Edmonton has pulled a fast one, claiming Petr Nedved off re-entry waivers. Ottawa was about ready to welcome the Center to Canada's nation capital, but Edmonton decided they're rather have him. This leaves Ottawa still without a center, with Fisher and Spezza still out with injury. It will be interesting to see what Ottawa does next.

The Red Wings announced today that they will retire Steve Yzerman's #19. Who didn't see this coming?

We're still looking for more writers, so if your interested in getting your writing read by tens of thousands of people (yes, we do get that many!) then contact me at Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com and we'll work something out. If you have a website you want advertised on our website email me. If you want to be an affilliate of ours, there is no charge, we just switch links and we both win! Email me any questions, comments, suggestions or inquiries, I try to get back to your ASAP.

The NHL market is heating up, I'll keep you posted. Ottawa and Jason Allison may have no choice but to get to know each other a little better...

Here's To 07

The year 2007, the leafs finally win another Stanley Cup....well, not likely, but here's to dreaming.

I hope you all had a happy and safe New Years Eve last night, and here's to hoping 2007 is a great year for all of us.

Ottawa will start 07 by adding Nedved to their mix. I don't like this deal, as I think he's a temporary fix that will cost them come deadline time when the money they spent on him could have been used on one of the many great players that will be available. The deadline is less than 2 months away, I'm already planning our Deadline 07 coverage, last year was great, and this year will be even better.

Enjoy your New Years, rest up, watch some hockey, play some poker, and just enjoy yourselves. I'll talk to you all tomorrow