I believe that Iginla could end up being the Flames’ Mats Sundin.  He wants to stay.  He wants to be part of the solution. But what if he has to be traded to make the team better?  That’s the question Calgary is left with.  So despite indications that Iginla wants to stay, the Flames may try to convince him to go elsewhere because their current plan isn’t exactly working.

Filatov trade may be imminent:

Relations between Nikita Filatov and the Columbus Blue Jackets have turned chilly, and this might mean that a trade is imminent.  The Jackets could bring him back this season to see what he can do, but it would he horrible for locker room chemistry.  So the bet here is that Filatov will never again wear a Blue Jackets sweater, that he’ll be traded at the NHL entry draft in June or later in the summer.  Filatov is still considered an elite prospect — some still feel he could turn into a superstar.  That might mean the Jackets can yield a proven NHL player in exchange for the 19-year-old winger.

Thomas to Flyers possible:

The Philadelphia Flyers tried to trade for Tim Thomas at the trade deadline and with their goalie troubles right now, they may try again in the offseason.  The Flyers lost Ray Emery to a potentially career-threatening injury and, now, they’re without Michael Leighton for the season.  So it’s Brian Boucher all the way.  That’s bad.  So although they could target Marty Turco, Dan Ellis for Evgeni Nabokov — all impending free agents — I feel that they’ll target Thomas instead.

In Boston, Tuukka Rask has taken over the No. 1 job and if the Bruins can hold onto their playoff spot, it looks like Rask will be starting over Thomas, the reigning Vezina winner.  What makes Thomas even more appealing to the Flyers is the dip in his salary each of the next three years. He’ll make $6 million next season, but that goes down to $5 million in 2011-12 and then $3 million in 2012-13.

When I think about it it makes me feel like history had already been written and we just got to watch it unfold.  I mean to think that Canada’s current superstar was the one to put the biscuit in the basket securing the gold for the home team on its home ice.  The last time that was done was the 1980 U.S. win in Lake Placid.  For Canada it was the first time in their history winning gold on their home turf.

Other Tidbits:

The Bruins still want Keith Tkachuk and may be pursuing him,  even though Tkachuk has said he doesn’t want to leave St. Louis.

The big rumor out of Boston is that the Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers are working on a big trade involving several players.  The rumored deal would bring F Andrew Cogliano and a defenseman to Boston.  We know the Oilers want to dump several players – especially the big contracts – so this would make sense.

In addition, Cogliano may be the scorer they’re looking for. However, the Bruins have other options.  They may try to pry Tomas Kaberle from the Leafs today, or deal for Cory Stillman.

The new look Montreal Canadiens took to the ice at the Air Canada Center in downtown Toronto to take on the Maple leafs in their season opener, and what an opener it was.  The Canadiens came from behind in the third period to tie the game sending it to overtime where the Habs took control and scored the winning goal with just under 13 seconds showing on the clock.  The Canadiens looked impressive in their first game playing as a team.  So far the changes GM Bob Gainey made in the offseason are paying dividends, he just hopes they can continue to match tonight’s effort and intensity.

Mike Cammaelleri played a great game tonight that was just full of speed and energy collecting two assists.  He made an incredible pass on our first PP goal to forward Brian Gionta and finished with setting up the game winner. Gionta showed tonight how fast he is, how good his positioning is and my, oh my, just how good his hands are.  He managed to score only once, but his hands and offensive positioning gave him at least two other glorious chances.  He worked well with Scott Gomez as they always seemed to know where the other one was on the ice.  It was like the old days for the two players when they played together in New Jersey.  Defenseman Andrei Markov went down with what appeared to be a laceration (from Price’s skate) to the leg.

The real story may be though the solid play of goaltender Carey Price.  He stopped 43 shots en-route to the OT win.  Price has faced all kinds of criticism in this past off season due to his collapse after the all-star game and then especially for his performance in the playoffs losing to Boston in 4 straight games in the first round.  However last night Price flashed the talent and performance that management and the fans are looking for.  If Price continues this level of play ( and yes I know it’s only been one game ) then the Canadiens will be in the thick of the race for the Stanley Cup Trophy.

Check back later for late scores and updates.

Former Colorado Avalanche superstar Peter Forsberg wants to play for the Washington Capitals, and the Capitals want him.  Forsberg scored the overtime game-winner today for MoDo of the Swedish Elite league, in his second game of his comeback attempt to the NHL.  About 15 NHL scouts were in attendance for the game and all of them were drooling when they saw him fly up and down the ice.  One of the scouts says that it was the best Forsberg had looked in the last 5 years.  Forsberg was dominating the play and he didn’ t get much ice-time, only some box-play and some regular five-on-five, yet the assist on the first goal was pure Forsberg.  It cut through the ice, through two opponents to a team-mate with an open net.  If they would have played him on the powerplay the scoreline could have been a lot different.  But he was a menace out there, a constant threat, he even had a brawl with ex-San Jose Shark Marcus Ragnarsson.  All the experts in Sweden were stunned.  The old Forsberg is back.  A line with Forsberg, Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble could be unstoppable.  This is definitely a scenario that the Caps would like to see happen.

Capitals netminder Semyon Varlamov was neck and neck with Michal Neuvirth for the backup position to Cristobal Huet, but it now looks like he’s going to start the season with the big squad.  Varlamov was a sensation in net during last seasons playoff run.

Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard will be highly sought after next offseason when his contract is up, and the Toronto Maple Leafs might be one team that swoops in to grab him.  The Bruins may not have the cap room to sign Savard next offseason, especially if they choose to extend some of their other free agents.  So Toronto may try to reunited Savard with Phil Kessel.  Savard however has said he likes it in Boston, so we’ll have to see how this one plays out.  This could be one of the reasons that the bruins may extend an offer to Ilya Kovalchuk.

Mats Sundin is no longer on the Canucks radar.  Vancouver has moved on and are now figuring out what to do with the forwards they have.  This just adds more fuel to the fire that Sundin is ready to retire from the NHL.  After recently getting married Sundin isn’t ready to make any final decisions on his career however we have all seen this ploy before from an aging NHL player.  We know what comes next.

With Max Talbot hurt, the Pittsburgh Penguins have to figure out who will play alongside Evgeni Malkin and Ruslan Fedotenko.  So Tyler Kennedy is getting the first shot.  Kennedy was on the third line with Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke last season.  If Kennedy fails, Pascal Dupuis will get the next shot to replace Talbot.  Nick Johnson is in the driver’s seat to replace Kennedy on the third line.

The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a one-year deal.  Seidenberg could have stayed in Carolina but Florida’s deal was to good to pass up.  Rumor has it that it was a one year deal for just under 3 million.

Petr Sykora will come to training camp on a tryout basis with the Minnesota Wild and he’ll likely sign, but what does that mean for other Wild players?  Well, for Coltan Gilles it means that he will probably be sent down to the AHL.  If that happens the Wild will save around $1 million on his contract.  It would also make Andy Hilbert and Craig Weller long shots to make the team.  GM Chuck Fletcher expects teams with salary cap problems to try to get rid of players, either through the waiver wire or via trade, so this may be his way of getting Sykora in the fold without committing money that he might want to spend later.

Theo Fleury is meeting with commissioner Gary Bettman and his deputy, Bill Daly seeking reinstatement to the NHL.  He applied for reinstatement, but Fleury hasn’t completed the drug rehab program he was suspended to in 2003, and might not have time to complete it prior to the season.  However, Fleury met with NHL and NHLPA’s substance abuse programs doctors, and they may not force him to complete the program.  In fact I just learned that the NHL has cleared Fleury to join any NHL team for training camp.  Fleury says he’s been sober for four years.  Earlier, there was a rumor that Fleury was signing with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat, but that rumor was debunked.  He will get a invitation to the Calgary Flames camp to show if he has anything left in his tank.

It’s possible that New Jersey Devils center Patrik Elias may miss the start of the season as he recovers from hip/groin surgery.  He had it on June 12 and it takes three months or a little longer to recover.  Elias, the Devils’ all-time leading scorer, is likely going to start the season as the second-line center.

Rumor has it that Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is dangling centerman Eric Belanger out to be traded.  The 31-year-old center is in the last year of his contract.  Fletcher is looking for a strong two way center who can contribute on the penalty killing unit.

The Dany Heatley situation is one that is really starting to bug me.  All parties involved need to come together and get a deal done for the sanity of the Ottawa Senators organization and for all of its fans.  No one deserves to be treated this way.  Both parties should stop being babies and just reach down deep inside and show what it means to be a PROFESSIONAL.

The most recent rumor has a potential three-way deal with the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings getting in on the fun.  The Kings’ Jarrett Stoll and Alexander Frolov would go to Ottawa, Patrick Marleau would head south to the Kings and Heatley would end up in San Jose.  Another rumor has Ottawa sending  him to the New York Rangers for Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one happening.

Stay tuned for all future breaking news and rumors. You can follow us on twitter for daily updates.

If Dany Heatley stays in Ottawa, he may be the elephant permanently in the room.  Right now, the buzz is that the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers are still interested and the Devils may get in on a three-way deal to help the Sharks get Heatley.  if Heatley does end up going to the Senators camp and doesn’t fully commit himself to the Sens, things could get awkward and a few fights could break out.  Senators GM Bryan Murray is going to impose a deadline on a trade, trying to avoid a long-term distractions.  Earlier this week, Murray pretty much said he’d take away the alternate captaincy from Heatley.  Meanwhile, the Senators don’t want Heatley in camp because he’ll be a distraction.  I for one am looking forward to the season beginning so this whole mess will have played out and we’ll know which new team Dany Heatley is a member of.

Detroit Red Wing Kirk Maltby doesn’t like it, but this could be his last season in the NHL.  His body isn’t what it used to be and it’s possible that age has caught up with him.  I feel that if he rehabs well from his latest round of injuries then he should still be an effective player for the next 2-3 years.  GM Ken Holland says he likes the old guys, so he will be more receptive than other GMs to having a 40-year-old on the squad next season.

Dennis Seidenberg wanted to stay in Carolina, but the Hurricanes have moved on without him so he’s still looking for a team. He’s received interest from a couple of teams, but would’ve stayed in Carolina for less.  Seidenberg is rumored to be asking for more than $3 million; he made $1.2 million last season.  But with training camp less than two weeks away, Seidenberg may be OK with a lesser deal.

Washington’s most significant needs are actually up front, especially considering the departures of Sergei Fedorov and Viktor Kozlov back to Russia.  General Manager George McPhee will have to be thrifty because of the club’s cap situation.

The somewhat under-the-radar and late signing of Brendan Morrison adds a steady and calming veteran voice up front, not to mention a reliable two-way center.  The signing of Mike Knuble to play right wing on Ovechkin’s line could make both players even more dangerous.  Knuble signed with Washington after playing his last 4 years as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.  Knuble is a gifted goal scorer who knows his way around the net.  The 6-3, 230 pound forward has played for the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and the Flyers.  Rising star Nicklas Backstrom has already shown a lot in his first two seasons, ranking third in the league with 42 power play points last season, and there is the promise of his being able to do an even better job protecting the puck and battling down low as he continues to get bigger and stronger.

With the 24th selection in the NHL draft Washington selected Swedish center Marcus Johansson.  Johansson has a good selection of shots with a quick precise wrist shot. His overall skill level and stickhandling give him room to move the puck and shoot. He is a player with good offensive instincts and fine understanding of his defensive duties. He can play both center and wing with a consistent hard working presence.  He will be counted on to help the Capitals’ offense in any way he can.

Though he flew under the radar for much of the season, playing just 27 games in the AHL, Simeon Varlamov announced his presence rather loudly in the postseason, backstopping the Caps to a first-round series win over the Rangers and taking the Penguins to seven games in the second round.  Varlamov had moments of inconsistency, which isn’t unexpected from a 21-year-old in his first NHL playoffs, but it’s enough reason to be cautious with his development next season.  Varlamov ought to be the favourite to take over as the Capitals’ starter in goal, but will need the support of a strong backup.  The Caps are hoping that former starter Jose Theodore will embrace the role and try to help the young goalie along so the Capitals can be true Stanley Cup contenders next season.  Theodore’s first season in Washington was marked by the mediocrity and streaky play that has been part and parcel of his game since winning the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2002.  He would be a strong backup option, though a tad pricey, but not unreasonable as insurance.  In today’s NHL, a team needs to have solid backup goalies to be considered true cup contenders.

One step forward that Philly’s GM took was trading for Anaheim’s defenseman Chris Pronger and left winger Ryan Dingle.  Philly gave up RW Joffrey Lupul, D Luca Sbisa and two first-round picks creating an opening spot on offense.  Flyers are hoping that forward Claude Giroux ( who was the Flyers 1st round pick in 2006 ) will play a more significant role next season so that there’s no dropoff in offensive production.

At 6-foot-6, Pronger is poised, can handle the puck and is well-renowned for his tendency to play on the edge, whether it’s with high hits or menacing work with the stick.  Last season, Pronger put up 48 points, the ninth time in the last ten seasons that he has surpassed 40 points (the only year he didn’t was in 2002-2003 when he played just five games due to wrist surgery), so he’s established a high level of consistency.  He’s also a workhorse, having played at least 26 minutes per game in each of the last five seasons and his edgy style should not only endear him to a Flyers fan base that enjoys guys who don’t mind getting nasty, it will help Philly in their attempts to shut down the top scorers in the Eastern Conference.  Dingle is a 25-year-old journeyman forward, who has produced little in two years at the pro level after scoring 80 points in 78 games in his last two seasons with the University of Denver.  The Flyers are hoping that the light will finally turn on for Dingle.  Braydon Coburn didn’t develop as expected, yet still logged big minutes on the Flyers blueline.  He possesses a rare combination of size, mobility and passing ability, so he should be more productive than he was last season, maybe playing alongside Pronger will help Coburn take that next step towards stardom.

Philadelphia feels that they have addressed their goaltending needs by acquiring new goalies Ray Emery and Brian Boucher.  Emery agreed to a one-year contract with the Flyers worth about $1.5 million.  Emery played last year in Russia’s KHL and dominated the competition with a 2.12 GAA and .920 save percentage, but will he be ready for the superior NHL competition since his semi-banishment.  Emery’s contract was bought out by the Senators in June 2008, ending a tempestuous time marked by a run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2006-07, but also tardiness to practice, fights with teammates and accusations he was poisoning the dressing-room atmosphere.  Philly is poised to believe that he has gotten his head together and is again ready to prove he belongs in the NHL where he helped the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007.

Another Little Tidbit

They’ll face the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park on New Year’s Day 2010 in the NHL’s Winter Classic.