NHL trade deadline deals

Here is what happened today on the NHL trade deadline. Not a lot going on this season. It would appear that Phoenix is the big winner in today final day of NHL trading.

I don't know if I like the Minnesota trading Eric Belanger to the Capitals or not, sure the Wild got a second round draft choice but now who fills in for Belanger in the lineup? Oh goody; my guess is Wild fans get more James Sheppard. I would rather see Robbie Earl get more playing time with Sheppard sitting in the press box.

Anaheim - Acquired goaltender Curtis McElhinney from the Calgary Flames for goaltender Vesa Toskala; acquired goaltender Joey MacDonald from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2010 seventh-round draft pick.

Boston - Acquired defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and the rights to defenseman Matt Bartkowski from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forwards Byron Bitz and Craig Weller and a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Carolina - Acquired goaltender Justin Pogge and a conditional fourth-round draft pick from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Aaron Ward.

Detroit - Acquired forward Jordan Owens from the New York Rangers for forward Kris Newbury.

Edmonton - Claimed forward Ryan Jones off waivers from the Nashville Predators.

Los Angeles - Acquired center Jeff Halpern from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Teddy Purcell and a third-round draft pick.

New Jersey - Acquired defenseman Martin Skoula from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Phoenix - Acquired left wing Wojtek Wolski from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forwards Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter; acquired defenseman Derek Morris from the Boston Bruins for a conditional choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft; acquired defenseman Mathieu Schneider from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Sean Zimmerman and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Pittsburgh - Acquired a 2010 sixth-round draft pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Chris Peluso.

St. Louis - Acquired forward Matt D'Agostini from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Aaron Palushaj.

San Jose - Reassigned forward Dwight Helminen and defenseman Jason Demers to the Worcester (AHL).

Vancouver - Acquired center Yan Stastny from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for left wing Pierre-Cedric Labrie; assigned defenseman Brad Lukowich to Manitoba (AHL).

Washington - Acquired center Eric Belanger from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft; acquired forward Scott Walker from the Carolina Hurricanes for a seventh-round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Bruins make a few head scratchers...

The Boston Bruins appear initially that they were buyers at the trade dead line but a few of their moves are quite unpredictable and unexpected and downright silly. The Boston Bruins pick up a few defensive prospects and move a few defensemen around; most of the moves appear to be a wash. The Bruins biggest need is in the forward position.

This trade is one that shocked me the most, I thought Derek Morris was a high end offensive defenseman and this trade doesn't make any sense unless the Bruins are trying to clear cap space to get a high end forward. I am sure we will know what the Bruins intentions were at the end of the day or at least by the 3:00 pm eastern dead line.

BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has acquired a conditional draft pick in 2011 from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Derek Morris.

The 31-year-old Morris has skated in 58 games with the Bruins this season, registering 3-22=25 totals and 26 PIM. Morris has played 851 games in the NHL, recording 79-286=365 totals and 820 PIM. The 6’0” 221-pound native of Edmonton, Alberta was selected in the first round (13th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He was signed by Boston as a free agent on July 24, 2009.

This move here is also a head scratchers, it doesn't really make any sense to me at all. The Bruins are in need of offense in a very bad way and the Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli seems to be uninterested in improving this season squad. It almost appears that they are standing pat and going to bank on the two first round draft choices in this summers entry draft.

BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has acquired defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Matt Bartkowski from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forwards Byron Bitz and Craig Weller and a second round draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The second round pick in 2010 will be Tampa Bay’s, which Boston acquired at last year’s trade deadline along with Mark Recchi, in exchange for Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums.

The 28-year-old Seidenberg has skated in 62 games with the Panthers this season, registering 2-21=23 totals and 33 PIM. He currently leads the NHL in blocked shots with 179. Seidenberg has played 376 games in the NHL earning 17-96=113 totals and 162 PIM. The 6’1” 210-pound native of Schwenningen, Germany was selected in the sixth round (172nd overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He recently competed on Team Germany with Bruins forward Marco Sturm at the 2010 Olympic Games, and has been a teammate of Sturm's in four international tournaments (2001 Worlds, 2002 Olympics, 2008 Worlds, 2010 Olympics). Boston will be the fifth NHL team Seidenberg has suited up for, along with Philadelphia, Phoenix, Carolina and Florida. He set career highs in all offensive categories with Carolina in 2008-09 with 5-25=30 totals in 70 games played.

The 21-year-old Bartkowski has skated in 34 games for Ohio State University this year, registering 4-12=16 totals and 16 PIM. Over two seasons with the Buckeyes, Bartkowski has played in 75 games recording 9-27=36 totals and 133 PIM. The 6’1” 196-pound native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was selected by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round (190th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

The Boston Bruins picked up another defenseman from Michigan Wolverines Steve Kampfer.

BOSTON, MA - Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has acquired the rights to defenseman Steve Kampfer from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional fourth round draft pick.

The 21-year old Kampfer has skated in 37 games for the University of Michigan this season, recording two goals, 15 assists and 48 PIM. Over four seasons with the Wolverines, Kampfer has played in 139 games, registering 6-51=57 totals and 132 PIM.

The 5’11, 188-pound native of Ann Arbor, MI was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round (93rd overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Puck Daddy picks Bruins as number one dissappointment

You know I have to agree with Ryan Lambert of Puck Daddy, the Boston Bruins have been a dismal and utter disappointment this season. After winning their division last season they are probably going to fall nothing short of an epic failure this season.

During the off season the Bruins lost their star offensive threat to the Toronto Maples Leafs and the Bruins front office failed to give the Bruins coach any replacement for the loss of Phil Kessel 36 goals. You can tell your team certain players will be expected to pick up the slack but it didn’t happen. The Bruins were also decimated by injuries and key players haven’t picked up the slack. I see the Bruins as a one series and done team, IF the make the playoffs.

1. The Boston Bruins

How do you go from 53 wins and a point away from the President's Trophy, with an eye-popping offense and a stifling defense to, well, this?

The Bruins are in the thick of the fight for a bottom-2 Eastern Conference playoff spot (meaning they'd be miles out of it if they played in the West) and can't seem to do anything all that well.

Let's talk about the forwards. Not one has 40 points. Really. Not one has 20 goals. Only four who have played in 30 or more games have a positive plus-minus. If it weren't for Marc Savard's(notes) 31 points in 37 games, no one would even be close to a point-a-game pace. Besides Savvy and Patrice Bergeron(notes), it's hard to think of anyone that hasn't at least been a disappointment at best, or a colossal, blown-up-on-the-launchpad disaster (hi, Milan Lucic(notes)!). The power play has dropped off by a solid five points as well.

And let's go over the defense. Zdeno Chara's(notes) a plus-6. Johnny Boychuk's(notes) a plus-3. That's it for positive plus-minus ratings there as well. Remember last year when the Bruins defensemen scored 50 goals? Yeah, they must not either, because they have 19 this year with a pretty similar D corps. And yeah, they're fifth in the league in goals against, but last year they were first.

A lot of that defensive slump, though, has to do with Tim Thomas(notes), who has been very mediocre pretty much all season, but only recently was benched by Claude Julien in favor of Tuukka Rask(notes), who, if he had more games, would be getting Steve Mason-type plaudits from pundits for his 2.08/.928 performance. Especially in front of a team as terribly disappointing as the Bruins have been this year. [Puck Daddy]

Thrasher to Winnipeg?

If an NHL franchise relocated to Winnipeg this would be a dream come true for me, NHL Hockey 150 miles from Grand Fork, ND. I knew there was a reason that I applied for my passport and passport card this past winter so I can go to Winnipeg and watch the Jets play hockey in the Peg again. I know, I know, it’s not close to being done but it keeps getting thrown around every once in a while, so I figure eventually something will stick. I have been holding out hope since the Jets left Winnipeg that they would someday return to Winnipeg, Manitoba. This was also discussed on the Pipe Line Show as well.

A group based in Toronto is looking at purchasing the NHL's struggling Atlanta Thrashers and moving them to Winnipeg, according to a Hockey Night in Canada analyst.

Despite the report, local shinny fans hoping for the return of the National Hockey League shouldn't start budgeting for season tickets just yet. Don Waddell, executive vice-president and general manager of the Thrashers, called the reports "completely false", according to the team's website co-ordinator.

Al Strachan, an analyst on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, said during the show's Hot Stove segment that a group of wealthy individuals in Toronto are interested in buying the team and moving it to Winnipeg to play at the downtown MTS Centre.

"There's still a lot of work to be done, but there's a lot of work that has been done already," he said during the broadcast.

MTS Centre is home to the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose. A spokesman for Moose governor and True North Sports and Entertainment chairman Mark Chipman declined comment on the report.

Strachan said the Toronto group has a lot of money and is willing to follow the "proper channels" in buying and moving an NHL team.

Canadian Jim Balsillie recently failed in a bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move the NHL team to southern Ontario. The BlackBerry billionaire -- who has tried unsuccessfully to acquire three NHL teams -- has been accused of circumventing league rules and procedures for buying and moving a team. [Winnipeg Sun]

Ovechkin slambs Gill and scores goal? Not.

Wow what a hit by Caps star Alex Ovechkin as he laid out the human obstruction machine Hall Gill. In my world that is what I call finishing a check and I believe that goal should have counted. I am hoping that the Capitals or Bruins make it out of the East this season. It was ruled no goal on the ice but I think it should have counted.

Ovechkin had a goal waved off 14:10 into the second. Ovechkin crashed the crease and knocked Montreal defenseman Hal Gill into Price as the puck slid into the net after the Montreal goalie made a huge glove save on Mike Knuble's shot.

Initially ruled a goal, the on-ice officials huddled in front the timekeeper's bench before reversing their decision, waving off the goal.
[NHL.COM]

Thomas: Trade reports are 'fictitious'

This would refute some of the rumors about Thomas going to the Chicago Blackhawks. I was not aware that Thomas has a no trade clause in his contract. I like Tim Thomas and he hasn't had any goal support this season and Rask is hot right now but Timmy was one of the best goalies in the NHL last season.

BRANDON, Fla. – Tim Thomas’ family has heard all of the trade rumors, and – worst of all – that he might be headed to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Never mind the fact that Thomas has a full no-trade clause for the first three years of his four-year deal, or that the Blackhawks have no interest in making such a trade with the Bruins. Once the whisper campaign begins, it can turn concrete enough that no amount of facts can get in the way of juicy rumor.

Thomas told CSNNE.com he "won't respond to something that's completely fictitious" and thus won't address trade rumors that have kicked up with the Vezina Trophy winner.

Thomas moved his parents from the Flint, Mich., area to Boston prior to the 2009-10 season and bought a house in the North Shore with his wife and children, planting roots in the city where he made his bones as an NHL goaltender. He has no reason, or desire, to waive his no-trade and uproot his family.

A hockey source confirmed with CSNNE.com that nobody – Bruins or otherwise -- has approached Thomas about potentially waiving his no-trade clause, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Perhaps something gets revisited in the summer, when the Bruins are in a better position to shed salary cap baggage given their abundance of quality draft picks, but there’s no way something will happen with the B’s goalie this season.

Ovechkin's Hat-Trick.

In my opinion I believe that Alexander Ovechkin is currently the best hockey player in the world. If I was an NHL Owner and had to build a franchise around one player it would be Alexander Ovechkin. I would even take Alex Ovechkin over Sidney Crosby any day. Ovechkins third goal was a thing of beauty. [Goal 2] [Goal 3]

Josh Harding with an awesome save.

Props to RWD for finding this video. This save by Josh Harding was one of the top saves of the year in my opinion. Unfortunately he then had to take himself out of the game because he reactivated his hip injury that has been bugging him this season.

Thrasher GM Don Waddell Ilya Kovalchuk

Holy Cow is Kovalchuk going to cost a lot of money for the team that wants and ends up signing him; it’s going to cost some team over 10 million a year to sign him. There is a lot of chatter on the blogsphere on where he is going to go. I am hoping the Boston Bruins are going to make a run at him but I don't think they have the cap space or anything to trade back to the Thrashers. The Bruins GM has said he won't trade the first round pick in this year's draft that they got from the Leafs for Phil Kessel. I have seen Blake Wheeler and DU Pioneer Joel Colborne's names thrown around as trade bait.

Statement from Thrashers GM Don Waddell:

"Our goal from the start of this negotiating process was to sign Ilya Kovalchuk to a long-term contract. During the process, Kovy affirmed his desire to be a Thrasher for life. We've spent several months exploring scenarios with Kovy and his agent to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, and offered many lucrative packages in an attempt to meet his financial objectives. Unfortunately, we've reached an impasse and at this point he has declined all of our proposals and we can't reasonably go any higher.

Ultimately, we offered Kovy more than $101 million over 12 years, which would have been the highest contract signed by an impending unrestricted free agent in the history of the league. If accepted, this contract would have been the second highest offer ever to any NHL player. We also met his desire to be the highest paid player based on average annual salary with a separate offer of 7 years at $10M per year ($70M). This offer is $0.5M higher per year than any other player. [The Hockey News]

John Tortorella tells Larry Brooks off

In case you haven't seen this, it's kind of funny that a beat writer would have such a bad relationship with one of it's beat writers. John Tortorella is always a fun person to listen to in the post game press conferences. This is the quote from the article that Larry Brooks wrote that set Torts off.

It can't work, not with the 30-year-old Lecavalier under contract through 2019-2020 at an annual cap hit of $7.727 million. It can't work even if the arithmetic does, even if Tampa Bay's cash-poor ownership would be willing to accept Wade "Golden Gloves" Redden as part of the package in return that most surely would have to include Michael Del Zotto or Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky or Ryan Callahan , and perhaps Derek Stepan. [Link to the article]

I think you're seeing a pattern developing between Brooksie and Torts. [Tortorella and Brooks part 1]

Sunday Morning Reading.

Don Cherry was on the coaches corner last night talking about the stop signs on the back of the hockey players jerseys and helmets. I remember bringing up this idea back in another blog article.[link] [Safety amoung other players]

@ 5:54 Grapes and Ron talked about the Carcillo and Gaborik fight and Grapes said that I have to admire that Gaborik so much, to drop, he can’t fight, but at least he dropped his gloves. This guy is not a tough guy he is not an enforcer, he’s a pest, for him to fight a European is against the code. How he can do that and say that when Gaborik dropped his gloves he licked his chops. Enforcers do not do that.

Gopher fans are in full meltdown mode after being swept by the SCSU Huskies this past weekend. [Link] The Gopher fans one week removed for their win and a tie against the UND Fighting Sioux and with a Gopher player declaring that the Gophers have turned the corner. It too one week for the Gopher fans to jump back off of the bandwagon and back on the fire the coach/lynch mob bandwagon again. Ah, grab a bag of popcorn this is going to be fun to watch.

This comment caught my attention. The Gophers have 20 NHL draft choices on their team that is not my definition of a journeyman.

Pathetic performance I find it funny how these Gopher fans just assume that Coach Blais is going to ride in on a white horse and automatically save their stumbling program. Actually I think that mindset is arrogant and pompous.
This is the worst gopher hockey team i've seen in a long time. No size, no speed, no passion (just like the coach). They are a collection of journeymen - the whole squad. the defense is terrible. They can't skate with St. Cloud. last weekend was a fluke (5-1 win over UND). This weekend was more of the same we've seen all year from this crew, and what really pisses me off is to see other teams in the WCHA with much better Minnesota bred talent. Don Lucia has lost his shine and the Gopher squad has been getting worse each year for the past several now. Just think what a Dean Blais coached team would do to attract better talent on this team. I really think it's time for Lucia to go. So - all you Lucia lovers out there - have at me for stating the truth.

Saturday Morning or that is what it turned into; Bruce Ciskie took almost 6 hours to get home to Duluth from Bemidji because of the roads. This is the one reason that I didn't go. I know how bad Highway 2 can get in this type of weather.

Coming Down the Pipe has a really nice blog post on the NCAA. It sounds like they may agree with my assessment of the 1-0 game the Sioux played in on Friday night.

The ECAC always gives me fits. A lot of scouts have told me that it's brutal hockey (as in horrible, not super physical) and the little bits that I've been able to watch on TV or online haven't given me any reason to doubt that thought. I watched Yale and St. Lawrence last year in the playoffs... a was so bored to tears. Maybe because of that game I've never been able to get on board with Yale.

This weekend they were ranked #6 heading in and yet again they win one, lose one. Clarkson fell 3-2 to the Bulldogs on Friday but Saturday it was Yale that was victimized by the Saints of St.Lawrence. St.Lawrence's 4-2 win gives them a run of only 1 loss in their last 8 games. Maybe I'm not giving enough credit to Yale (or Cornell, Union, Quinnipiac, etc) because the Bulldogs do have a win against Ferris State and tied Wisconsin this year. I still would have a hard time thinking they'd be a .500 club if they were in the CCHA, WCHA or Hockey East. And that goes for all the ECAC programs. Great institutions for higher learning, no doubt about that, but I'm not a believer in them being on par with the other three conferences when it comes to producing hockey players.

I have been saying the same thing about the ECAC for a very long time. The ECAC has the best academic schools in college hockey but they are a bit hamstrung with comes to going for and competing for the best college hockey athletes because of their academic standards and the cost of going to one of these fine schools. I am still convinced if you took the best schools in the ECAC and put them in the WCHA, HE and or CCHA they would have a hard time being a .500 team. While the gap has been closed there is still a big difference in the talent gap.

The other day I was wondering what SKOL Vikings mean here is the definition - Skol (written "skål" in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish and "skál" in Faroese and Icelandic or "skaal" in transliteration of any of those languages) is the Danish/Norwegian/Swedish word for cheers, a salute or a toast, as to an admired person or group. The meaning of the Scandinavian skalli/skalle: skal means simply "shell" and skál/skål "bowl".

The discussion that has everyone up in arms.

This is the video that everyone was talking about on Saturday night. Listening to Collin Campbell speak makes my head spin. The The National Hockey League teams need to think twice about Collin Campbell's employment and get rid of him, he is a disgrace. Refs should not be settling scores with players on the ice. I don't have a problem with refs talking to players they should not be telling them I going to get you.

I guess I don't blame Alain Vigneault for being upset with the way things have unfolded. I guess I expected more from Ron MacLean even though as a Minnesota Wild fan I am not a big fan of Alex Burrows, but what MacLean did is border line character assassination.

Again, I am not a big fan of Burrows but I do believe that a ref would try to settle a score against a player and that I do find Burrows story to be believable. Burrows went about bringing it to light in the wrong way.

NHL Coaches told to watch their language.

I think this is the type of language that the NHL is talking about. John Tortorella is always an interesting during the post game press conferences. Check out this youtube.com clip.

(NHL Memo)

"Recently, we have had several instances of team personnel using inappropriate and profane language in media interactions and, in particular, in press conference settings. We appreciate the intensity and passion with which you approach your jobs, however, what is said publicly, and how it is said, reflects directly on the images of your respective organizations, the National Hockey League, and the game of hockey generally. In this context, profanity in public areas or where likely to be overheard by members of the media and/or general public is clearly inappropriate and unacceptable and, as previously advised in a memorandum to Clubs dated April 28, 2006, will be deemed a violation of the Media Regulations, NHL By-Law 17.4(a) (prohibiting statements "prejudicial to the welfare of the League or the game of hockey or of a Member Club"), and Article 6.3(j)(1) of the NHL Constitution (prohibiting conduct "detrimental to the League or the game of hockey"). Please be reminded that any such violations will subject both the individuals involved and their Clubs to potential fines." [TSN]

Who's going to be on Team USA.

Well we know two of the players on "Team USA" they are Phil Kessel and defenceman Mike Komisarek. I would predict that Zach Parise, Paul Statsny, Patrick Kane, Tim Thomas, Ryan Miller, Jamie Langenbrunner are also locks to make the team.

EDMONTON – Leafs forward Phil Kessel and defenceman Mike Komisarek appear to have sewn up spots on the American Olympic hockey team.

Leafs coach Ron Wilson — who's also the coach of the U.S. team — let the cat out of the bag at Leaf practice when he was asked if the upcoming Olympic team announcements could be a distraction for players or even himself.

"Not at all. I know what the team is. To me it's not a distraction," said Wilson. "I think Phil Kessel knows pretty well and probably Mike Komisarek knows they're probably on the team. They've been talked to a lot about it.

"I think pretty much everybody on our team knows who's going, you're just waiting for an official announcement."

The Americans are set to announce their lineup on Jan. 1 as part of the festivities at the NHL's Winter Classic at Boston's Fenway Park. The Canadians are making their announcement Wednesday in Saskatoon at the world junior hockey championship.
[thestar.com]

Wild not on TV. No Commi Tonight.

The Wild game is not on TV tonight, damn VERSUS. I guess I won't be able to watch Mike Commodore play as well. I am so sick and tired of the Versus situation.

Lastly, in order to keep the VERSUS ratings at its usual monster numbers, tonight's Wild-Jackets game won't be televised in either market. Both Minnesota and Columbus gets the shaft because it falls into VERSUS' exclusive window. [Russo's Rants]

Promo for Bruins and Flyers

Here is the commercial for this years winter classic to be played in Fenway Park.

James Neal suspended 2 games.

Dallas Stars forward James Neal has been suspened for two games by the NHL for his hit on Derek Dorsett. You could almost bet this was going to happen. As a player you can not make contact with an elbow to the oppostions head and not expect to be suspended. According the Dallas Stars hockey beat writer this is bad for the Stars because Neal is one of their best players.

Dallas Stars left wing James Neal was suspended two games by the NHL on Friday for a hit from behind on Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Derek Dorsett at 13:01 of the second period of Thursday's game.

Dorsett was among a group of players battling along the wall for the puck when Neal came charging in. Neal appeared to leave his feet to deliver a blow to Blue Jackets defenseman Marc Methot, but instead he hit Dorsett in the back. The force of the blow drove Dorsett face-first into the glass. He fell to the ice and could not get up.

Neal was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game-misconduct.

The second-year forward leads the Stars with 11 goals and 22 points, but he'll now have to sit out home games Saturday and Monday against New Jersey and Carolina, respectively. [NHL.COM]

Detroit gets screwed by ref.

It’s not just the refs in the WCHA that make big monstrous glaring mistakes, referees Stephane Auger and Dennis LaRue really blow this call and need to be sanctioned for this mess up. The puck was in before the ref was going to blow the whistle. In this situation Toronto should have ruled it was a goal. This is unacceptable.

This will get you a one game suspension.

Sean "sloppy seconds" Avery got so far under Shane O’Brien's skin during a recent game between the Rangers and the Canucks that O'Brien jabbed Avery with his stick while standing on the Vancouver players bench. For his efforts O'Brien got a one game suspension. While I think Sean Avery is a punk the man does add a lot of drama to the NHL. Just for the record the Canucks beat the Rangers 4-1.

Mary Ann doubtfull for Wild game.

You have to wonder if the Ranger fans have accepted the fact that Marian Gaborik is not going to play every game of the season, ever. As a Wild fan we have seen this all before. Marian Gaborik is injury prone and a medical mess. There is no readon for Gaborik to worry, has his cushy 8.5 million a year salary or what ever it is that Rangers are paying him to fall back on. Gaborik will play when he wants to and when he feels up to it. Don't expect him to play when he is 85%. Not going to happen folks, it doesn't matter what some posters at SBNation say, it is what it is. Wait till Gaborik plays in the Stanley Cup playoffs and goes oh-for the series. I am going to enjoy watching this soap opera unfold.

Marian Gaborik certainly didn’t sound hopeful today that he’d be able to play tomorrow night, which would ruin his homecoming to Minnesota. The short version: He’s going to make the trip, he’s still sore, he lists himself as day to day, he’ll try to skate tomorrow morning and see how he feels, he won’t try to rush himself back and put himself at further risk for injury.

Still not definitive word on what his injury his but there seems little disputing that it’s a right leg issue. Gaborik had some ink marks just above his right knee, indicating perhaps a thigh or a hamstring problem. His right knee was not wrapped but it could be a knee issue. Gaborik said he was hurt in a collision in front of the net, not along the boards as first believed, and he played a shift after hurting himself. He initially thought the injury was worse.

“It’s not that serious,” Gaborik said. “I thought it was going to be worse the way it felt. I have to make sure I do the right thing and treat it and take it day by day. It doesn’t feel great but it feels better.”
[Ranger Rants]

Here is another quote from Steve Zipay of Newsday that doesn't think that Gaborik will play until the Bruins and Rangers meet on Sunday afternoon. If it's not serious why is the injury keeping you out of the line up.

Personally, I believe the Slovakian right winger isn't playing until Sunday afternoon against Boston in the Garden, but there's a chance he'll dress in Minnesota, where he played eight years, on Friday night.

Standing in the locker room with reporters after another practice in which he did not participate ---he was receiving treatment on his right leg, possibly thigh or hamstring, the club is not disclosing---he called himself "day-to-day."

Not playing would be disappointing, Gaborik said. “We don’t play them that often. Definitely it would be something special.”

He confirmed that he was still sore from a front of the net collision late in the third period against Phoenix on Monday, but would be on the plane to Minneapolis this afternoon. The team's top scorer, with 18 points, said he initially thought the injury was more severe.

“It’s not that serious,” said Gaborik, who skated another shift after the hit before shutting down. “I thought it was going to be worse the way it felt. I have to make sure I do the right thing and treat it and take it day by day. It doesn’t feel great but it feels better."