Quick Analysis on the Islanders trading for Thomas Vanek

Big NHL trades in October don’t come often but we have one here. The New York Islanders have acquired Thomas Vanek from the Buffalo Sabres in-exchange for Matt Moulson, 2014 1st round pick and a 2015 2nd round pick, per Arthur Staple of Newsday. For the Sabres it’s about as good of a haul as they would have gotten at any point getting a first and second rounder, in addition to Moulson who is an unrestricted free agent at seasons end. Buffalo is a mess right now at the NHL level but they are deep on prospects and are very likely to turn around and trade Moulson for a first or second rounder before the trade deadline as I don’t

Game Day Buzz: On Trade Deadline, Defensive prowess, Crosby, “Hockey Gods”, Iginla getting more comfortable & more Buzz

GAME DAY BUZZ The trade deadline is one day away and things are starting to heat up around the league. All eyes are now on Jaromir Jagr who will be traded before Wednesday’s 3:00 p.m. deadline. Will the Boston Bruins finally close an impact deal? They are the clear front runners for Jagr but there is a lot of interest in the future Hall of Famer. Detroit, Philadelphia, and Montreal are among the teams with their eye on Jagr. Another notable name to keep an eye on is New York Islanders Mark Streit who the Islanders are undecided about moving but will do so for a big return. The Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers have emerged as the front runners

Penguins Morning Skate Buzz: Vokoun to get the start; Vitale odd-man out?

MORNING SKATE BUZZ Goaltender Tomas Vokoun (10-3-0, 2.33 GAA, .922 sv%) is the first goaltender off and will get the start in goal tonight. The Penguins riding a 15 game win streak, have their team-shutout streak at 206:24 and Vokoun now holds the Penguins individual shutout record at 162:42. Vokoun has surrendered just four goals in his last 360 minutes of action, a span of seven games. The Penguins have posted three straight shutouts and giving up just nine goals in their last 11 games. TIDBITS *James Neal was back on his natural left wing spot as Jarome Iginla shifted to right wing on the Penguins top-line. *Tyler Kennedy remains at center with Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. Kennedy in

Setoguchi, Leopold on trade block

NHL RUMOR MONDAY Trade talks are starting to very slowly pick up among GM’s with around 20% of the season already gone and two established players Devin Setoguchi, Minnesota Wild, and Jordan Leopold, Buffalo Sabres, are among the notable players being shopped around the league for other needs, NHL sources say.

Pens – Sabres Fallout: Sullivan a better fit with Crosby-Dupuis than Malkin-Neal?

PENS – SABRES FALLOUT The Penguins got a four point night from Sidney Crosby, produced two power play goals, played a responsible game defensively and Brent Johnson who was shaky at times, made timely saves in the third period for Pittsburgh in their 5-3 road win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. With the team in the midst of a mini-slump, Crosby led the way collecting a goal and three assists, posting his third four point game in 18 games this season. Crosby also hit the 600 point mark in his career, becoming the seventh youngest player in NHL history to reach 600 points at 24 years, 236 days. An intriguing storyline after the game wasn’t just the Penguins

Eastern Conference Preview: Few teams rival Pens depth in deep conference

Atlantic Division 1. Pittsburgh Penguins Storyline:All eyes are on the return of Sidney Crosby that should come in November as long as things continue on the upswing. The top storyline right now is Evgeni Malkin’s who’s presence makes the Penguins a top contender in the Eastern Conference even without Crosby. Notable Additions: Steve Sullivan, Richard Park, Steve MacIntyre Sullivan at age 37 still has the skill to be a factor on a nightly basis but injury concerns will follow him all season. The Penguins are banking on a top-6 role and top power play time for Sullivan. The 35 year old Park will provide depth as an extra forward and gives the Penguins speed up front and excellent penalty killing

Game 57: Sabres @ Penguins Scouting Report; Fleury to start in goal

Game 57 Buffalo Sabres — 32-14-7 (71 points) 1st Northeast at Pittsburgh Penguins — 34-21-1 (69 points) 2nd Atlantic Playoff Preview? Buffalo is in first place in the Northeast division and Pittsburgh appears to be firmly planted in playoff position with less than 30 games left. Tonight’s game is a matchup of teams who may be squaring off again this spring. Season Series Ryan Miller has been nothing short of Vezina-worthy this year, but it’s backup and former Penguin Patrick Lalime who continues to give Pittsburgh fits. December 19, 2009. HSBC Arena Pens Win, 2-1 Goals: Kunitz, Letang (SO) December 29, 2009. HSBC Arena Penguins lose, 4-3 Goals: Staal, Guerin, Kunitz Play With a Vengeance The last time these teams

The Latest NHL Buzz

Sunday Janaury 17, 2010 Trade talks are heating up with the trade deadline 6 weeks away but with some many teams still in the playoff mix, it’s unlikely many deals will be struck before the Olympic trade freeze (February 12 – February 28th) as teams are leery to make a run at veterans who are participating in the Olympics. In the Eastern Conference the only team in sell mode at this point is the Carolina Hurricanes. Even the Toronto Maple Leafs are only 9 points out of the playoffs. In the Western Conference, Edmonton is clearly in sell mode while the Blues and Blue Jackets are expected to begin shopping a number of veterans in the next couple weeks. The

Game 40: Penguins lose second straight; Staal to learn Team Canada fate

Buffalo 4 – Pittsburgh 3 The Pittsburgh Penguins blew a 3-0 lead as the Buffalo Sabres scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Penguins 4-3 Tuesday night. Jordan Staal (11), Bill Guerin (12) and Chris Kunitz (6) scored for the Penguins, who squandered a three-goal lead for the first time since a 5-3 loss at Nashville on January 8, 2009. Pittsburgh dominated for the first 30 minutes of the game but a turning point in the game was a Drew Stafford penalty shot goal at 12:46 of the second period.