Saturday Morning Trade Rumblings: Av’s Jones has big game in front of Pens scouts, 6 other teams

Saturday’s Rumor Mill on Av’s Jones, Allen/Spacek, Sabres, Red Wings, Leafs, Kings, Rangers & more | — A growing trend in the NHL is GM’s resigning their own players (pending UFA’s). That continued Friday night when the Edmonton Oilers signed Ales Hemsky to a two year, $10 million extension. A big cap hit for a player with just 5 goals on the season and only 64 points since the 2009-2010 season. A big factor in team’s arguably overpaying to resign their own like Edmonton and Carolina just did with the Hemsky and Ruutu signings this week, is GM’s come to the assumption that they won’t be able to replace those particular players in free agency. — The New Jersey Devils paid

Potential Camp Invites: O’Sullivan’s drive to play in the NHL coming into question

When the calendar hits September and training camps inch closer to opening up, agents of players who are struggling to find work all of a sudden become open to accepting camp invites. The 2010 free agency period has been a unique year and plenty of established veterans are prime candidates for camp invites. Just to name a few, veteran forwards Brendan Morrison, Jeff Halpern and Mike Comrie are some of the top names who have no firm offers on the table and will begin considering camp invites if an opportunity doesn’t open up in the next 10-14 days. As one agent who represents a 10 year veteran told me last week; “League seems to be caught between capped out and

NHL: Kovalchuk, Devils resume talks; Kariya, Ducks latest?

By Will DePaoli and James Conley NHL News and Notes: Arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled in favor of the NHL today in the Ilya Kovalchuk case. This was a major win for the NHL as the league has their eye on dramatically changing the structure of contracts in the next CBA. The CBA is set to expire in September 2012. Bloch stated in his ruling that the contract was fully compliant with the CBA but felt it was a retirement contract. New Jersey Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello issued a statement this evening and remains hopeful that the team will be able to resign Kovalchuk. “We have reviewed and respect Arbitrator Bloch’s ruling in the Kovalchuk matter. We also note and

2010 NHL Draft: Top 30 Prospects

1. TAYLOR HALL, WINDSOR OHL | 14-Nov-1991 | 6′ 0.5″ 185 lbs | Pos: LW | Left | Stats: 57GP-40G-66A-106 pts-56PIM Latest Buzz: Projected to go No. 1 overall to the Edmonton Oilers 2. TYLER SEQUIN, PLYMOUTH OHL | 31-Jan-1992 | 6′ 1.0″ 172 lbs | Pos: Center | Right| Stats: 63GP-48G-58A-106pts-54 PIM Latest Buzz: The consensus No. 2 player in the draft. Will go No. 2 overall to the Boston Bruins. 3. ERIK GUDBRANSON, KINGSTON OHL | 07-Jan-1992 | 6′ 3.75″ 195 lbs | Pos: Defense | Right | Stats: 41GP-2g-21A-23pts-68 PIM Latest Buzz: Headlines a strong group of defensemen. Hard hitting defenseman who scouts project to be a star at the next level. Appears to be a lock

Former Penguin Ryan Stone showing signs he might just stick in the NHL for a few years

In the midst of back-to-back games, the Pittsburgh Penguins (29-18-1) travel to Edmonton Thursday night for a matchup against the last place Edmonton Oilers who own the second worst record in the league. From injuries to star winger Ales Hemsky, to under-achieving overpaid veterans and a new coaching staff that hasn’t been able to turn around the Oilers fortunes, it’s been clearly a year of disappointment for the Edmonton Oilers ( 16-24-5-37pts). With Nikolai Khabibulin sidelined for months, the Oilers now lack a true NHL goaltender. David Staples of the Edmonton Journal took the time on Wednesday to speak to DePaoli about the Oilers woes, former Penguin Ryan Stone (2003, 2nd round pick) and new head coach Pat Quinn who

Malkin may not even finish 2nd in Hart Trophy voting; Kotalik a player of interest?

Conn Smythe Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin has arrived in Las Vegas for Thursday’s NHL Awards Show. Malkin is up for the Hart Trophy which is awarded to the league’s Most Valuable Player. Despite leading the league in scoring , Malkin may not even finish second in voting for the Hart Trophy. Internal polling has showed Alex Ovechkin will be the clear cut winner with Pavel Datsyuk possibly being the runner-up. Prior to the playoffs, we polled three Western Conference Writers on the M.V.P. Debate After the act Malkin and Ovechkin put on during the All-Star game, the two did not speak during the second round series between the Penguins and Capitals. Updated Free Agency Chart – New updates on Marty

History on the Penguins Side?

Since the Penguins drafted Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and developed a young nucleus, the Penguins have been compared to the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980’s. After Saturday’s 6-2 win, the Penguins took a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals and are on the verge of becoming the first team since the 1984 Oilers to advance to Stanley Cup finals the year after losing in the finals. The Oilers dynasty began in the 1984 after losing in the finals the previous year to the New York Islanders. The Oilers got their rematch in 1984 against the Islanders and beat the Islanders four games to one in the Cup finals to win their first of what would become four Stanley