We all wish him the best and hope for a resolution that finds him first and foremost 100% healthy and back on the ice sooner than later...
Start here this morning....
With the announcement of camp start dates approaching the rumor mill continues to bubble over and the big fish out there may not be named Hoffman after all...
According to two sources, one in Winnipeg and one in Chicago, the Jets are very willing to listen to trade concepts involving Patrik Laine. The scoring star winger re-signing in Winnipeg isn’t going the way the sides had hoped and Laine could land the Jets few key pieces as the price will be extraordinarily high as has been reported in the past.
The Flyers were the team who got closest to making a deal around the draft, but they found the price to be difficult and the sudden retirement of Niskanen took the Flyers in a different direction...largely because losing Niskanen AND the defenseman that would have been required to make the deal happen was too much too soon for Philly.
I am hearing Carolina, Ottawa, NJ, Boston and Philly all are open to talks...I will be updating Laine on the rumor chart after I talk to some people today.
Steen Retiring...
Jeremy Rutherford in St Louis is reporting that Blues forward Alex Steen is retiring due to injury...That is a big surprise as Steen was slated to make 5.75 Million this upcoming season...With that money off the cap the Blues will be able to get creative and could get into the Hoffman, or maybe even Laine, hunt themselves...