Daily Rumour Analysis: Devils, Ducks, Oilers and Panthers

In trying to give us all a day off from Blackhawk trade talk, lets take a look at a few different teams. As I mentioned on Friday, I think it would be fun and worth while to make this segment a little more interactive. So, if you have thoughts on these rumours or any other that might be floating around, don’t be shy. Share them in the comments or just comment on who you would like to see dealt. Just because NHL GM’s are slow to pull the trigger doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it.

Spector’s site notes that there are several scouts watching the Devils these days. New Jersey still boasts a solid team that is a good a bet as any to go deep into the playoffs, and they have some bodies due back from the IR either very soon or within the next month (Zubrus, Clarkson, Martin).

With the team playing well despite the veteran presence on the IR, the Devils may be in a position to deal some of their promising young players for some more established help. Martin Brodeur is still playing well, but won’t be around forver. So, don’t be surprised if the ever cagey Lour Lamiorello makes a move to shore up any inadequacies he sees on the roster. The Oilers are rumoured (via Bruce Garrioch’s column) to have been speaking to an Eastern team about moving Sheldon Souray. Could a return engagement for Souray be in the cards?

Word today is the Denis  Grebeshkov is close to returning to the Oilers lineup and that Taylor Chorney is healthy enough to go back to Springfield. With more defenders coming into the lineup, the Oilers may finally be healthy enough to deal. Souray does have a no-movement clause until the end of this season, so he would have to agree to the move. That said, there are a lot worse places to go than to a successful program that you are familiar with and the Oilers and Devils have a history.

Despite the return of Ryan Stone to the lineup, the Oilers are still soft as butter to play against. A package of a gritty center and perhaps a left-winger (if Jack Layton isn’t available) could catch the Oilers interest, but the Devils don’t have much to give up in those areas. They are deeper down the right-side, but the Devils may not want to part with any of their scoring wingers.

Just as the scouts are out in force to watch the Devils, similar reports have the Ducks being eyed by the bird-dogs. With the team not performing up to expectations, its natural to assume that changes could be made. I would assume Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan are all untouchable, but the team still has several other pieces that could be moved. Would Selanne or Niedermayer take another shot at a Cup? Maybe the aforementioned Devils could use one or both of them?

The same Garrioch column linked above says GM Randy Sexton has officially panicked and is ready to deal to help the team NOW.  That puts him into a bad bargaining position, so don’t expect much to happen unless lone of Sexton’s peers offer him a fair deal. I would expect Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss to be prime-candidates to move out of town, especially if Florida wants to acquire quality veterans that can help now.