A bunch of rumours out there today, as is often the case after the weekend. Everything from a potential Jagr return, to the Avs dealing youngsters to the Flyers looking to unload some big deals.
Cherry-picking from the bunch, it seems that Tampa Bay will not recall Lukas Krajicek and will instead attempt to deal the defender. Krajicek, still only 26, has some upside left but has been a disappointment this year for the Lightning. At a cap hit of $1.475 million, he is very affordable, even for depth and is a UFA at season’s end.
I would envision a team looking for insurance inquiring about Krajicek. If you can slot him into the right situation, he is and could be a valuable player down the stretch. In terms of possible destinations, why not Dallas? The two teams have a history together, and Stars assistant coach Charlie Huddy has an excellent track record for turning raw defenders into contributing members of a roster. The Stars are thought to want a little more veteran presence on the back-end, so perhaps this is a good fit.
Despite the fact that a couple of these guys are basically dead-weight, the Flyers are stuck with Danny Briere, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Kimmo Timonen and Chris Pronger. That leaves the Flyers in a sticky situation, in that the rest of the roster are either very important cogs (Jeff Carter), young guys with upside (Claude Giroux, Ryan Parent) or older spare parts that are still necessary for a Cup run (Ian Laperierre).
That leaves the Flyers trading either prospects or picks, and that can be a dangerous situation in the cap world, where rebuilds are par for the course every few years. Compounding the situation is the immense pressure to put a winner on the ice now. I don’t envy the situation GM Paul Holmgren is in, but I suspect a deal will surface sooner rather than later, despite the pleas from Peter Laviolette for patience.
Jaromir Jagr, as noted in the Morning Papers, is still interested in playing in the NHL when his KHL deal expires. The Oilers are suggested as a possible destination because of Jagr’s ties to coaches Wayne Fleming and Tom Renney. If the Oilers can shed some salary in the off-season, this might happen. Owner Daryl Katz likes to try and acquire big-name talent, and Jagr and Hemsky are friends. It may not help much, but it could make the team a little easier to watch, if for nothing else than Pat Quinn’s press conferences if and when Jagr decides to take a night off. Keep your eye on this one over the summer.
