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Leaf Rumours

Yeah, Chicago won't do that for Sharp. It's already been said by Dreger and Co that they're not wanting to move Sharp at all if it can be avoided.

I still think what they're asking for Buff is ridiculous though.
Nothing wrong with setting the price high. Maybe 1 team bites. If not, you can lower the price around draft day. After all, the kid's value is as high as it'll probably ever be. He was dynamite in the playoffs. If you don't get something really good, you keep him.

Haven't looked at the Hawks cap situation in depth. If they send Huet to the minors and give away Versteeg, how close are they? Also, maybe they can take on a $4-5 million dollar underachiever in exchange for Campbell, to save another couple million.
 
No, nothing wrong with setting the price high, and you're right someone probably will bite. I just think GMs should play hardball a little and say, nah, you've gotta do something, we know you're desperate.

But I think someone will do it.
 
But I can also pass on that three Eastern Conference executives, who shall obviously remain anonymous, told me Tuesday that Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd are the three players being shopped the most, but Patrick Sharp is not available. At least not at this point.

The price for Byfuglien, specifically, is a first-round pick and a prospect.

"Good luck," said one NHL GM who requested anonymity. "No freakin' way they get a first-round pick. They're asking too much for all their guys right now."

Let's start in Anaheim, where the retirement of sure-bet Hockey Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer (well, who knows after Tuesday's HHOF debacle) puts Ducks GM Bob Murray under the gun. He prepared for this possibility and hoped to strengthen his blue line even if Niedermayer returned, but there's no replacing one the era's truly great blueliners.

"Plan B goes into effect now," Murray told ESPN.com. "Obviously, our defense is in dire need of an overhaul."
...
Either way, the Ducks are not blowing things up and going back to square one. They want to remain competitive.

"We're going to try to transition without rebuilding," said Murray.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/blog/_/name/lebrun_pierre/id/5317030/here-our-recap-crazy-tuesday
 
Ugh, OK, I don't know what the basis for this is or if he's just pulling this out of his ass... but Andy Strickland speculates that after his failed post-deadline experience with Pittsburgh, Ponikarovsky could end up back in Toronto.
 
Assuming Ryan is off the table, do they have something to make a deal work?

Is Lupul and #12 enough?
No way. Lupul's 27 years old already, and he appears to have topped out as a 20-goal, 50 point winger (that is, if he's not missing 50+ games to injury, as he did last season). And while the #12 pick is a nice asset, Burke's made it clear that if he deals Kaberle it's going to be for immediate help, so a deal that significantly weakens the team for next season probably isn't going to be what he's looking for.
 
Ugh, OK, I don't know what the basis for this is or if he's just pulling this out of his ass... but Andy Strickland speculates that after his failed post-deadline experience with Pittsburgh, Ponikarovsky could end up back in Toronto.
Why "ugh"? I wouldn't mind getting Poni back. I'm also pretty sure that Burke said that Poni's contract demands were the only reason he was trading him instead of re-signing him, at the time of the deal with Pittsburgh. So, if his rough time in Pittsburgh has knocked his price back down to something that Burke is comfortable with, why not bring him back?
 
Hopefully if Burke accepts a 1st round pick, it'll be because he and the scouts feel really strongly about a player who is projected to be available at that draft position. If it's a 1st rounder for the sake of a 1st rounder, then I'd rather keep Kabby.
 
Burke said he's looking for a top line winger, but he'd consider a lesser player and a 1st.
Really? Fack. I'll be pissed if the only immediate return we get for Kaberle is 2nd/3rd line talent the likes of Lupul. If that's the case, I don't see the point of dealing him in the first place.
 
Why "ugh"? I wouldn't mind getting Poni back. I'm also pretty sure that Burke said that Poni's contract demands were the only reason he was trading him instead of re-signing him, at the time of the deal with Pittsburgh. So, if his rough time in Pittsburgh has knocked his price back down to something that Burke is comfortable with, why not bring him back?

Sorry, that came out not like I intended it - I was saying "ugh" because of all the bullshit rumours floating around lately and the fact that the way Strickland says this is kinda sketchy.
 
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