***BREAKINS NEWS***
– Leafs’ F Dominic Moore and F Nik Antropov are not dressing tonight vs. the Devils. Let the speculation begin.
VoV
– The NHL trade deadline is tomorrow at 3pm EST. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to provide live coverage this year, but I will post some stuff later tomorrow.
NHL
– According to a number of sources, Leafs’ F Dominic Moore is a lock to be traded tomorrow. Moore, 28, making $900K this season, and is looking to triple his salary. He’s said to be asking for two years and $5M, while the Leafs are looking more around a two-year/$3.5M deal – and this is with the hometown discount that Moore is willing to take. The Leafs are unwilling to spend more than $2M per season on Moore, and said to be going as high as $1.5M annually.
F Jamal Mayers, F Nik Antropov and F Ian White are also very likely to have played their last game as Maple Leafs tonight. Burke is said to be high on White, so his status remains uncertain. Burke also rejected a second round pick for White yesterday, but no team was given. Burke said today on The FAN 590 that White will not be traded, saying that he will be a key part to what he is building.
D Tomas Kaberle, D Pavel Kubina and F Brad May are not expected to be dealt, but anything can happen. If either Kaberle or Kubina go, one will stay – Burke will not trade both defencemen. As for May, Burke will apparently only trade him if he lands on a team that will play him, so that he can reach his 1000 games-played plateau this year, and possible retire at season’s end. May has 17 games remaining to reach that plateau, which is a significant part of the remainder of the season. If Burke can’t find a suitor to let him play, May will stay in T.O. (Thanks to my Toronto source for crunching the numbers and for a good majority of the info)
– The Boston Herald reports the Leafs have been offered F Joe Colborne, and a first and third round pick for D Tomas Kaberle.
– The Blue Jackets continue to pursue Leafs’ F Nik Antropov. They remain interested in Sens’ D Filip Kuba and F Antoine Vermette as well.
– The Blackhawks continue to shop for a centre. They’ve shown serious interest in Leafs’ F Nik Antropov, Sabres’ F Tim Connolly and Caps’ F Jeff Halpern.
– According to sources, a deals for Isles’ F Bill Guerin and Coyotes for D Derek Morris have been verbally completed, but the details need to be ironed out.
– The Habs are expected to take one final push at acquiring Bolts’ F Vincent Lecavalier.
– The Rangers have officially claimed F Sean Avery off re-entry waivers. As part of the CBA, the Stars will pay half his salary for the remaining three years of the deal. Coach John Tortorella called Avery an “embarassment” to the game earlier this season. It should be interesting.
– The Wild have resigned G Niklas Backstrom to a four-year deal worth $6M per season. This effectively takes Backstrom’s name off the list of candidates to move at the trading deadline. Backstrom has a 28-18-4 record with a .925 SV% and 2.24 GAA this season.
– The Ducks will meet with D Scott Niedermayer in the next 24 hours to discuss his future in pro hockey. The team is expected to decide from there whether he will be traded or not. The Devils remain interested.
– Ducks’ D Scott Niedermayer is not expected to be traded from Anaheim, but D Chris Pronger is still available for the right cost, which is extremely high.
– Media outlets in Boston are reporting that a deal involving Bruins’ F Patrice Bergeron and a few picks to Anaheim for D Chris Pronger is on the table.
– The Blues are expected to make a serious offer for Ducks’ D Chris Pronger.
– According to sources, the Ducks are asking for F David Perron, a prospect, a first round pick and a conditional pick from the Blues for D Chris Pronger.
– Sharks’ F Jonathan Cheechoo is reportedly available, but the return price would need to include a defenceman. The Sharks apparently have a strong interest in Ducks’ D Chris Pronger.
– The Blue Jackets continue to shop injured G Pascal Leclaire in the hopes of acquiring some offensive firepower to help their playoff push. Rumoured suitors include Avs’ D Jordan Leopold and F Marek Svatos, as well as Sens’ F Antoine Vermette and D Filip Kuba.
– The Flames are making a serious pitch to Avs’ F Ryan Smyth.
– The Flyers are rumoured to be shopping F Daniel Briere, simply for the fact that the cap room he will create will allow them to pursue another big name, since the team has their backs against the wall financially. The Sabres are rumoured to be interested in Briere.
– The Capitals are still searching hard for another goalie.
– According to reports, Coyotes’ D Derek Morris will only accept a trade to one of three teams. According to a reliable source, the teams are the Bruins, Flyers and Capitals.
– The Capitals have popped up in rumours involving Isles’ F Bill Guerin.
– Caps’ F Michael Nylander is on the block.
– Oilers’ F Eric Cole is drawing interest from the Hurricanes, Penguins and Bruins.
– The Canucks and Pens are expected to make final pushes at acquiring Wild’ F Marian Gaborik.
– Bolts’ F Gary Roberts, Pens’ F Miroslav Satan, Sens’ G Martin Gerber and Ducks’ F Brendan Morrison have all been placed on waivers.
WWE
– According to the UK Mirror, Mr. T declined a Hall of Fame induction invite from WWE because Pete Rose is already in the Hall.
– As of last week, ECW superstar Evan Bourne has been cleared for ring action, and should make his return any time now. Bourne has been out since October 28 because of a dislocated ankle and a torn deltoid ligament.
– Some news on the tattoos of CM Punk. Besides the one on his stomach that reads “Straight Edge”, and the Pepsi logo on his arm (made from people asking from Coke and him preferring Pepsi), the tattoo on Punk’s right forearm may finally have been solved.
According to a source, on the far left of the tattoo, you’ll see a red bar-like tattoo, which is a Chinese I’Ching symbol. In the I’Ching, the series of six broken and full lines, based on the way they are layered, says;
“Chi – Completion Achieved – Water Above Flame Below”
This I’Ching hexagram means;
“Be prepared for the totally unexpected, even if everything in your life seems harmonious and ordered. This is not yet the time to relax, overconfidence will cause your hold on order to slip.”
Here’s the kicker. Though that is what it means in China, that isn’t the reason why he got it. The tattoos on his arm match the Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes characters in the G.I. Joe comic book. It’s the marking of the Arishikage Clan where they both trained in martial arts together after Vietnam.
NFL
– The Bengals have re-signed RB Cedric Benson to a two-year/$7M contract.
– The father of Raiders special teamer Marquis Cooper told the AP that the Coast Guard is losing hope of finding his son, Corey Smith, and Will Bleakley, who are lost off the Gulf of Mexico after a storm. The Coast Guard privately informed the families that the time frame of the search has made officials pessimistic. Nick Schuyler’s rescue helped at first, but the remaining three have now been in the water for up to 72 hours.
– The Bucs have signed RB Derrick Ward to a four-year/$17M contract with $6M guaranteed.