Around the NHL - Sat 4 and Sun 5 Oct

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Posted by admin on 5th, 2008

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Injury Updates:

Brad Larsen: Sports hernia surgery
Larsen had surgery to repair a sports hernia on Friday, according to the Ducks web site. (ESPN)
Drew Stafford: Ear injury
Stafford missed Friday’s practice with an ear injury, Buffalo’s WGR Radio reports. (ESPN)
Tim Connolly to miss 5th preseason game
Connolly (back) is expected to miss his fifth straight preseason game on Sunday, according to The Buffalo News. (ESPN)
Todd Bertuzzi: Leg injury
Bertuzzi left the ice in Friday’s preseason game with a leg injury, TSN.ca reports. (ESPN)
Pascal Leclaire: Sprained ankle
Leclaire sprained his ankle in the second period of Friday’s exhibition game, the Columbus Dispatch reports. (ESPN)
Guillaume Latendresse to begin staking
Latendresse will begin the season on a line with Robert Lang and Sergei Kostitsyn. (ESPN)
Mike Fisher to miss season opening games
Fisher (groin) will miss both of Ottawa’s season opening games against Pittsburgh reports the Ottawa Citizen. (ESPN)
Petr Sykora: Groin injury
Sykora will miss Saturday’s regular season opener with a groin injury, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. (ESPN)

Player Updates:

Thrashers top prospect Pavelec won’t report to AHL
Atlanta Thrashers top prospect Ondrej Pavelec will not report to the Chicago Wolves, the team’s AHL affiliate, according to a report in Sporting News. The 21-year old goalie was assigned to the Wolves on Saturday after appearing in two preseason games for the Thrashers, posting a 1-1 record. (TSN)
Khabibulin wont practice with Hawks
Nikolai Khabibulin did not practise with the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and won’t until his future is decided. Hawks general manager Dale Tallon said he hopes the goalie’s sitaution is settled in the “next couple of days.” (TSN)

Signings & Acquisitions:

Hurricanes sign C Boychuk
Zach Boychuk certainly had a happy birthday. The 14th overall pick in this past June’s draft, Boychuk signed a three-year entry level contract worth with the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday - which happened to be his 19th birthday. Boychuk will net $787,500 per season in the NHL, or $65,000 at the minor league level. (Yahoo! Sports)
Ducks claim D McIver on waivers
The Anaheim Ducks claimed defenseman Nathan McIver on waivers from the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. The 23-year-old did not register a point in 17 games with the Canucks last season. McIver played primarily for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, collecting three goals and three assists in 43 games. McIver appeared in three preseason contests for the Canucks, notching 16 penalty minutes. (Yahoo! Sports)
Nolan Baumgartner assigned to Manitoba
The Vancouver Canucks assigned defenceman Nolan Baumgartner to Manitoba of the AHL and lost defenceman Nathan McIver on waivers to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. McIver, 23, played in 17 games with the Canucks last season, collecting 52 penalty minutes. In 43 games with the Moose, he had three goals with three assists and 108 penalty minutes. (Yahoo! Sports)
Canucks waive Cowan
The Vancouver Canucks placed forward Jeff Cowan on waivers on Saturday, while the club lost defenceman Nathan McIver to the Anaheim Ducks via the waiver wire as well. (TSN)
View more NHL and Minor League transactions at NHL.com

Trades & Rumours:

Wild don’t expect to sign Gaborik by season start
The Minnesota Wild and winger Marian Gaborik will be headed for a season uncertain. Wild general manager Doug Risebrough told the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Friday that he does not expect to sign Gaborik to a contract extension by the start of the season. (TSN)

From Spectorshockey.net:

The Nikolai Khabibulin situation is “nearing a conclusion”, as Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon has told the goalie not to attend team practices until the next course of action is determined to prevent him from getting hurt. When asked when any kind of deal — whether it’s to trade Khabibulin or let him go to Russia — would get done, Tallon said, “The sooner the better”, writes Kuc.
Contract talks between the Wild and the agent for Marian Gaborik appear to have stalled, as GM Doug Risebrough said no headway has been made, adding that Gaborik won’t be signed prior to the start of the season. Risebrough declined to comment if he’s had talks with other teams and has yet to determine if he’ll shop Gaborik. While it’s unknown what the Wild are offering Gaborik Russo suggests that if the forward is rejecting offers around $8.5 million per season it could spur Risebrough into shopping Gaborik rather than risk losing him to free agency for nothing next summer. If it comes to that Russo suggests Risebrough might deal Gaborik to an Eastern Conference team, possibly to Montreal, Toronto or the NY Rangers as the Wild GM is friends with the general managers of those teams.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and the Anaheim Ducks denied a recent report the league is monitoring potential trade activity between the Ducks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The report was based on speculation Ducks GM Brian Burke might sign with the Leafs next summer as their new general manager.
Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli continues to huddle with his staff in hopes of finding salary cap space to retain youngsters like Blake Wheeler, Nate Thompson and Matt Hunwick.
Schaefer could be a trade candidate given his poor play last season and $2.1 million cap hit. Barth also suggests rumors of the Bruins dealing Marc Savard are “unlikely” given his no-trade clause and his status as one of the league’s best set-up men.
Little progress made in contract talks between the Kings and forward Patrick O’Sullivan but the two sides are reportedly meeting more frequently.

Game Results:

NHL Regular Season Games:

NY Rangers vs Tampa Bay
NY Rangers	2	Final
Tampa Bay	1	Box Score Highlights

Pittsburgh vs Ottawa
Pittsburgh	4	Final OT
Ottawa	3	Box Score Highlights

NHL Preseason Games:

NY Islanders vs Boston
NY Islanders	3	Final
Boston	1	Box Score

Detroit vs Toronto
Detroit	4	Final
Toronto	3	Box Score

Minnesota vs Montreal
Minnesota	3	Final
Montreal	0	Box Score

Philadelphia vs New Jersey
Philadelphia	3	Final
New Jersey	4	Box Score

St. Louis vs Atlanta
St. Louis	4	Final
Atlanta	1	Box Score

Los Angeles vs Phoenix
Los Angeles	2	Final
Phoenix	5	Box Score