Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Friday Morning Thoughts On Hockey

12/19/2014 at 10:01am EST

from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- With the Holiday Trade Freeze rapidly approaching, Boston and St. Louis are two interesting teams to watch, not just because they’ve been talking to each other. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is contacting teams with space, seeing what it will cost for them to take players off his roster, so he can free up room to do what he wants. Curious to see if those second-round selections he acquired for Johnny Boychuk are in his plans. For both Chiarelli and Blues’ compatriot Doug Armstrong, it’s not just about this year. Boston, in a tight spot, must deal with Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug and Reilly Smith in the summer. Armstrong knows the next two years mean extensions for Jake Allen, Jori Lehtera, Jaden Schwartz and breakout sensation Vladimir Tarasenko. With all of the cap uncertainty, you’ve got to be careful.

- If your team is looking for defencemen, watch Anaheim. Ben Lovejoy’s return gives them eight blueliners, with Eric Brewer (expected to be back in January) making nine. That gives Bob Murray some flexibility. Winnipeg added Jay Harrison to stop the bleeding, and Minnesota is another team looking for depth there.

- If there’s one thing Arizona needs, it’s young forwards who can score. That’s the key to Keith Yandle (A nice, high draft pick wouldn’t hurt, either). But Don Maloney is making it clear that he will not do anything with Yandle unless it provides a long-term solution. It’s also possible some teams who don’t desperately need a centre take a look at Antoine Vermette. He can play the wing, and versatility never hurts.

more including Cory Sarich wants one more shot at the NHL...

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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