from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,
- Worst free-agent signing the last few years: Ville Leino, who somehow got $27 million over six years from the Buffalo Sabres. He got his first shot of the season, in his seventh game, the other night. That’s first shot, not first goal or point. He has four years left at a $4.6-million salary cap hit. Buyout, baby.
- Now-fired Philadelphia Flyers Peter Laviolette did team captain Claude Giroux no favours when he called the forward “the best player on the planet” a couple of years ago. As somebody in Philly cracked, “he’s only the third best player in the state.” Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh would be 1-2, and Malkin has had a pedestrian start because he missed James Neal on his wing, who just returned to the Penguins lineup from a knee injury.
- - The Flyers are vigorously shopping defenceman Luke Schenn (foot speed issues) and fellow blueliner Andrej Meszaros but both make too much money. Schenn, who came from Toronto for James van Riemsdyk, sports a $3.6-million cap hit for three more years, and Meszaros is $4 million, but he’s an unrestricted free agent in July. “They thought Van Riemsdyk was a little soft,” said one pro scout. Not so much in Toronto, and Schenn has been a healthy scratch three times.
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