from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

- Claude Loiselle, recently dismissed as Toronto assistant GM by one-time Devils teammate and now Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, is expected to be named Shanahan’s successor as VP of the NHL Department of Player Safety, we’re told by a well-placed source.

- Michael Del Zotto remains on the market as an unsigned free agent, with one club executive telling Slap Shots the 24-year-old defenseman’s reputation is in tatters around the league following his fizzle in Nashville that came in the wake of his exit from New York.

Sounds like a great time to buy low on this very talented — and perhaps now even humbled — young man. Hard to believe the Islanders aren’t all over this. Seriously.

read on for an update on where Marc Staal's contract talks stand...