Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Very Late Hockey Thoughts

01/07/2014 at 12:58am EST

from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,

- Sam Gagner: He was not eligible for a no-trade clause when he signed his three-year extension last summer (It kicks-in next season). Craig MacTavish graciously promised to honour it this season, but as Edmonton searches for answers, it sounds like both sides believe it is time for a change, not that anyone is commenting. Should a deal happen, no doubt MacTavish will try to make it a soft landing.

- As the Michael Del Zotto saga crawls towards its conclusion, wonder if San Jose is a "stealth" team in all of this. Last year, the Sharks scouted him pretty closely as the two teams talked trade (Ryane Clowe was eventually dealt to Manhattan). Couldn't hurt for a young defenceman to learn under Larry Robinson.

- At the first Alumni Game in Detroit, Scotty Bowman sent out 74-year-old Red Berenson, who tied up his man to win a last-second faceoff and preserve victory. At speaking events, Bowman tells a great story about Berenson, who played for him in St. Louis. The player was struggling one season, so the coach called him into his office. After a debate about how things were going, Berenson said he felt he brought a lot of leadership and was a fixture on the team. Bowman replied, "Red, the only fixtures here are the lightbulbs, and when they're broken, we change them."

much more

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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.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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