For a refreshing change in hockey rumor news, someone finally promises us a location that Olli Jokinen will NOT be heading towards: the St Louis Blues.

Ran into St. Louis Blues President John Davidson at the Marriott this morning and, since I’d heard his team was among those Panthers GM Jacques Martin had spoken with regarding Olli Jokinen, asked him if there was interest there.

“We’re not involved, but I know a lot of teams are,” he replied. When I told him Martin had told me Thursday he’d spoken to about a dozen teams, JD said he wasn’t surprised.

Unfortunately, that still basically leaves 29 other teams yet to be excluded… not to mention those devious Russians. (Some genius is bound to bring them into the Olli-rumor mix, sooner or later.)

Update 1:08pm PT:The Yankee Canuck considers—and rejects—the Jokinen/Vancouver rumors thusly:

Rumor #2: Jokinen could be targeted by Canucks [...]
Yank Canuck’s Take: Yaaaaaaawn. This again? Could this team have BOTH a real goalie and a real center at the same time all from pillaging a single team over the course of three years?

Point taken. Besides, our pillaging partner-in-crime Mike Keenan is no longer available to make some generous (and utterly insane) trade. Sadly.