Dan’s Daily: Changes Loom in Boston/Philly, NHL Trade Rumor Roundup

The Philadelphia Flyers free fall is creating a buzz within the industry, and not everyone can or should be safe. Surprisingly, a similar storm cloud now hangs over the Boston Bruins, too, and the NHL trade deadline will be vital. The Pittsburgh Penguins could get one of their top-six wingers back, teams are calling the Buffalo Sabres about Taylor Hall, including the St. Louis Blues, and what will the Montreal Canadiens do next?

PHN+: If you don’t subscribe to PHN+, you’re missing the weekly “Off the Record” column. Multiple bombshells before the NHL trade deadline this week. An NHL exec mocked the Sabres ask for Taylor Hall, poked at Hall himself, and there could be big changes coming in Philadelphia and Boston. 

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Penguins winger Jason Zucker was a full-go at practice on Sunday. The Zucker countdown begins.

Also, Mark Jankowski and Brandon Tanev were removed from the COVID protocol 24 hours after being placed on it.

*Florida Hockey Now: I haven’t watched the Aaron Ekblad injury. Not sure I will. It was ugly, and Ekblad was carted off on a stretcher on Sunday night. 

Nope. I won’t watch it. I don’t need the mental images. But you can read George Richard’s story without seeing the video, but the video is included, too.

Sportnet: Alex Galchenyuk is shining in his Maple Leafs audition. 

That makes me happy. The poor guy was so forlorn when I covered him. It was like he was carrying bricks every day. He’s got talent. Let’s see if Toronto is the city to extract it.

NHL Trade Talk

Sportsnet/HNIC: Will St. Louis try to shed salary and make a run at Taylor Hall?

TSN: Marc Bergevin said he might stand down at the NHL trade deadline. Then he swooped in and snatched Eric Stall. Now he says he doesn’t plan to do much more, but…anything is possible for the Canadiens. 

Vancouver Sun: Travis Hamonic keeps popping up in trade rumors, but he isn’t interested in leaving the Canucks. 

National Hockey Now

Boston: Don’t look now, but New Jersey is playing pretty well. They shutout Boston on Sunday, 1-0 but that puck laid on the line…just laid there for the Bruins. 

Vegas: No one noticed Pete DeBoer’s slick coaching moves. Our Tom Callahan did, and he broke it down and why they worked for the Golden Knights. 

San Jose: Quick Thoughts–Is Rudy Balcers a top-six forward? He’s making a case for it, anyway.