Ok, so here is the latest.

I was told that Montreal and Edmonton are playing a little game of chicken, so I started calling around.

I found two big clues that all sources were essentially in agreement on.

#1. The NJ Devils were also talking to Edmonton about the player the Canadiens wanted.
#2. Halak was now "off the table."

Halak being "off the table" was definitely a twist, so I started calling around and that's when I found out that the Thrashers "love Halak and are talking about possibly moving Kovalchuk as a rental to Montreal."

I wish I could tell you the player that I talked to who first tipped me in the direction of Montreal. This job is so fascinating on some nights.

I have more on Kovalchuk as well.

I am told that he really doesn't want to commit to an extension this season and would rather not be traded. However he of course understands that Atlanta has little choice. Bottom line is that Ilya is not being a jerk here. He is very serious about wanting to help the Thrashers make the place. You get the sense that he really feels a sense of responsibility for the franchise and if he is to move on he would like to do something great first for them...

More to come. Talking to a source at 1am. Working on getting final players updated on the Rumor Chart before it launches.

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