Updated:
I'm happy to report that Sabres grinder Cody McCormick is doing well. I spoke with Cody Mc between the first and second periods in the press box.
On January 11, the Sabres head coach Ted Nolan ruled McCormick out indefinitely while he began his treatment for a blood clot in his leg. The veteran banger was hospitalized due to his clotting condition.
"McCormick had a situation where he felt something, the medical staff looked at him and he went to the hospital yesterday," Nolan said. "He has a blood clot in his calf muscle, so he's at the hospital now.
"We're just kind of glad we caught it, and he’s getting medical care right now. ... I'm quite sure it's somewhat serious if he's still in the hospital."
McCormick, 31, has a goal and four points in 33 games. He's missed time this season with a concussion and a lower-body injury.
He told me that he has been skating with Marcus Foligno recently. Cody told me that he has not been cleared for any type of contact due to the prescribed blood thinners that he continues to take. McCormick told me that the clot had been in his lung. He's been taking blood thinners to combat the ailment. He's not sure if he suffered the injury while blocking a shot or if it was from another source.
He told me that he has been meaning to reach out to Philadelphia Flyers D Kimmo Timonen who himself has been sidelined this season with blot clot issues. I told Cody that Timonen was cleared tonight to return to return to action. McCormick seemed pleased by the news and added "that's great news because the nature of his injury". McCormick added: "There are three of us in the NHL with blood clots right now--- Timonen, (Pascal) Dupuis, and me".
McCormick is hoping to get an update on his condition in the days to come.
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The Sabres haven't played a home game in the past nineteen days. Its seems like forever ago that I was watching a live Sabres game in this sub zero press box.
Scouts o'plenty on press row in Buffalo tonight. The Sabres will be sellers at the NHL trade deadline. Buffalo have several key players who are attracting much attention around the league buyers right now. Pending UFAs Chris Stewart, Drew Stafford, Torrey Mitchell, Andre Benoit, Andrej Meszaros, Michal Neuvirth, and Jhonas Enroth have been getting attention from other teams in the past couple of months.
Yes, Winnipeg has eyes in the sky here. In fact, there are two scouts from the Jets here. Who are they watching?
Buying teams also on the scout list include:
Boston Montreal Toronto Minnesota Detroit Colorado San Jose Chicago Philadelphia Pittsburgh Dallas Washington NY Rangers New Jersey Arizona Edmonton
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Why did Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice bench his star power forward in of all places his hometown of Vancouver?
Kane was involved in an incident with his teammates.
Sportsnet's Chris Johnston has provided the missing context of the Evander Kane "Track Suit" controversy.
Its appears that Kane got into it with Dustin Byfuglien and others Jets teammates before the track suit-inspired benching was imposed.
Evander Kane failed to show up in time for Winnipeg’s game in Vancouver earlier this week following an incident with Dustin Byfuglien and other teammates, Sportsnet has learned.
It was previously believed the Jets had made Kane a scratch for the game in his hometown. Following the 3-2 overtime loss on Tuesday, Paul Maurice termed it a “coach’s decision.…
However, multiple sources familiar with the situation have since indicated that Kane was not on the team’s bus to Rogers Arena and then missed a pre-game meeting. Repeated attempts to reach him were unsuccessful until approximately an hour before puck drop, when Kane answered his cellphone and said he wouldn’t be playing against the Canucks that night.
Earlier in the day, the 23-year-old winger is said to have had a run-in with teammates.
Kane wore a track suit when the Jets players gathered that morning — a violation of team policy. Following a brief workout and stretch, Byfuglien is said to have thrown those clothes into the shower to send a message to his teammate, according to sources.
On Thursday, the Jets tweeted that Kane had missed practice because he was visiting with the team's doctors. Its been reported that Kane has been playing all season with a chronic injury that will require offseason surgery to repair. Kane has two options: he can continue to play with his ailment and endure the pain. Or, he can shut it down for an extended period of time and have surgery.
Coach Maurice announces Kane missed today's practice because he was meeting with team doctors.
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) February 5, 2015
Byfuglien, who moved from his defense position to play Kane's wing in VanCity, gave his side of this bizarre story to the media on Thursday.
Thanks, Jets TV
Blake Wheeler had a message for Kane after today's practice:
If you don't like the team rules, get out of here.
Thanks, Sportsnet
My take:
Kane needs to pack his hockey bag, grab his sticks off the rack and get out of Winnipeg. NOW.
It will be best for the Jets organization and Kane to get out of The Peg once and for all. There has been an under current of discontent between Kane and the Jets for the past two years. Why not part company rather than living unhappily in the same space.
I suspect that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be moving Kane out of town before the March 2 NHL trade deadline. How can Kane enter the Jets locker room after his latest run-in with Big Buff and his teammates? How can they move forward without bad attitudes towards one another? Its time to cut the chord. Its time to move on.
The Jets do not want to trade Kane to a Western team for risk of improving the team that they trade him to. Do you think that Cheveldayoff wants to meet up with Kane in the playoffs? How bad would the Jets GM look if he traded Kane to a Western club that eliminates the Jets from the playoffs and goes on to win the Stanley Cup?
Here are my teams that I feel will be the best landed spots for Kane.
Note: four of the five are Eastern conference teams.
1). Buffalo: Kane is exactly the type of player that he has spoken about acquiring. He's 23, has five years NHL experience, and has a great skill set. Murray likes players who are on other teams who need to move on in order to maximize his NHL opportunity. Ted Nolan has a great track record of being a sounding board and a mentor for young players. Kane's reputation would not bother Murray and Nolan. Over the years, Nolan has gotten the most out of Matthew Barnaby, Chris Simon and other notable "bad boys". Murray has the right combination of roster players, prospects and draft choices to sweeten the deal and tilt the ice to Buffalo's end. What package would I trade for Kane were I GMTM? Tyler Myers and a second rounder. Myers earns $5.5M per season for this and the next three seasons. Kane is a $5.25M cap hit this and the next three seasons. Murray would then be green lighted to elevate Mark Pysyk from AHL Rochester to replace Myers.
Kane might like the idea of playing with McDavid or Eichel next season. The Sabres also have a stable of young stars that will augment Kane's skills. If Kane truly does need a surgery to repair an injury, he can have the operation performed in Buffalo, shut it down for the rest of the season, and be ready to go full speed ahead in September when training camp opens.
Oh, by the way. Kane can wear #88 in Buffalo. Get it?
2). Pittsburgh: GM Jim Rutherford is looking for a top six forward who will be able to push back against the physicality of Boston and score add offense against Detroit, Montreal, Tampa, and NY Islanders in the playoffs.
3). NY Islanders: With Kyle Okposo out of the lineup for the next two months with a detached retina, Gath Snow needs a winger to finish for John Tavares.
4). Boston: Peter Chiarelli's team is playing better for the past month, however, they will need to get bigger and more offensive as the regular season comes to a close. The Bruins are strapped by their salary cap and don't have blue chip prospects inside their organization.
5). Anaheim: Imagine Kane on the same line as Getzlaf and Perry. Hand them the Cup now. Again, the Jets won't want to face Kane as a Duck, especially in the first round of the playoffs. Imagine the outrage and the furor amongst Jets Nation if they were eliminated from the playoffs by a Kane OT GWG in Game 7 of a first round playoff series.
Stay tuned.
More to come....
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We are less than a month away from the March 2 NHL trade deadline.
Chris Stewart is still a Buffalo Sabre player. Stewart is a pending UFA and is on the clock. The waiting is the hardest part of the NHL trade marketplace. Stewart is the clubhouse leader in terms of exact times his name has been mentioned in trade rumors. Sabres GM Tim Murray has been fielding phone calls on the price to acquire Stewart and his other pending UFAs Drew Stafford, Torrey Mitchell, Andrej Meszaros, Andre Benoit, Michal Neuvirth, and Jhonas Enroth.
Suffice to say, Stewart is going to be moved at or before the trade deadline. What's the hold up?
Compensation.
On Wednesday night, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos spoke about the Stewart buzz.
"They (Buffalo Sabres) really are looking for a top prospect in return, and right now the sense is the Boston Bruins may be the closest to getting him. The feeling is Ryan Spooner, top prospect with the Boston Bruins, may be in play. But still, Tim Murray may want one more piece added.…
True story.
Spooner is a decent two way center who has scored 5 goals and 12 assists in 22 games this season. He's a solid AHLer. However, he hasn't necessarily impressed at the NHL level.
Spooner alone won't get Stewart out of Buffalo. There are far too many teams scouting Stewart right now for them to settle on a singular deal.
I was told a couple months ago that the Sabres are really interested in Bruins center prospect Alex Khokhlachev. "Koko" just played in the AHL All Star game. In 38 games played in Providence this season, Khokhlachev has potted 11 goals and added 22 helpers. The 5'11" 190 pounder has made an impressive transition from the 200 by 100 foot ice surface in Russia to the 200 by 85 of the OHL and AHL.
The Sabres are also said to have interest in gritty big man Justin Florek, the 6'4" 210 pound winger.
Sabres GM Tim Murray has been in Boston since Monday. He's there to watch Jack Eichel and all of the top prospects at the legendary Beanpot tourney. Bruins GM Pete Chiarelli should invite Murray for a cup of joe and a serious manversation about a Stewart trade. Chiarelli better move quickly before Stewart gets snapped up by Ottawa, Calgary, Tampa, Pittsburgh, or the NY Islanders.
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