October Hockey Buzz Around the League

Welcome to the first edition of Hockey Buzz Around the League, hosted by yours truly, the Enigma, Eklund!

The first month of hockey has been played, and many interesting storylines are developing around the league...I've checked in with my sources across the league to bring you the juiciest tidbits and rumours.

Now for those of you that are unfamiliar with my rumour rating system, here is a recap:

E1 - This is a rumor that comes from a single reliable source not in any way directly connected to the players or teams involved.
E2 - This rumor is simply more than one reliable sources not in any way directly connected to the players or teams involved and not connected to each other. It does not have to equate to two E1's. It could be several E1's.
E3 - This rumor comes from a single source with ties somehow to the players or teams involved.
E4 - This rumor comes from more than one source with ties to the players or teams involved.
E5 - This rumor comes from source telling Eklund the deal is 100% done and just has not been announced yet. 

With that out of the way, let's get started:

It seems that the New York Rangers GM isn't finished with their recent revamp of the roster; My sources are telling that the Rangers are still looking to make another big splash and find an elite sniper to pair with recently acquired Jonathan Lekkerimaki (e3). The Rangers certainly have a wealth of prospects they can dangle, however its uncertain who they may target. Patrick Kane from may be available, however is at the tail end of his career (Also uncertain how Kane may react to a City full of taxi drivers). My contacts close to the team however tell me their is one player the New York Rangers GM is obsessed over; Connor Bedard. Its been reported that New York Rangers GM spends at least 4 hours every day staring at a framed picture of Bedard (e4), however with Bedard currently leading the league in scoring, it is unlikely that the San Jose Sharks GM decides to part with him.

After another season where the Flyers missed the playoffs, the team on Broadstreet may be looking to make a few changes on the defense and their goaltending; So far the tandem of Leevi Merilainen and Zai Ferraro have played decently, however the offense started the season dry. Philadelphia Flyers GM has assembled a very young and talented group of forwards, but for the team to take the next step they may need to acquire a veteran to take some of the offensive load off the young stars. Viktor Eklund and Matthew Boldy are a few of the names I've heard other team executives have been asking about (e2). Keep an eye on the Flyers this season, there may be a big move in the City of Brotherly Love.

After a chaotic offseason, in which Devil's forward Karl Sterner and New Jersey Devils GM had a 10 hour standoff at the Prudential Centre this past summer (my sources tell me it was more akin to a hostage situation), the Devils find themselves off to a hot start. It seems the potential violence between the players and management has brought the team closer together. However its not all cheers, rival executives are telling me that behind closed doors, New Jersey Devils GM is unhappy with the teams recent good play (e5); The Devils GM was expecting the team to tank this year, but it seems out of pure spite, Karl Sterner is doing everything he can to prevent that and is having a resurgence in play. I've been hearing that the interest in Karl Sterner across the league is growing, and a "Save Sterner" movement is quietly building among league executives...Do we see the Devil's GM blow up the core and finally trade Sterner away? Or can the franchise make amends with their once franchise player.

The mattyh continues the rebuilding in Oil Town, as players such as Tomas Hertl and Oliver Wahlstrom continue to be shopped around (e4). After a slow start for a few teams around the league, look for teams such as to come calling (e3).