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TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger gathered for the latest installment of Insider Trading on Tuesday and the topics discussed were Steven Stamkos recovery from a broken leg, the San Jose Sharks trying to re-sign their "top three," a management shuffle in Philadelphia, USAs goalie situation ahead of the Olympics, and trade talk. Martin Demichelis Argentina Jersey . Whats the latest on Steven Stamkos three weeks after have surgery on his broken leg? Darren Dreger: Hes ahead of schedule. Hes targeting February 6 against the Tornoto Maple Leafs as his expected date of return. Hes working out on a daily basis, riding a bike, and core training. Hes going to work out exclusively with Gary Roberts over the Christmas break and then hell kick it in to high gear and do two-a-day training in January. Pierre LeBrun: And Team Canada is going to use that extra week they got from the IIHF and will announce their roster on January 7. Meanwhile, the Team Canada brain trust is going to meet before the Board of Governors meeting in California, take in a Kings game and fine tune their player list this weekend. What is on the front burner of trade talk? Bob McKenzie: Florida Panthers defenceman Dmitri Kulikov has been available for most of this year but the Panthers are kicking it up, very aggressively shopping him, and trying to get an auction going for a 23-year-old defenceman who was picked 14th overall in the 2008 draft. Kulikov though has two knocks against him. One, he hasnt been developing and playing particularly well for Florida and two, hes a restricted free agent at the end of the year and there are fears that because he has the KHL option as a Russian, he might go back there instead of playing in the NHL. Dreger: The New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, and Edmonton Oilers are believed to be among the most active teams in trade discussions. The Islanders are looking for depth in goal and a defenceman. The Canucks had some interest in Martin Erat out of Washington and while thats not a fit they still want a top six forward. And its Groundhog Day in Edmonton where Craig MacTavish continues to search for a defenceman. McKenzie: Carolina is a hot spot right now. General manager Jim Rutherford is one of the most patient GMs in the NHL but that patience is definitely wearing thin. Theres no coaching change planned right now; head coach Kirk Mullers not in imminent danger. But another week or two of underachieving the way they have been and all bets are off. Off the ice, on the ice, Rutherford is getting extremely frustrated the way his team is looking. And anything is possible if this team keeps taking a nose dive. LeBrun: Another team to keep an eye on is the Colorado Avalanche. Theyve been making calls offering up winger Jamie McGinn. Theyd like to get a defenceman or a veteran checking forward in return. McGinns name is being offered to a couple teams around the league right now. The Board of Governors Meeting next week could have some significance for the San Jose Sharks. LeBrun: Its significant for a lot of teams but really for San Jose. They are trying to re-sign their big three: Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Dan Boyle. All are UFAs at the end of the year; there have been ongoing discussions with all three with numbers being exchanged with Boyles camp and Thorntons camp. Not so much with Marleau because he hasnt hired an agent yet after the passing of Don Baizley. But once they get that cap number next week it gives Doug Wilson a chance to go back to all three camps and have a number for all three. McKenzie: David Legwand of the Nashville Predators is not Thornton, but he is an effective member of the Predators and the first person ever taken by them in the entry draft many years ago. Hes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and is looking for a new deal but there have been no negotiations thus far. Hes a guy that wants to get locked up in Nashville but nothings happened thus far. Has there been a shuffle in senior management in Philadelphia? Dreger: Paul Holmgren will now report directly to Ed Snider and that may have its complications for anybody that knows how volatile Snider can be. Peter Luukko stepped down as President and COO of Comcast so that complicates things because he did a lot of work on the hockey side including buffering between Snider and Holmgren. Whats going in with the goalie rankings for the US Olympic hockey team? LeBrun: The current ranking right now has Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller 1-2 one way or the other which has yet to be determined. The battle for the third spot is between Jimmy Howard and Cory Schneider. No Ben Bishop in that top four; in fact the guy they have listed fifth is Tim Thomas. But at this point it looks like Howard or Schneider for that third spot behind Quick and Miller. Sergio Romero Jersey . -- Last month, Richie Incognito said severe repercussions would be warranted if the Miami Dolphins kept allowing sacks at such an alarming rate. Ezequiel Lavezzi Jersey . "There are a lot of kids out there in my situation, probably far worse situations," he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. CHAUNCEY BILLUPS (Pistons): Yes they got Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings in the off-season and Andre Drummond is a beast (teams are kicking themselves for passing on him - he rebounds and block shots every game - thats two more discernable and significant skills than most guys in his draft class), but dont for a second discount the impact of having a savvy veteran like Billups on your team. He can play both guard spots and plays within himself and can shoot the three-ball exceptionally well but most importantly he is a respected elder statesman who gets it and can still play. Hes a huge asset to coach Maurice Cheeks getting this young/talented team to buy in" and make the sacrifices necessary to be successful. A good under the radar pickup by GM Joe Dumars after a messy departure a few years back. 2. NIKOLA VUCEVIC (Magic): Check out these numbers (14.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg and shooting 56 per cent) and I think you can see this guy is no fluke. Loved watching him get extended minutes last season and its paying off. Hes relentless on the offensive boards and has that nose for the ball that good rebounders have. Hes getting the opportunity and is one of the bright spots for a young team that is flying high after knocking off the Brooklyn Nets. 3. LANDRY FIELDS (Raptors): None of us have any control over the bloated contract he received yet we do have control over our pure objectivity in assessing a guys game and overall contribution to a team with money left totally aside. I like what I see. Would he be a guy Id want as a teammate? Yes, definitely. Would he be a guy Id like to coach? It would be an honour. He gets it. Hes all about team and sacrifice. Smart and tough. Does he have limitations? Yes, but hes a solid rotation player who you can count on and trust to try to do the right things and be in the right places. He wont always be successful but you know the intent is precisely what the script calls for. As a former coach, you reach a point where you get tired of waiting foor guys and youd rather deal with someone who is dependable. Gonzalo Higuain Jersey. Fields fills that void for a number of minutes each game to allow for others to grow/prosper. I talk to lots of coaches, executives and scouts and in spite of a contract thats overpriced (no fault of Fields) to a man - hes a respected player who fits the bill as a role player with winning habits. Hes healthy and were seeing a guy regaining his confidence and earning the trust of his coaches and teammates as a guy who will be in that nine-man rotation. Guys like this are hard to keep off the floor. Its a team game. 4. MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS (Sixers): Who saw this coming? The 76ers are 3-0 and the Suns are 2-1 (they played pretty well in their loss at Oklahoma City on Sunday night and lost Goran Dragic). Carter-Williams has been awesome in their upsets. Hes averaging an amazing 20 ppg and 7 assists and is shooting 47 per cent from long distance. He guards and sets the tone for Brett Browns team defensively with his excellent lateral quicks and his ball pressure. Honestly didnt think hed be this good this early with a team that has limitations to say the least. He strikes me as a guy that will be one of those players who will be a better pro than he was in college at Syracuse. The pace and rules of the NBA game favour his game and also look at him as a guy who is still figuring out how to run a team. Has lots of ability and hes really jumped out at me. 5. XAVIER HENRY (Lakers): Style of play is a major benefit to this guy playing for Mike DAntoni. He parks himself behind the three-point arc (14.3 ppg and 45 per cent on threes) and lets loose. Watched a few of the Lakers games already and this system fits his game perfectly. Run to a spot and fire away on the catch. Im curious to see how he performs as we go along here as teams lock in with their scouting/preparation and begin to chase him off the distance line and make him score in a secondary fashion. If he can handle all that hes playing in an ideal situation for himself. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
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