Marian Hossa

Wingers with potential free agency status on July 1st:

Alex Kovalev (UFA)

Alex Tanguay (UFA)

Chris Higgins (RFA)

Guillaume Latendresse (RFA)

Tom Kostopolous (UFA)

Gregory Stewart (RFA)

Matt D’Agostini (RFA)

Barring any big signings or trades, it’s expected that all RFAs will be made qualifying offers, with everybody receiving a modest raise. Perhaps arbitration will be necessary to settle a deal with Higgins, but after last season he doesn’t have much negotiating leverage. It’s highly unlikely that any other team will try to grab one of our guys with an offer sheet (and equally unlikely that we send out an offer sheets of our own).

That leaves Kovy, Tanguay, and Kostopolous.

Tom the Bomb is a great team guy and a useful grinder, but he can be replaced by a younger, cheaper call-up (i.e. Stewart). If necessary, worry about TK in August.

Kovalev is a fan favorite, but Gainey should look into other options before giving l’Artiste a new deal. He’s 36 and infuriatingly inconsistent. While Kovy can still produce, there won’t be a line-up for his services on July 1.

No need to rush.

It was reported earlier in the week that Gainey has not had much in way of talks with Tanguay or his agent because he has been working on something big. Presumably – and this is a big presumption – that something big is Vincent Lecavalier. (And if we’re to believe Jean Perron, you can also throw Martin St-Louis’ name into that mess of a rumour.)

On Tuesday, league Czar Gary Bettman gave operational control of the Lightning to co-owner Oren Koules, but Len Barrie still holds a veto vote. Any trade involving Lecavalier might have to wait until mid-July when this dysfunctional Tampa ownership (hopefully) gets sorted out. Whether or not that trade involves the Habs remains to be seen.

TSN is reporting the Penguins have broken off contract talks with Marian Hossa and he'll become a UFA on July 1.

So all that stuff about Hossa giving Pittsburgh a hometown discount because he wants to play with Sidney Crosby?

Horse hockey.

In an interesting piece titled Five Questions About the Draft, Mathias Brunet of La Presse speculates the Canadiens could be looking to launch their centennial season with a bang by making a big draft-day trade.

Players said to available: Olli Jokinen, Marian Gaborik, Patrick Marleau, Mike Cammalleri.

Brunet also writes that Quebec prospect Nicolas Deschamps may not be available when the Canadiens exercise their 25th-overall first-round pick.

The Bruins, picking 16th, are said to like Deschamps.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports the Penguins have made signing Marian Hossa their top off-season priority.

Should he become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, Hossa could command $8 million a year and a contract of at least five years. The Canadiens and Boston Bruins are said to be among the likely suitors.

The Pittsburgh story suggests Hossa would take less money to play with a winning team. He made $7 million for 2007-'08, and the Penguins offer is rumoured to be $50 million over seven years.

That's quite a discount. Hossa would be leaving a lot of money on the table in return for the pleasure of playing with Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins have one less contract headache. They filed for salary arbitration with Marc-André Fleury, which prevents the goaltender, who was great in the playoffs, from becoming an RFA on July 1.

And Evgeni Malkin said this week he'd like to stay in Pittsburgh and would not expect Ovechkinesque $$$ in his new contract. 

A couple of scary numbers in the story:

• Brooks Orpik wants a contract of at least five years and could get more than $4 million per. If that's true, what will Mike Komisarek be worth if he becomes a UFA next summer?

• The Columbus Blue Jackets want Ryan Malone and would pay him $5 million per over five years. That's an indicator of how rare and valuable power forwards are in the NHL.

TSN begins its Trade Centre special with Marian Hossa hypotheses.

Bob McKenzie says the Ottawa Senators offer would include Antoine Vermette, Christoph Schubert and Nick Foligno.

Darren Dreger's Montreal package: Michael Ryder, Maxim Lapierre and Mikhail Grabovski.

Other TSN notes before I turn off the TV and get on with my life for a couple hours:

• John Ferguson Jr. has a new hairdo.

• The countdown clock breaks seven hours down to seconds.

• Will James Duthie be funny all day?

• Does Peter Forsberg have a "mental issue" with his foot?

• I can't take 6:45:30 more of Mike Milbury.

Don Waddell.

And in his acceptance speech, the Atlanta Thrashers general manager thanks his wife, his agent, God and Mats Sundin – not necessarily in that order.

Waddell is a winner this fine morning because of what Sundin did last night. The Toronto captain annnounced he will not waive his no-trade clause.

With Sundin off the market, Marian Hossa becomes A LOT more expensive. The price also goes up for Olli Jokinen, Brad Richards and – to a lesser degree – Alex Tanguay and Patrick Marleau.

Supply and demand, baby. Supply just took a big hit from Sundin, and Demand is chugging Maalox.

While Waddell and Tampa Bay general manager Jay Feaster will emerge as winners, the big loser is Leafs' interim gm Cliff Fletcher. As David Shoalts points out in the Globe and Mail, the inability to trade his prime asset ties Fletcher's hands in launching the rebuilding of the Leafs. Shoalts speculates that in order to get some youth and energy on its roster next season, Toronto may have to send Jason Blake, Darcy Tucker, Pavel Kubina, Mark Bell and Andrew Raycroft to the minors, where their total of $16 million in salary won't count against the cap.

Waddell was in Hamilton yesterday, watching the Bulldogs beat the Marlies (who were playing without Tucker et al). Mikhail Grabovski scored twice. Jaroslav Halak – who, unlike the goaltenders in Montreal, is on fire – played another strong game.

Atlanta scout Peter Mahovlich was at the Bell Centre on Saturday, watching the Canadiens dial up a stinker against Columbus.

You have to think a Hossa deal is in the works.

But thanks to Sundin, he won't come cheap.

Mathias Brunet of La Presse thought he had a scoop. Today Brunet reported the Canadiens had ordered equipment for Marian Hossa.

Players headed to Atlanta: Michael Ryder, Mark Streit (both of whom, like Hossa, scheduled to become UFAs July 1), plus a draft choice or prospect.

Not true.

What happened was hockey gloves looking very much like those worn by the Canadiens were labeled "Hossa"  and delivered to the Bell Centre on Tuesday.

New York Rangers wear the same colour gloves as the Canadiens. Rangers have a player named Hossa, Marian's kid brother (and Canadiens' first-round draft choice bust) Marcel. 

Oops!

Hey, does anyone have insider information on the size of Alex Tanguay's "equipment"?

A cup was delivered to the Bell Centre ...