Scott Burnside

  (1:59 PM)

Greetings all from sunny, blazing hot Las Vegas. A few hours away from the annual awards and just a few days from the draft. Now, where were we?

Nick (Buffalo )

Odds Buffalo lands one of Ryan/ Parise/ Nash/ Staal

Scott Burnside

  (2:01 PM)

Nick; I see GM Darcy Regier was talking to my friend Pierre LeBrun and would like to move some of the draft picks he's accumulated and the assumption is he'd like to get better up front. But honestly hard to imagine that any of those four ends up in Buffalo.

Joel Strickland (Fayetteville, NC)

I'm still on a high from watching my Kings finally win the Cup, but am excited to see how their offseason goes. My thoughts are that Penner is probably the only "key" player out the door this offseason and I'm hoping Parise comes through the door. Odds???

Scott Burnside

  (2:02 PM)

Joel; Must be that I'm in Vegas and am getting 'odds' questions but I think the Kings would like to keep Penner if he doesn't mind taking a modest pay cut and commits to being in better shape. As for Parise no doubt that Dean Lombardi will make a big push for the gem of the free agent forward crop this summer. What better selling tool than having defeated Parise's Devils in six games in the finals a few weeks ago?

Bruce (Detroit)

Scott - in your mind, who do the Wings have the better shot at getting, Suter or Schultz? Lots of chatter about the latter around here lately.

Scott Burnside

  (2:03 PM)

Bruce; What about both of them? Wings will have lots of cap room and a need to re-tool along the blue line with Nicklas Lidstrom's retirement and Brad Stuart heading back to the west coast with the Sharks.

Lonny (Andover, Mn)

Do you see the Wild landing either Parise or Suter this off season?

Scott Burnside

  (2:06 PM)

Lonny; I think Chuck Fletcher will take a hard run at Parise and Suter will likely be in the mix as well. Not sure the Wild are close enough to attract either player assuming both hit the market on July 1. Fletcher has done a nice job of assembling young talent but their collapse last season will make it harder to lure blue chip guys like Suter or Parise unless he can sell them on being the cornerstone of something special down the road in Minnesota.

Peter Chiarelli (The Hub of Hockey)

How detrimental is the Tim Thomas situation? Will this affect our team for one year or years to come?What are my chances of signing Parise? He would look great in a spoked B with Bergy and Seguin.

Scott Burnside

  (2:09 PM)

Peter; I think the answer lies with Tuukka Rask and his ability to produce quality starts over the course of the season. Assuming Thomas is good to his posted word and won't play next season Rask is going to have to shoulder a significant load. He's got the tools to do that so perhaps the Thomas situation won't be as disruptive as one might imagine. As for Parise I would imagine the Bruins will kick the tires but not sure it fits salary-cap wise with what the Bs have going on. But you're right, he'd look good in a Bruins jersey.

Richard (Greensboro, NC)

More likely the Hurricanes make a significant run at Parise, Jordan Staal, or Yakupov?

Scott Burnside

  (2:11 PM)

Richard; Well Jordan Staal is a natural fit but I see Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero is trying to cool the 'trade Jordan Staal' rumors so not sure that's going to happen and not sure what Jim Rutherford would have to give up. Likewise not sure the Oilers are all that interested in moving the number one pick and there's no guarantee they'll take Yakupov given how thin they are on the blue line. I know Rutherford would like to be active but not sure it will amount to anything earth shattering.

Scott (Virginia)

Odds philadelphia gets parise or nash?

Scott Burnside

  (2:12 PM)

Scott; I'd go Parise over Nash for the Flyers. The problem with Nash is that he's going to cost not just term and money but assets. Parise it's all about the dollars and the term and the selling job.

Jeff (Clearwater)

What should us Lightning fans be expecting from newly acquired Anders Lindback next year?

Scott Burnside

  (2:15 PM)

Jeff; I think Bolts fans should be excited. I'm not sure Lindback can be another Pekka Rinne but he is very athletic for a guy his size (6-foot-6) and Mitch Korn is one of the top goaltending coaches in the NHL so Lindback will be well-schooled. The nice thing is that Mathieu Garon has shown that in stretches he is a more than serviceable back-up so if Lindback is indeed the starter he doesn't necessarily need to play 65 games. Regardless the goaltending should be better next season - of course it could hardly be worse than last year.

Brad (Philadelphia, Pa)

Hey Scott..Holmgren is doing everything in his power to bring in a #1 Dman. Any chance in landing Shea Weber and would a package of JVR, Vorachek, Mezaros and picks be enough?

Scott Burnside

  (2:17 PM)

Brad; I don't think Shea Weber is going to be in play. He's going to be a restricted free agent but I think he'll get a deal done in Nashville. If he can't get a long-term deal done then the pressure will be on David Poile to move him before the trade deadline assuming he could become unrestricted a year from now. But that's a long way off. Suter, of course, remains the Preds priority but he'll go to market on July 1 and that's when I expect the Flyers will make a strong push to nab him.

Adam (Chicago)

Do you have any sense of what Bowman and the Hawks will do? They have almost a full roster set to come back. They have a ton of talent, but are coming off two first round knock outs. Do they sit back and hope the goaltending and special teams get better or do they make a move to change the dynamic of the team?

Scott Burnside

  (2:19 PM)

Adam; That's the real dilemma for Stan Bowman I think; does he believe in Corey Crawford and his ability to bounce back from a very disappointing playoff turn against Phoenix? The problem is that there aren't really many viable options. Don't think Roberto Luongo makes sense given his contract and term and there isn't an obvious guy that could come in and at least on apper provide a significant upgrade. Still, two first-round exits after winning the Cup will make for some nervous times around the United Center if the team starts slowly.

Shawn (MI)

Patrick Kane for Jordan Staal?

Scott Burnside

  (2:21 PM)

Shawn; Interesting and were it not for Mr. Kane's off-ice baggage maybe doable. Still think Staal brings a lot more to the table even though the Pens could use some skill on the wings to help support Crosby and Malkin.

Dave (Miami)

Do you think the Panthers will be able to re sign Garrison?

Scott Burnside

  (2:23 PM)

Dave; That's a tough one. Talked to Dale Tallon here at the awards yesterday and he's hopeful but the free agent crop of defensemen is so thin that after Ryan Suter Garrison is going to be a popular guy. The question I would have if I'm Garrison, will I find a situation that's as good and comfortable as I have it in Florida. With Brian Campbell playing a significant role in his breakout year I'd be very cautious about simply chasing the money to another team where perhaps the dynamics are different, the expectations are higher and all of a sudden the offense takes a dip.

Tim (Orleans)

Any chance Nash approves a trade to Ottawa? And is the report of Zibanejad, Foligno and one of Lehner/Bishop enough?

Scott Burnside

  (2:25 PM)

Tim; I think Ottawa would be a dark horse in the Nash discussion but the intrigue of playing with Jason Spezza might be enough along with the signing of Erik Karlsson and the team's surprise jump into the playoffs last year to whet Nash's interest. Columbus certainly needs goaltending and I would think Zibanejad and Foligno would be a nice little package. Stay tuned on that one.

Anthony (NYC)

Any chance the Rangers make a blockbuster with Columbus for their two big assets - Nash and the #2 pick, both of which appear to be in play?

Scott Burnside

  (2:26 PM)

Anthony; Hard to imagine especially if, as expected, the Rangers aren't going to part with Kreider and/or McDonagh.

JD (DC)

Scott, in your opinion who is currently the most undervalued free agent out there?

Scott Burnside

  (2:31 PM)

JD; With all due respect to the guys who will be available July 1 it's pretty thin. But the guy I'm curious about is P.A. Parenteau who had a breakout year with the Isles last year. It doesn't look like they'll get a deal done before July 1 and a guy who had 49 assists and 67 points will garner lots of attention. Still, were those totals a function of playing on the Island and would he be able to replicate them somewhere else? He's had to scratch and claw his way into the league and this is a chance for him to turn a fine season into some security either on Long Island or somewhere else. No doubt in my mind someone will take a chance that last year wasn't a fluke.

Biff Tannen (Hill Valley, CA)

How do you see the Devils ownership situation shaking out? How will it affect how the roster is constructed for next season?

Scott Burnside

  (2:33 PM)

Biff; Not sure how that will play out although Commissioner Gary Bettman said yesterday Jeff Vanderbeek is working with the banks to get refinancing done. It's a mess, no doubt about it and you have to wonder how that plays into Zach Parise's mindset when he's considering whether to stay or not. As for other moves hard to say what constraints that will put on Lou Lamoriello when it comes to resigning guys like Bryce Salvador or enticing other free agents. Still, the financial issues should be mitigated by the team's strong play in the playoffs.

Rick Nash (at the Columbus airport waiting to buy a ticket out)

Is Scott Howson asking too much for me and are you surprised he's the one in charge of making this trade? I can't see anybody giving up what he's asking for me and have a feeling he'll be stuck accepting much less later in the summer

Scott Burnside

  (2:36 PM)

Rick; You raise an excellent point. Yes, I'm surprised by the fact Scott Howson remains in his position as GM given the complete and utter lack of success the team has enjoyed under his tenure. And if he doesn't alter his demands it's hard to imagine many or any teams willing to ante up the collection of everyday NHLers and picks/prospects he is looking for. At the end of the day I suspect he will have to take less or end up with a player who clearly doesn't want to be in Columbus at training camp and how ugly would that be?

David (LA)

With reports now surfacing that Ryan is in play, who would you give up more assets for, him or Nash?

Scott Burnside

  (2:39 PM)

David; A couple of questions on Bobby Ryan and not sure if GM Bob Murray is just testing the market or whether he's actually determined to move the young winger. Hard to compare Ryan and Nash given that Ryan is three years younger and doesn't have the resume in terms of production that Nash has. So the asking price for Ryan would be significantly lower but I think there's a lot of up-side to Ryan which will make him attractive to teams that don't want to pay the Nash premium like the Rangers.

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver)

If Corey Schneider is the future between the pipes, where would I be best fit to end up? Toronto? San Jose? Colorado? Back to Sunrise maybe?

Scott Burnside

  (2:41 PM)

Roberto; I think it depends on what GM Mike Gillis is prepared to do in terms of asking price. If he wants much back I'm not sure there's much of a market anywhere. But if he's willing to take on some salary (ie. a Mike Komisarek for instance) then Toronto could be a nice landing spot. I think Florida would be interested but it would have to be with nothing of value going back to Vancouver. San Jose is interesting given the up and down year turned in by Antti Niemi. My best guess right now is Toronto.

Chris (Long Island)

Any chance the Islanders make a big move by weekend? Either move up to get Yakupov /Murray, or land a top 4 defenseman?

Scott Burnside

  (2:43 PM)

Chris; Not sure what the Isles have planned. I like the mix of forwards they have even if they didn't jump up as high in the standings last year as I'd imagined. I would think bolstering the blue line would be a priority so not sure on Yakupov although that will depend on which direction the Oilers decide to go with the number one pick.

Ted Sheckler (buffalo)

Where will the coyotes be playing next year?

Scott Burnside

  (2:44 PM)

Ted; I think they are in Glendale for at least one more year. The bigger question is who will own them and I think right now it's no better than 50-50 that it's Greg Jamison and if not Jamison then the league will hold its nose and keep them for another year as they hammer out a new CBA and then begin the process of finding a new home for the team unless some mystery owner comes out of the woodwork in the interim.

Paul Holmgren (Philly)

We've got offense and need D-men. The Ranger have D-men and need scoring. I know intra-division trades are taboo, but wouldn't JVR for say Girardi and a pick make sense?

Scott Burnside

  (2:45 PM)

Paul; If you can make that deal do it. Now. But now way Glen Sather is making that deal, sorry.

Zach (Philly)

Why no CBA scuttlebutt? I'm getting nervous...

Scott Burnside

  (2:49 PM)

Zach; Don't worry lots of time for scuttlebutt on the CBA. The two sides will likely meet by the end of the month and we'll see what happens from there. Lots of pessimism about getting a deal done on time for training camp. Depends on what tack the players under Donald Fehr are going to take. In general it makes no sense for these two sides not to get a deal done. Apart from a handful of franchises that are struggling financially the game seems to have hit its stride with revenues continuing to climb, new television deals, strong growth in many markets. To stop that now because the two sides can't agree on how to slice up the pie seems foolhardy. Not that that's stopped pro athletes and owners in the past.

Andy (Denver)

What do the Avs need most to move forward and make the playoffs next season?

Scott Burnside

  (2:53 PM)

Andy; Not sure they need much more than what they have and I think the experience of playing meaningful games down the stretch last season will serve them well this coming season. They need to stay healthy, that's a given, and they need Matt Duchene to bounce back after scoring just 14 times in 58 games last season. But I like what Greg Sherman has got going on there.

David (Pittsburgh)

who is going to win the Hart tonight ?

Scott Burnside

  (2:53 PM)

David; Evgeni Malkin.

Gabe (Tallahassee)

Scott, if the Glen Sather doesn't want to part with any core players, who on the free agent wire would help them improve areas of need?

Scott Burnside

  (2:55 PM)

Gabe; Good question. I think they need to be better down the middle but there aren't really any game-changers available.

slanter (Denver)

How about the Calder?

Scott Burnside

  (2:55 PM)

slanter; I think Landeskog will edge Nugent-Hopkins.

Mike (Mission Viejo, CA)

How likely is Parise to the Kings and who do you have as the early Cup favorites next year?

Scott Burnside

  (2:57 PM)

Mike; Kings are expected to make a strong push for Parise and even without him I think you have to keep the Kings at the top of the heap right now at least in terms of the Western Conference. So hard to tell now with free agency and trades to come that will change the landscape in some cases dramatically. But the Kings are in a great spot as a defending champion to ice a strong team next season.

Scott Burnside

  (2:58 PM)

Okay folks. Thanks for dropping by. We'll have all the awards coverage later tonight from Vegas and then I'll be joining Mr. LeBrun and Craig Custance in Pittsburgh for the draft this weekend. Stay tuned. Cheers.