Report: Ducks shopping Ryan, Flyers interested

A Philadelphia-based report suggests the Anaheim Ducks are quietly shopping Bobby Ryan.

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REPORT: DUCKS SHOPPING RYAN, FLYERS INTERESTED

The Philadelphia Flyers have long been rumoured to have interest in Cherry Hill’s Bobby Ryan, who himself has always wanted to skate for the Flyers. Trade rumours have been swirling, off and on, around Ryan for years.

CSNPhilly.com reports two NHL sources not associated with the Flyers say the Anaheim Ducks are quietly shopping Ryan a week before the NHL draft in Newark, N.J., and that the Flyers are keenly interested.

“Still a lot to be worked out,” said one source.

A Flyers source, who did not know of the trade discussions, said that the organization has long coveted Ryan going back to the days when Bob Clarke was the general manager.

“If Bobby Ryan is being moved it will happen next week at the draft,” he said.

But hold on.

It should be an interesting run up to the NHL draft, which is scheduled to be hosted by the New Jersey Devils on June 30 at Prudential Center.

LIGHTNING’S LECAVALIER KNOWS BUYOUT POSSIBLE

Vinny Lecavalier tells The Tampa Bay Times he understands it’s possible the Lightning will choose to buy out his contract, which comes with an annual $7.727 million cap hit.

“It’s something that’s really hard to think about, but you see it all the time in sports and business,” Lecavalier said. “Sometimes there are changes. It’s something you have to adapt to with your family and the city.”

Lecavalier’s agent Kent Hughes said this of his client’s deal: “We understand this is a difficult contract. There’s nothing we can do to change that on our end given the restrictions incorporated into the collective bargaining agreement.”

“Ultimately,” Hughes said of a buyout, “it’s a decision the Tampa Bay Lightning will have to assess and make.”

How seriously is Lightning GM Steve Yzerman considering using a compliance buyout? “All I would say is we just finished 28th (in the league),” he said. “We should be looking at every possible way to improve our team. I’m not about to say we’re doing this or we’re not doing that. As an organization, we sit and debate everything.”

That same Times article discusses the possibility of a buyout of winger Ryan Malone.

PENS, DUPUIS CAMP OPEN TALKS

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports discussion opened this week between Penguins general manager Ray Shero and Pascal Dupuis’ agent Allan Walsh, though a deal is not close.

Dupuis, 34, is one of seven Penguins set to become an unrestricted free agent July 5. The others are fellow wingers Matt Cooke and Craig Adams. Also in that mix are in-season additions Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow, both wingers, and defensemen Douglas Murray and Mark Eaton.

Figuring out where things stand with Dupuis is the Penguins’ top priority before the NHL Entry Draft on June 30.

Shero also expects to have opened discussions by then with agent Kent Hughes, who represents defenseman Kris Letang. Shero and Hughes had not talked as of Tuesday morning. Discussions were expected to be held Wednesday.

Letang, 26, has one year remaining on a contract that pays him $3.5 million annually.

SCRIVENS TO MARCH IN PRIDE PARADE

The Toronto Star reports Ben Scrivens is going to Toronto’s Pride Parade.

The Maple Leafs backup goalie will pick up where his former boss, GM Brian Burke, left off and march in the June 30 parade honouring the city’s gay community.

“It’s something Ben wanted to do and he’s glad to do it,” said Leafs spokesperson Pat Park. “We think it’s terrific.”

Brian Burke started marching in the parade in 2010 in honour of his late son Brendan, who was gay. Burke marched with a group called Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

PEGULA ADDRESSES SABRES’ RECRUITING PROBLEMS

The Buffalo News relays that Sabres owner Terry Pegula, appearing on “Sabres Hockey Hotline” on WGR-AM 550, noted failed contract talks have taught him what has long been known around Sabreland: Buffalo has a recruiting problem.

“When you go after a free agent, the Buffalo Sabres go after a free agent, I get a kick out of some comments, ‘Why didn’t they get this guy? Why didn’t they get that guy?’’ Pegula said. “Does anyone ever think that maybe that other person has a say in the decision? And maybe he didn’t or doesn’t want to come to Buffalo. You can’t force people to do things.

“I can tell you that every free agent, major, some of the minor ones that have come down the pipe the last couple of years, we’ve been heavily involved with them. … As far as I know we set the standard and won the war, but they made the decision and I think last year’s market was a pretty good example of that. Why don’t we get this guy? Well, guess what, he’s got a brain in his head and he makes a decision based on where he wants to go. Players have a lot to do these days in the way you take your team.”

PANTHERS’ HUBERDEAU CONTINUES HIP REHAB

The Sun Sentinel describes how lanky, 6-foot-1, 177-pound Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau, fresh off a Calder win as the league’s top rookie, hopes to gain strength before his second season and work on visualization techniques.

“I want to get stronger on the lower-body too, my legs, I want more explosion in my skating,” he said. “I want to improve so many things.”

But for now, Huberdeau is focusing on rehabilitating his hip, which he said didn’t hamper him while playing all 48 games this season while notching 31 points. He expects to begin skating in August.

DATSYUK EARNS HIGH PRAISE FROM WINGS’ HOLLAND

You’ve no doubt seen all the details surrounding Pavel Datsyuk’s three-year extension with the Detroit Red Wings.

What you may not have caught were some of the incredible compliments – all true richly deserved – that GM Ken Holland lavished on the star forward, courtesy Michigan Live.

“His hockey I.Q. is off the charts,” Holland said. “He has incredible will and determination. He’s maybe the best one-on-one player in the world. He’s a player who probably doesn’t fulfill his offensive potential because he’s so committed defensively. He’s a world-class player. He’s irreplaceable.”

“He’s gets goals, he gets assists, but he does so much more,” Holland said. “He’s a great shutdown centerman, and as his career plays out he’s like a Chelios or a Larionov, you just don’t gauge his impact strictly on goals and assists. He’s a great defensive centerman. He plays hard. He plays physical. He’s on the penalty kill. He blocks shots. He steals the puck and next thing you know we’re heading up ice.

“It would have been a gigantic loss.”

FLETCHER NOT WORRIED ABOUT WILD’S CAP SITUATION

The Minneapolis Star Tribune takes a look at the potential cap space issues facing the Wild, including how Dany Heatley’s torn labrum rehab takes him out of the initial compliance buyout period coming up soon.

“We have a few different ways we can get to the cap,” General Manager Chuck Fletcher said Monday. “We have options, but some things are easier done than others.”

Cal Clutterbuck, Tom Gilbert, Zenon Konopka, Devin Setoguchi and Kyle Brodziak are all listed in the article as potential trade bait to aid in the cap situation.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with teams and we’re taking as many calls as we’re making,” said Fletcher, adding that league-wide talks should ramp up more during Wednesday’s general managers meeting in Boston.

It will be fascinating to watch how Fletcher makes the snug math work.

“The question is how do we get to the cap and still make the right hockey decisions,” Fletcher said. “That’s the challenge, but honestly, I’m not worried and there are a lot of teams that are in worse shape than we are.”

WHAT THEY’RE TWEETING ABOUT

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