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NHL Rumors: 

Jason Spezza was thrown headfirst into the boards on Sunday night and suffered a serious shoulder injury. Before the hit, there had been speculation that he may be on his way out of Ottawa, a notion that is now being fiercely refuted by Senators officials.

Spezza, who will be out up to 6 weeks, is still viewed as a vital part of the Senators' offense, and will likely remain with Ottawa as they attempt to make a mid-season push for playoff contention.

It appears Jarome Iginla isn't going anywhere either. According to Yahoo! Sports:

"During Saturday’s Hot Stove panel discussion on Hockey Night in Canada, Eric Francis of Sun Media said the Flames approached their captain to let him know their futures will remain intertwined.

'Jarome has been told unequivocally by the team that he will not be traded this year,' Francis said. 'That’s quite big news because there’s been a lot of speculation and as the season progresses, if the Flames start falling out of a playoff place … there will be more and more talk of him being traded.'

There are two years remaining on Iginla’s contract that will pay him $7-million US per season and his deal also features a no-trade clause — something he would have to waive for any deal to go forward.

Finally, Evgeni Malkin has been linked to trade talks involving the Boston Bruins, however few reports have been substantiated. After the Penguins were eliminated from Stanley Cup contention in May, rumors were swirling that the Penguins were ready to dump Malkin. However, he stayed with the team and continues to skate for Pittsburgh.

The rumors are beginning again, but no hypothetical trades seem to make sense. The next few days should be interesting...

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NHL Rumors:

Pascal Leclaire has struggled since coming over in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Leclaire has fought off one injury after the other, and has been unable to perform to the Senators' standards in recent weeks.

The Senators are currently tenth in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the eight-seeded Montreal Canadians.

While it seems the Senators may make other moves, Leclaire might be staying put. According to the Montreal Gazette, the draft pick the Senators received when getting Leclaire may eventually take his spot.

"The oft-forgotten part of the trade was the second-round pick the Senators received in the deal. That selection, 46th overall in the 2009 draft, turned out to be goaltender Robin Lehner.

Lehner has endured a bizarre 2010-11 season of his own, including his 34 minutes of NHL game action while recalled from Binghamton of the American Hockey League to replace Leclaire, but he's now looming large in the net for Sweden at the world junior championship in Buffalo."

Ironically, the draft pick may have been the more important part of the deal, and we may find out in the upcoming weeks.

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NHL Rumors: 

Brad Richards and the Dallas Stars are back in the news for taking the first steps towards a contract extension. The negotiations are in its infantile stages, but this would be a huge step towards the Stars beginning to challenge the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference. The Stars are playing well this season, but appear to be one or two pieces away from the top.

Keeping Richards on would show other players the potential for a Stanley Cup.

According to ESPN and the Dallas Morning News, GM Joe Nieuwendyk has received permission from the team's money lenders to start contract negotiations with Richards.

Nieuwendyk told the DMN he anticipated discussions could get "complicated", but it's a start anyway. And the news also adds weight to the unlikelihood of Richards being traded before this season's Feb. 28 deadline."

With Richards staying put, look for the Stars to make moves elsewhere.

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NHL Rumors:

Brian Rolston is still a New Jersey Devil, according to Tim Gulitti of The Record. The noon deadline has come and gone and no team has claimed Brian Rolston through the re-entry waivers, and the New Jersey Devils have said he will remain on the roster. 

Rolston has expressed no hang-ups as to where he'd like to play. In fact, just the opposite. Rolston certainly feels the heat from the Devils, and knows his time with the team may be short. He will definitely become trade bait in the upcoming weeks. If Rolston doesn't receive enough trade attention, he may find himself in the AHL with Albany.

The Devils have been involved in major trades over the last few years. Sources say Jarome Iginla is on the trading block, while his team says he is unavailable. Iginla seems like a good match for the Devils, but it comes down to whether Calgary is going to cut losses, or make an attempt at a comeback.

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NHL Rumors:

According to ESPN, by way of the Philadelphia Daily News:

"There's a 50/50 chance defensemanKimmo Timonen will play in Thursday's game versus the Los Angeles Kings. Timonen sustained a lower-body injury (ankle?) during the Philadelphia Flyers' loss to theVancouver Canucks on Tuesday.

"I should be all right. We'll see," Timonen told the Daily News. "I'll take the morning skate and we will see. It's nothing really bad. But it's tight and sore."

It feels like Timonen is going to play. But if not, Matt Carle will take over Timonen's power-play responsibilities while rookie call-up Erik Gustafsson (NOT Danny Syvret) will fill the lineup vacancy."

The Flyers have been somewhat dormant in trade talks, but Timonen's injury may prompt them to make a move, filling the gap he leaves if he cannot play. Rookie Erik Gustafsson may be hurried into his new role, and the Flyers may feel more comfortable trading for an established winger with Power Play experience at the NHL level.