Quotes And Notes: One-Timer Thoughts As Leafs Prepare To Battle Columbus

With just two weeks to go before the NHL's trade deadline, things are heating up in Toronto.  

There's questions about Antropov, Kaberle, Kubina, Moore, Blake, and just about everyone else who has worn the blue and white this season.

Amid all the trade rumours and fantasy proposals, one thing is getting overlooked.

The Leafs actually have games to play.

There are a ton of thoughts and storylines as the Leafs get set to welcome the Blue Jackets to the ACC tonight.

Without further ado, let's get into the first edition of Quotes and Notes, the one-timer edition.

• The Leafs and Jackets battle tonight, in a battle of two young teams with two young goalies. Leafs fans are excited to finally get a good look at Steve Mason. It's interesting to note, these two teams met exactly one year ago tonight.  Weird, eh?
• Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock looks for his 500th win tonight. While there have been more popular coaches, players enjoy playing for the man known as "Hitch" and it would be alright to see him get that 500th...just not tonight.
• Justin Pogge makes his second start in goal tonight.  Here's hoping it goes a little better.  Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up on this kid at all, but some of the goals from the other night were not goals an NHL calibre goalie would give up. 

• Early reports indicated that Boyd Devereaux would play tonight. However, he wasn't on any of the top four lines in practice, making him questionable for tonight.  Mike Van Ryn and Tomas Kaberle remain out with injuries.
• A quick congratulations to Jiri Tlusty who set a Toronto Marlies record by scoring five goals in a game.  This is a kid the Leafs haven't given up on yet, and I would bet we see him after the deadline with the big club.
• Here is a quick little gem that just came across my desk. Ron Wilson was on FAN590 radio station and said the Leafs aren't rushing Pogge, because they don't want him to become what Carey Price is now, a shell of his former self. Ouch. This rivalry just gets better, doesn't it?
• Just a quick note regarding some trade rumours making the rounds in the past few days.  I spoke with TSN's Darren Dreger at length this afternoon and he told me he didn't know anything about the supposed deal from the Globe And Mail that would send Antropov to Pittsburgh.
• Along those same lines, Dreger also commented on Brian Burke's comments from his speaking engagement at the London Convention Centre. Burke made a comment of how there was a trade proposed to the team during the Buffalo game, and he was taking the day with his staff to mull it over, and research it. However, Dreger told me after doing some digging on the issue, he can't find any information on it at all. Take it for what it's worth.

Be sure to check back to Bleacher Report often, as I will be publishing shortly my interview with Darren Dreger from this afternoon.  Darren and I spoke in depth about the upcoming NHL trade deadline.