Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• Goalie Niklas Backstrom is off the market, as the Minnesota Wild have inked their starting keeper to a four-year extension worth $24 million. Somewhere, Josh Harding sighs deeply and kicks something. [Wild and Pioneer Press]
• According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the following players hit the waiver wire today: Peter Olvecky of the Wild; Aaron Voros and Erik Reitz of the New York Rangers; Brendan Morrison of the Anaheim Ducks; Miroslav Satan of the Pittsburgh Penguins (c'moooooon Devils); Craig Adams of the Chicago Blackhawks; Jon Sim of the New York Islanders (and a three-point night last night); Eric Perrin of the Atlanta Thrashers); Gary Roberts of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Martin Gerber of the Ottawa Senators. Meanwhile, Lawrence Nycholat is now on his fourth team in three years, snagged by the Calgary Flames. [Star Tribune and TSN]
• Pierre Lebrun with updates on the Carolina Hurricanes, as well as contract negotiations with Tim Connolly and Filip Kuba. [ESPN]
• Tom Preissing clears waivers for the Los Angeles Kings. [Inside the Kings]
• Interesting pre-deadline "winners and losers" piece by Matt at Battle of Alberta. "Loser: Jacques Martin. Because you know he's going to screw this up somehow." [BoA]
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• The Tampa Bay Lightning are receiving plenty of action on Marty St. Louis, but that doesn't mean he'll be shipped out. Or does it? (Cue ominous music.) [Damien Cox]
• In a shocking move, NBC has decided to bring the world the Philadelphia Flyers against the New York Rangers on March 15. Right after the Bruins and Rangers this weekend, and the Flyers and Penguins in two weeks. Yawn. [Puck the Media]
• Lou Lamoriello explains how Niclas Havelid fits with the New Jersey Devils and tips his hand that it'll be a deadline of tweaks instead of home runs: "Right now you have to be careful what we do with our team because of the chemistry involved." [Fire & Ice]
• Looking at the Calgary Flames at the deadline, and how players like Marty Reasoner, Steven Reinprecht and Jordan Leopold could fit on what's been a very good team this season. [Matchsticks and Gasoline]
• James Duthie appears to blame the Internet for irresponsible trade rumors: "Every blogger living in his parents' basement apparently knows exactly where Chris Pronger is going, and who is coming back the other way. He knows this because this dude in his Psych class told him. And the dude in his Psych class knows this because his roommate once dated this girl who moved to California and works at a Hooters near Anaheim, where the Ducks equipment manager's cousin was having wings and beer last Tuesday, and told her the Pronger deal was done. So she Twittered it." Booo! Bad Internet! Please join Duthie for TSN's 187 consecutive hours of deadline coverage, where not a single rumor mentioned will prove false. Because they all wear ties. [The Good, The Bad and the Duthie]
• There's a chance both Thomas Vanek and Maxim Afinogenov could be back for the Buffalo Sabres tonight Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens. [Die By The Blade]
• Ryan Smyth for Jonathan Cheechoo? The San Jose Mercury News doesn't buy it. Plus, it would be mandatory that Smyth get the party in the back working again so people mistake him for Mark Mike Ricci in San Jose. [Working the Corners]
• Fantastic line from Steven Ovadia: "Also, someone needs to tell the injured Marian Gaborik it's not a great idea to admit you haven't been watching games while recuperating. I see it as proof people really don't enjoy watching the trap." [Puck Update]
• In the battle of Daniel Alfredsson vs. Jarome Iginla, the winner is ... Daniel Alfredsson? [SensTown]
• Looking at the final 20 games of the Vancouver Canucks' playoff push. [Nucks Misconduct]
• Dominic Moore is not long for Toronto. [Sun Media]
• "It seems pretty clear, in fact, through the handling of the Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore situations, that Burke is determined to end the traditional Leaf practice of overpaying players for the privilege of having them grace the ACC ice surface." Nah, he's just being Brian Burke. [Toronto Star]
• Please remember at this and every trade deadline: Be sure to tip your advanced scouting staff. [Philly.com]
• Finally, here's Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks on Dirty Water TV, interviewed (where else?) in a Boston bar. Has he ever really been bright-eyed in bushy-tailed?
