The Daily: Chatter Picks Up Around Patrick Kane, Hot & Cold Flyers

It’s mid-December, and the holiday break with a roster freeze is fast approaching. Just before the break, rumors annually bubble like hot soup on a cold day as GMs position themselves to fix what ails them by the March 3 NHL trade deadline. Sources tell the Hockey Now network that the Bruins are watching Patrick Kane, the New York Islanders are courting Bo Horvat, the Edmonton Oilers want a rearguard, the NHL might expand, and the Philadelphia Flyers are a dichotomy of hot and criticized players.

Also, Elliotte Friedman broke the ice about further NHL expansion because of how well the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights are doing financially. (Ummm, start with moving a team out of a college arena to Houston, eh?)

What to do with the Florida Panthers remains a problem, too. However, the biggest cities in the U.S. without a team (excluding Houston) don’t really want one. Atlanta, Sacramento, Portland, and Indianapolis are the top 25 largest markets without teams or ones nearby.

Why can Milwaukee and Chicago have separate football, baseball, and basketball teams, but Milwaukee can’t have a hockey team? That’s always been strange to me.

Anyhoo…

Philadelphia Flyers:

Philly Hockey Now: One of the benefits of James van Riemsdyk is a splash of veteran leadership on a team that feels like constant roster chaos. It’s not a bad thing to have for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Keep the hot side hot. While a couple of the forwards have gotten the horns, Travis Konecny is red-hot.

Of course, the Flyers could use the cool side with Joel Farabee and Kevin Hayes getting hot against the Rangers, too.

NHL Trade Rumors, News & National Hockey Now sites

NYI Hockey Now: The Vancouver Canucks have single-handedly filled the NHL trade rumors and chatter for two weeks. Sources also tell colleagues that the Islanders have knocked on Vancouver’s door about Bo Horvat. What are the New York Islanders‘ biggest needs?

Boston Hockey Now: Not Jonathan Toews. No, the Bruins aren’t interested in the Chicago center. However, sources tell the Hockey Now family that his teammate, a dynamic winger named Patrick Kane, is who the Boston Bruins are watching.

The Athletic($): Pierre LeBrun set up the first NHL Trade Deadline board. He has some big-time projections, from the St. Louis Blues putting Ryan O’Reilly on the market to Colorado being a good fit for Horvat.

32 Thoughts Podcast: More NHL expansion? Coyotes on the block, and does the new Senators owner have to include Ryan Reynolds?

Washington Hockey Now: This will directly affect the Philly Flyers — Sammi Silber reports the Capitals’ injured players are ramping up their rehab. Tom Wilson and Nick Backstrom are getting closer to returns for the Washington Capitals.

Calgary Hockey Now: Milan Lucic seems perfect for the Metro Division as the March 3 NHL trade deadline nears. This week, he was a healthy scratch and promised it would not happen again. The Calgary Flames locker room.

Sportsnet: The NHL trade rumors are thick that the Oilers want a defenseman, so who will they target?

Montreal: And the news is leaking out that John Klingberg had an offer this summer from the Montreal Canadiens.