Hurricanes are considering bringing back Jeff O'Neill

From Luke Decock of the News & Observer:

The Canes have talked to O'Neill and Jeff Taffe, Rutherford said, but both are holding out for one-way contracts.

O'Neill sat out last season after the Maple Leafs decided not to re-sign him. Carolina traded him to Toronto in August 2005, only a few months after O'Neill's brother Donny died in a car crash. The loss left O'Neill a mess and he seriously considered retiring then. After scoring 19 and 20 goals for the Maple Leafs, he did.

Read the entire story here.

If the Canes are deciding between O'Neill and Jeff Taffe, I see them siding with O'Neill. Not only are they familiar with him, but he has far more offensive upside, even though he sat out last season. However, I wouldn't expect him to sign a two-way contract unless there is some kind of agreement in place so if he didn't make the team, he'd be released.

Brandon Sutter expected to start season with Hurricanes

From Luke Decock of the News & Observer:

The Canes signed Sutter to a three-year, entry-level contract last March, and he finished out the season with their farm team in Albany (AHL) to positive reviews.

With opening night three months away, the 19-year-old is penciled in as the Canes' fourth-line center. Actually, it might even be ink.

"We feel he's ready to move in there," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said. "Unless something unforeseen comes along that we don't expect, he will be with the team."

Read the entire story here.

Sutter is an up-and-down winger who plays a physical style; which is shocking for a Sutter family member! Joking aside, the big youngster isn't really a scorer but does just about everything else a team could ask for both on and and off the ice. He will surely be a welcome addition to the Canes' forward ranks.

Hurricanes finished with signings

From Luke Decock of the News Observer:

"It wraps up all the signings," Rutherford said. "Now it's just a matter of will we move somebody, possibly a defenseman. That's something we have time on now. I believe there's a possibility we'll end up moving a defenseman."

Read the entire story here.

Both Niclas Wallin and Frank Kaberle are believed to be on the trade block. I'm sure there will be a market for both players, with Wallin generating the best return.

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• If the Thrashers don't get Marian Hossa signed to a contract extension prior to the trade deadline, the big winger may be put on the trade market, writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Bruins star center Marc Savard misses his two regular linemates, as they been out of the lineup with injuries, writes Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe.
• John Vogl of the Buffalo News provides readers with a feature on Jhonas Enroth, the young Swedish netminder who impressed at the World Junior Championship earlier this month.
• Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford tells Luke Decock of the News Observer that he is not opposed to making a trade to shake-up his current roster.
• "We worked extremely hard. It was just one of those games that was decided in the shootout," said Panthers coach Jacques Martin after his team's 4-3 shootout loss at home to the Avalanche. Florida was not afraid to drop the gloves last night, writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
• As Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette tells us, Les Habitants will be looking to rebound at Long Island tomorrow night after a terrible performance at Madison Square Garden versus the Rangers on Saturday.
• Devils center John Madden received good news yesterday when doctors determined the tendons in his right ankle were not damaged after he was cut by a skate in his team's game versus Buffalo on Saturday.
• The Rangers are looking to put together their first winning streak of 2008 tonight as they face the Penguins, writes Tim Bontemps of the NY Post. Meanwhile, Rangers defenseman Marek Malik has successfully returned to the team's lineup after being a healthy scratch last week.
• The Islanders took advantage of a wounded Ottawa team and defeated the top team in the conference by a score of 3-1 on Sunday.
• Playing their third game in four days, the Senators looked to be out of gas yesterday in their loss to the Islanders, writes Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun. With the injury to his shoulder, it looks like Dany Heatley's streak of 50 goal seasons in a row will stop at two.
• Flyers winger Mike Knuble had two goals yesterday afternoon leading his team to a 6-4 victory over Washington. Meanwhile, Flyers coach John Stevens says there is no goalie controversy in Philadelphia, writes Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Even though the Penguins have been winning games as of late, so have the rest of their rivals, writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Injured goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury skated hard yesterday for the first time since sustaining a high-ankle sprain on December 6th.
• Whatever they decide to do, the Leafs directors need to act now, writes Damien Cox of the Toronto Star. If any decisions are made by the board, they apparently won't be made with Larry Tannenbaum of the MLSE Board who will be out-of-town this week.
• The Capitals came up just a little bit short yesterday afternoon against the Flyers, writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks had luck on their side last night, as Doug Weight scored with 27 seconds left in regulation and then Francois Beauchemin scored less then a minute into overtime to give Anaheim a 4-3 victory over the division-rival Sharks.
• The Flames lost 2-1 at Edmonton last night, squaring the season series between the two teams at two wins apiece. Since reaching first place in the Northwest Division the Flames have lost three straight games, writes Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun. Even with their current losing streak, don't attribute the Flames' recent struggles to the all the talk of possibly signing Curtis Joseph.
• The Blackhawks finally ended their eight-game losing skid last night with an important 3-2 shootout victory at Nashville.
• The Avalanche pulled out a 4-3 shootout victory in Florida on Sunday and will look to make it a winning road trip when they play at Tampa on Tuesday.
• With David Vyborny starting to look like his old-self, and the possible return of Fredrik Modin on Tuesday, the Blue Jackets are starting to gain more confidence about their ability to score.
• The Stars' rookies are a little lighter in the pocket today, after last night's team dinner, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press tells readers that Scotty Bowman has no plans to leave the Red Wings for Toronto.
• The streaky Oilers made it four wins in a row last night with a 2-1 victory over the division-rival Flames. The Oilers' best players were better than the Flames' best players last night, writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun.
• There has been no sophomore slump for the Kings' Anze Kopitar this season, writes Dan Arritt of the L.A. Times.
• The Wild defeated Phoenix last night by a score of 4-1 and did so by getting back to their roots, and that is defense-first hockey; Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has the story.
• The Predators dropped to 2-4 in the shootout this season after last night's loss to Chicago, writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean. In positive news, it appears Predators defenseman Shea Weber is close to returning to the lineup.
• After last night's 4-1 loss at Minnesota, it very apparent that the Wild has the Coyotes' number.
• "We had them tonight," said Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick after his team blew a late third period lead and eventually lost 4-3 in overtime at Anaheim
• Blues forward Keith Tkachuk seemed to call out his younger teammates after the Blues' 4-3 shootout loss to Vancouver on Sunday.
• Alain Vigneault let the Sedin twins play a ton last night at St. Louis and it paid off with a 4-3 shootut victory, writes Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.