THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017 SPORTS NHL teams expected to pick up trading pace over next week DETROIT: Brendan Smith was planning to spend his manager Ken Holland is expected to explore joining MATT DUCHENE gled this season. Instead of losing games and assets, bye week in Florida, trying to relax. It might be tough the minority, trying to deal at least one of his play- Colorado, easily the team with the fewest points the Lightning are listening to offers for their 30-year- for him to truly get away. The Detroit Red Wings ers with expiring contracts for draft picks because in the league, is looking to rebuild and hopes to shed old goaltender and 32-year-old center Brian Boyle defenseman, potentially an unrestricted free agent the franchise’s postseason streak seems to be des- two players and their contracts along with one that with expiring contracts. Here are some other things this summer, acknowledged he planned to keep an tined to stop at 25. will be a free agent this summer. Duchene, a 26-year- of note around the NHL: eye on social media because he may be a player the The 28-year-old Smith, a feisty player, might be old center, and Gabriel Landeskog, a 24-year-old franchise moves this week ahead of the March 1 NHL available if a team is willing to give up a third round wing, each have at least two-plus years remaining on BYE BLUES trade deadline. pick as Calgary did to acquire a comparable player, their deals and that might make them difficult to Teams are 4-12-4 in their first game coming off a “If something happens, my agent will let me know defenseman Mike Stone, from Arizona on Monday. trade. Jarome Iginla, a 39-year-old wing, is easier to five-day bye “week,” and there is talk around the or I’ll see it on social media,” Smith said Tuesday. “You Thomas Vanek, a 33-year-old winger, has 15 goals trade because teams will basically be renting him for league that there may be changes to the format next guys are pretty quick on it.” Trades have been made and 23 assists this season and is 5 for 5 on the rest of the regular season. season. The league may have teams coming off the at a slow trickle in recent days and weeks because a shootouts, possibly making him attractive to a team bye play each other, cutting down on the advantage vast majority of teams in the league are at least in that hasn’t fared well after overtimes, like PATRICK EAVES a team in a rhythm has against a rusty one. contention for a spot in the playoffs and they don’t Washington. The Red Wings, though, may want to The 32-year-old wing is in demand. He’s having want to give up too soon. Clearly, buyers outnumber re-sign him and would likely balk at late-round the best year of his career, making just $1 million this GAME OF THE WEEK sellers, and salary-cap constraints make it tough for offers for a player who has been a pleasant surprise. season. And, he’s available because Dallas likely won’t The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh many teams to make moves. Here’s a look at some other players, and teams, to make the playoffs. The Stars are also willing to deal Penguins will host the rival Philadelphia Flyers on “These next seven days are going to be crucial watch over the next week: 35-year-old winger Patrick Sharp, 35-year-old Saturday night at Heinz Field as part of the NHL with what you’re looking at,” New York Islanders inter- defenseman Johnny Oduya and 30-year-old Lauri Stadium Series. im coach Doug Weight said. KEVIN SHATTENKIRK Korpikoski. Pittsburgh is trying to keep pace with the “And I think a lot of teams are going to sway one The St. Louis Blues are in a solid position to make Metropolitan Division-leading Capitals while the Flyers way or another with the next six or seven points the playoffs, but they seem to be willing to trade the BEN BISHOP are in a logjam of teams trying to earn one of the two that are available. I think it’ll be a late, active trade high-scoring 28-year-old defenseman instead of risk- After losing in the Eastern Conference and Stanley wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference with 20-plus deadline because of the situation.” Detroit general ing losing him in free agency. Cup finals the last two years, Tampa Bay has strug- games remaining in the regular season. — AP GYMNASTICS Raisman keeps eye on Tokyo during ‘crazy’ downtime MELBOURNE: American gymnast Aly the Olympic team title and Simone Biles’s four Raisman has been caught up in a whirlwind gold medals at Rio opened the insular world since helping the United States to its golden of international gymnastics to mainstream haul in Rio and the triple Olympic champion is America. Raisman, Biles, Gabby Douglas, waiting for her world to stop spinning before Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian have setting her sights on the 2020 Tokyo Games. all enjoyed a prolonged victory lap, touring Raisman, who captained the ‘Final Five’ US dozens of cities and making red carpet women to the most dominant Olympic victory appearances at Hollywood awards nights. in the team event six months ago, will be 26 Raisman, second to Biles in the all-around when she bids for her third Olympics, hoping and floor exercise at Rio, has kept in regular to defy gymnastics’ stereotype as a sport built touch with her team mates. for petite teenagers. She joined Biles recently for a photo shoot for Sports Illustrated magazine’s swimwear edition and also competed in the popular ‘Dancing with the Stars’ television show. “It’s actually been pretty crazy, I’ve only been home maybe one month in the past eight or nine,” said Raisman, who won her first Olympic team gold as a member of the United States’ ‘Fierce Five’ at London where she also NEWARK: Travis Zajac #19 of the New Jersey Devils lands on top of Tom Pyatt #10 of the Ottawa Senators on a check in the third period of an took the floor exercise title. NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators at Prudential Center on Tuesday in Newark, New Jersey. The Senators won 2-1. — AFP “But it’s been incredible. I’ve had so many amazing opportunities. In 2012 I got to do a NHL lot of fun stuff but it’s really surpassed my expectations this time.” Although the ‘Final Five’ have bathed in Toews gets a hat trick for acclaim, USA Gymnastics has been rocked by allegations from former athletes of sexual abuse by coaches and a long-serving team doctor in media reports last year, prompting Hawks in 5-3 win over Wild Aly Raisman the governing body to review its sexual mis- conduct policy. ST PAUL: All three forwards on the Blackhawks’ top line The Boston-born Raisman is in no great “It’s obviously terrible and it should never scored on Tuesday as Chicago sent a message that the NHL results/standings hurry to plunge back into competition, how- have happened, but there is an investigation,” Central Division race might not be over yet. By beating ever, knowing a year off to freshen up could said Raisman. “So I can’t comment because we the Wild 5-3, Chicago pulled within five points of be her best chance of building motivation for have to respect their investigation.” Minnesota, which still sits atop the division. Jonathan Calgary 6, Nashville 5 (OT); Chicago 5, Minnesota 3; Toronto 5, Winnipeg 4 (Ot); NY Islanders 3, another tilt at surviving the cut-throat compe- At the age of 22, Raisman had to defy Toews recorded a hat trick, Richard Panik scored in the Detroit 1; Tampa Bay 4, Edmonton 1; Ottawa 2, New Jersey 1; Montreal 3, NY Rangers 2 (SO); tition to make the US team. doubters who said she was too old to com- second period, and Nick Schmaltz got in on the fun in Pittsburgh 3, Carolina 1. To that end, she will appear at her first pete at Rio and she wept freely with the emo- the third as the Blackhawks improved to 7-1-0 in their Western Conference Eastern Conference gymnastics event since Rio as an ambassador tional release of qualifying at national trials in last eight. The Wild got two goals from Mikael Granlund Atlantic Division rather than a competitor this week at the San Jose last year. and one from Zach Parise, but lost to Chicago in regula- Central Division WL OTLGFGAPTS Montreal 32 20 8 169 155 72 Melbourne stop of the individual apparatus She is likely to be put through the emo- tion for the first time in their past 10 meetings. Ottawa 32 20 6 158 153 70 World Cup series. tional wringer again when she launches her Minnesota 39 14 6 198 138 84 Toronto 28 20 11 186 177 67 “It would be ridiculous if I were to try to bid for Tokyo but the American draws inspira- SENATORS 2, DEVILS 1 Chicago 37 18 5 177 154 79 Florida 28 20 10 149 162 66 compete now,” Raisman told Reuters in an tion from the likes of Romanian Catalina For the second time in less than a week, Ottawa St. Louis 31 24 5 170 173 67 Boston 30 23 6 159 156 66 interview yesterday after a bit of sightseeing Ponor, who won three golds at the 2004 skated out of the Prudential Center with two crucial Nashville 28 22 9 169 165 65 Tampa Bay 27 24 8 164 167 62 road points after beating New Jersey.