Hockey Hearsay shines a light on stories of interest from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, year-round. <\/i><\/p>\n
NHL Line Combo Central<\/a> | Nichols on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n PARENTEAU RESPONDS TO TRADE RUMOURS<\/b><\/p>\n P.A. Parenteau didn\u2019t try to stickhandle around questions from The Denver Post<\/a> when it came to his recent status as a healthy scratch, which triggered some trade rumours involving the Montreal Canadiens. Parenteau is from Hull, Quebec.<\/p>\n \u201cAny time a top-six guy on a team is out of the lineup (rumours) are going to go around. It\u2019s part of the game, but it\u2019s not fun with family and stuff like that. It\u2019s Montreal, too, and everyone was calling me. But I\u2019m trying to block that out and wait for my turn. The team is winning, playing really well and Patty likes his top-six right now. I\u2019ll be patient. I know I belong on the top-six, big-time, I proved it in the past, but sometimes things change in this league pretty quick. We\u2019ll see where this goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Patrick Roy, incidentally, reiterated Thursday Parenteau is not in his doghouse.<\/p>\n \u201cI like P.A. He\u2019s a great guy,\u201d Roy said. \u201cUnfortunately in this business when you get hurt it gives opportunity for others \u2014 and that\u2019s what I ask, to take advantage of an opportunity with a player is hurt \u2014 and I like the lineup that I have right now. McGinn has scored almost every other night for us and with Tanguay, Stastny and Landeskog we\u2019re 14-1.\u201d<\/p>\n MELNYK: SENS WILL STILL SPEND WISELY<\/b><\/p>\n The Ottawa Citizen<\/a> reflects on the national Rogers Communications broadcasting deal with the NHL, announced last fall, as well as this week\u2019s news on the regional pact. Combined, the deals are expected to generate an estimated $20 million to $30 million per year for the Senators over the next 12 years \u2013 although factors like the fluctuating Canadian dollar will impact those totals.<\/p>\n Senators owner Eugene Melnyk: \u201cThis puts us on a solid footing. We are going to be competitive in spending on players. If I need to spend an extra $2 million to $3 million to make the playoffs, it\u2019s a no-brainer. I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n On how he\u2019s not about to open his vault: \u201cWe\u2019re still going to spend wisely,\u201d he said. \u201cJust because you have extra money in your pocket, doesn\u2019t mean you go out and spend it.<\/p>\n On a prospect-related note, this was part of Melynk\u2019s email to The Ottawa Sun<\/a>: \u201cA number of our players would easily make NHL teams right now — we just have too much talent on the Senators. We have excellent, second to none, management in hockey operations, namely Bryan Murray, Randy Lee and his development and training staff, Pierre Dorion — arguably the best scouting head and his team an award winning head coach in Paul MacLean and his assistants. Not to mention an excellent young, team on the ice now!!!\u201d<\/p>\n SULLIVAN DEFENDS CANUCKS\u2019 ICE TIME TOTALS<\/b><\/p>\n The Vancouver Sun<\/a> illustrates how Canucks interim head coach Mike Sullivan says \u201cyou guys draw the assumption\u201d that overuse is why the top Canucks are struggling, in relation to their high minutes played and the criticism from the media.<\/p>\n \u201cSince you guys have been on this and asking me these questions, I\u2019ve been kind of exploring the league myself a little bit,\u201d Sullivan said after Thursday\u2019s practice. \u201cRyan Kesler plays four seconds on average more than Sidney Crosby. Is Sidney Crosby, is that a problem for him?<\/p>\n \u201cMarty St. Louis, his average ice time is 21:46. He plays more minutes than the (Sedins). Marty St. Louis is 39 years old. Is the minutes a problem for him?\u201d<\/p>\n Excluding the three Canucks though, seven of the top nine NHL forwards in average ice time play in the Eastern time zone.<\/p>\n \u201cYou travel in the east, too,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cTampa is not an easy travel schedule; I coached there. Our best information is our players and we communicate with those guys on a daily basis.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cListen, as a coaching staff, we\u2019re looking for answers, too. We\u2019re looking for solutions, too. And we talk about this stuff all the time \u2013 not only as a staff, but also with our players.\u201d<\/p>\n OVECHKIN GUNNING FOR GOLD IN SOCHI<\/b><\/p>\n The Washington Post<\/a> explains how the Sochi Games are Alex Ovechkin\u2019s next opportunity to attain the team glory that has eluded him.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up in Russia, Olympics, it\u2019s a lot for us,\u201d Ovechkin said. \u201cMaybe somebody don\u2019t understand it, but it\u2019s the biggest event maybe of our year and maybe of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n On the longtime dream: \u201cSince I was a little kid and since everybody was a little kid, their dream was to play in the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially we have the chance to represent the country in Sochi, it\u2019s unbelievable. \u2026 I don\u2019t think somebody is going to just say their mission is done just to be in the Olympic Games. Our mission is to win the gold medal and play our best hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n On the intense scrutiny: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be lots of pressure. It\u2019s going to be lots of media. It\u2019s going to be lots of attention out there. Of course, when you get closer to that, you just have to handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n JAGR\u2019S HOT TUB WORKOUT <\/b><\/p>\n Jaromir Jagr\u2019s dedicated training habits have become the stuff of legends with each NHL stop he makes, but NJ.com<\/a> brings a new twist.<\/p>\n Dallas Stars right wing Ryan Garbutt explains what he saw last season when entering an oversized hot tub at the team\u2019s practice rink.<\/p>\n “Jags actually would bring his hockey stick in the pool to work on his grip strength,” Garbutt said Thursday. “He’d be in there making waves with his stick. And I saw him doing it a few times. He’d keep a stick in there.”<\/p>\n Just part of his extensive workout program, Jagr explained later, while adding that he actually was working on strengthening his stomach muscles.<\/p>\n “That was my workout,” said Jagr, who turns 42 on Feb. 15. “It’s a pretty good workout if you get used to it.”<\/p>\n OSHIE\u2019S VERSATILITY HELPS BLUES<\/b><\/p>\n The St. Louis Post-Dispatch<\/a> describes how depth and flexibility have been calling cards for the Blues this season. The coaching staff has taken advantage of the forwards\u2019 abilities to play different roles.<\/p>\n T.J. Oshie has been one such player for head coach Ken Hitchcock.<\/p>\n \u201cOshie is the guy who can play left, right and center,\u201d Hitchcock said. \u201cHe can play in a checking role or a scoring role. Oshie’s the guy who can provide us with flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n JONES, DEL ZOTTO PARTNERSHIP BLOSSOMING<\/b><\/p>\n The Nashville Tennessean<\/a> notes the Predators made the Michael Del Zotto trade with Seth Jones in mind and envision the defensive pairing last for many years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to get them to talk,\u201d coach Barry Trotz said. \u201cThey\u2019re both guys who compete really hard, and they can do some things offensively. As long as they\u2019re not both (jumping into the play) at the same time, I\u2019m pretty happy about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones: \u201cThe more games you play the more experience you gain with each other. Trust isn\u2019t an issue. I trust him that he\u2019s going to make the right play, and I\u2019m sure he trusts me as well on the ice, so we\u2019re using each other a lot.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re both pretty offensive. When I look over and see him going, it\u2019s perfectly fine with me. He\u2019s doing great so far.\u201d<\/p>\n PROSPAL: RETIREMENT IS A RELIEF<\/b><\/p>\n