It's not a secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs are in love with James van Riemsdyk. Brian Burke loves his big bodied American-born players, and JvR has a ton of potential that the Leafs general manager would just love to add to his squad. But when a potential trade piece has a concussion that's keeping him out of action just 20 days before the trade deadline, his value quickly plummets like a rock to the bottom of a lake.

That's apparently what's happening with Reemer, who has been out with a concussion since January 12. Via the omniscient Bob McKenzie of TSN:

Three weeks to the deadline, and Toronto Maple Leaf fans will hate to hear this but there is a very real chance the team doesn't make a significant move between now and the trade deadline.

...

James van Riemsdyk has a concussion, he's not a factor for the Leafs at this point.

If Burke and the Leafs aren't interested, it's hard to imagine anybody that's interested. We all hope Reemer gets well as soon as humanly possible, especially considering the unpredictability of head injuries, but for anybody who wants him in town -- including himself -- being out of the lineup for the next 20 days might just help the cause.

For the latest NHL trade deadline news and rumors, check in with SBNation.com's ongoing StoryStream.

CBC's Elliotte Friedman consistently puts out the best weekly read in the hockey world -- his 30 Thoughts column. This week is no different, and this little thought from the well-plugged-in writer was fascinating.

It's interesting to hear other teams talk about the Flyers. If there's one thing they really respect, it's Philly's willingness to make bold decisions. That's why there's a suspicion that if Ilya Bryzgalov or Sergei Bobrovsky doesn't grab a stranglehold on the net, Philadelphia may look at someone else (on a short-term contract) to calm the position.

Another goalie?

Here's the one thing there: Sergei Bobrovsky has taken the stranglehold on the position, but Peter Laviolette, Jeff Reese and the coaching staff are giving Bryzgalov starts because he's worth $51 million and it's important to at least attempt to get him back on track. There's nothing wrong with that (especially in January) but it doesn't mean that there's not a competent goalie on the team right now. There definitely is one -- he's just not the "right" guy.

I guess the suggestion here is that if Bob falls off and Bryz continues his fall into a Black Hole, the Flyers would be interested in some short-term help. I guess it makes some sense in the weirdest way possible, but I just can't imagine that happening. Another goalie at the deadline? What?

We get a lot of email about Winter Classic jerseys, and I never know how to respond. "We don't know" is usually the basis of what I reply with, no matter the question.

• When are they being released? 
• Why haven't they been released yet?
• How much will they cost?
• Are these jerseys I saw on the Internet real? 

There's so much information and misinformation out there, and everybody wants to know that These Are The Jerseys. We've seen reports that claim sources in the organization say one thing, only to see reports that claim sources in the organization say another thing weeks later. (These latest ones today are pretty damn sexy, for what that's worth.)

We've seen fake jerseys created on the Internet, then mass produced 8,000 miles away, then shipped to seemingly thousands of people who also happen to buy tickets to games at the Wells Fargo Center.

This is what happens when the NHL and the team take foooooorever to unveil the actual jerseys. People are duped into buying things that aren't real, and the hype and drama surrounding what the team will actually wear on January 2 builds and builds and builds and builds. We doubt the NHL really cares all that much about this, though. 

Our answer, and this will likely be our answer until the team announces something: We don't know. There are too many rumors around these damned jerseys to be sure of anything. But I do hope these latest rumors are true. 

From Elliotte Friedman at CBC:

Philadelphia has a shot at next year's Winter Classic, either at Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Eagles) or Beaver Stadium (home of Joe Paterno and Penn State football). Canadian version: Montreal really wants it, and will get it at some point. Appears only other possibility is Vancouver, and it would be interesting to involve BC Place's new retractable roof.

By the way, if you're not reading his weekly "30 thoughts" column, you're missing out. We heard this sort of scuttlebutt back in January after the 2011 Winter Classic was held in Pittsburgh. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reported then that Lincoln Financial Field was the front-runner.

Gary Bettman and the league continue to say that there are no plans in the works on the Winter Classic or the Heritage Classic next year. Still, who believes that? It's the NHL's marquee event and they'd be a horrible organization if they weren't already thinking about the outdoor games for next season. Believe it or not, the NHL isn't a horrible organization.

So, let's talk about the possibility since it has been reported twice now. Friedman throws the Beaver Stadium possibility back into the mix, but honestly, I'd only accept a game out in State College if the Flyers were playing the Penguins. I don't want to see that venue wasted on a game between the Flyers and the Rangers or something like that.  Then again, I wouldn't be shocked if the NHL put the Penguins in the game two years in a row. 

Still, Lincoln Financial Field seems like a better bet right now. I could see the Flyers hosting a team like the Rangers, who haven't participated in an outdoor game yet, at the Linc -- and that would be fantastic. 

I do think that other teams are deserving of the game before the Flyers get another one. And there are certainly more teams that should get one before the Penguins get a third outdoor game. That's not to say I wouldn't be excited if the Flyers were involved in the game next season, complete with HBO 24/7 and everything. 

Last week, when we urged Paul Holmgren to trade Nikolay Zherdev, the one doubt in our minds that a deal could get done was the interest other teams in the NHL might have in No. 93. After all, it's not like he has the best reputation in the world. 

At the same time, he's a 15 goal scorer despite being a healthy scratch and playing limited minutes when he does get on the ice, and if a team needs scoring, Zherdev is certainly an option for them. Today, we learned that the Flyers are actively shopping Zherdev, according to our own Teemu H. and Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly.

We also learned today that there's interest from other teams, too. Via Dimitri Chesnokov of Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy:

I just learned there are at least half dozen teams interested in Nik Zherdev.

Chesnokov knows what he's talking about when it comes to Russian (and Ukrainian, whatever) players and the news surrounding them. There's no reason not to trust him on this one. He's a good source of information -- unless your name is Paul Holmgren.

According to beat writers at practice today, Holmgren didn't agree with that report and said that the Flyers would be reluctant to trade Zherdev because he's a good insurance policy for the playoffs. We'll see what happens. 

Further Reading

• Blueshirt Banter thinks the Rangers should trade for Zherdev.

From the Columbus Dispatch this morning:

Rumors from Philadelphia suggest that the Flyers are trying to trade one of their tough guys, Jody Shelley or Daniel Carcillo. 

Though the Blue Jackets would be reluctant to commit more than $2 million to Shelley, it makes for an interesting discussion given his enormous popularity during his six seasons with the team. If Shelley were to put 300 or 400 fans a night in those empty seats in Nationwide Arena, he might make it worthwhile financially in addition to what he adds on the ice.

Interesting take, there, from the Columbus perspective. I wouldn't necessarily mind it. It's not a secret that one of those guys is dead weight every single night now, especially after the addition of Kris Versteeg and even with Peter Laviolette's insistence on benching Nikolay Zherdev. 

You have to worry about injuries in the playoffs and needing to fill those holes that would be left by trading away some of the depth, but then again, there's always Eric Wellwood if push really came to shove. If you can get something for Carcillo, who seems like he'll be gone in July anyway, shouldn't you at least give it a shot? 

The same goes for Jody Shelley. If you can get something in return for a guy that's certainly replaceable in the lineup, while perhaps clearing cap space at the same time, why don't you try? I guess there is something to be said for the chemistry thing, but still. It's at least worth exploring the options. 

If there's anything I've learned in the last few months or so, it's that people who start rumors are usually just grasping at straws. They want so badly to be the one who BROKE THE STORY, ultimately so that they become FAMOUS and people VISIT THEIR WEBSITE, that they'll literally just throw anything at the wall and hope it sticks. (Nevermind the fact that the easiest way to get noticed and respected in this business is to have smart opinions, smart

Whether it's analyzing a meaningless list of scouts attending a particular game -- which means nothing; you realize they get paid to watch hockey and they do this all year, not just at the deadline, right? -- or trying to work the salary cap non-stop until they find some loophole that nobody's realized yet, these people just do this stuff to look like some kind of insider.

It's actually kind of funny, when you think about -- that is, besides the fact that all they're doing is making more work for the reputable among us. Fortunately, you don't need to be an insider to see where rumors start. All you need is a few minutes and a search engine. 

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UPDATE: It doesn't look like the Islanders will be acquiring Leighton. They've made a trade for former New York Rangers first round pick Al Montoya, who was seen as the next great Ranger goalie when he was selected sixth overall in 2004 -- until that Henrik Lundqvist guy came along. Anyway, Montoya means no Leighton on the Island. 

The sky is falling when it comes to injuries and goaltenders on Long Island. I've tried to keep a handle on it but I'm just going to let Lighthouse Hockey explain because I'm sure Dominik knows a whole lot better than I.

The sun did come up (barely) today, club operations resumed, the team had practice. See if you can follow, per the Islanders: Rick DiPietro was officially placed on IR and Jesse Joensuu was recalled -- skating with Rob Schremp and Josh Bailey in practice -- to replace Jeremy Colliton(rib, two weeks). UPDATE: Kevin Poulin is done for the year with a dislocated kneecap requiring surgery.

With DiPietro out, Poulin out, Nathan Lawson on the mend and Evgeni Nabokov unwilling to participate in the proceedings, the Isles are down to Joel Martin and Mikko Koskinen on the NHL roster. To put a little perspective on this, Martin started the season in the Central Hockey League with the Odessa Jackalopes. 

It's bad. Might even be worse than things were here last season in net. It's debatable, at the very least. So what do teams do when they need a goalie midseason? They see what Michael Leighton is up to, of course!

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