Ice Chips from TSN

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Nikolai Zherdev, who is a restricted free agent, has signed a contract with Khimik Voskresensk of the Russian Superleague. Zherdev will be able to get out of the contract if he signs with the Blue Jackets. - Columbus Post-Dispatch

All good news, except for that last sentence. It does raise an interesting question as to what is going on with the Russian Hockey League and the transfer fee agreement. If Zherdev has a contract is their a buy out that has to take place with the Russian team to free him up? How bad does Zherdev want to be in Russia rather than Ohio? Stanislav Chistov and Alexey Morozov are both possible to join NHL teams this year, or they could well decide to stay and ply their wares in the Russian League. And of course, then there is Malkin....

The Philadelphia Flyers and winger Simon Gagne are reportedly far apart on a new contract, but GM Bob Clarke maintains it will happen before training camp. - Philadelphia Daily News

It would be a team apocalypse if Gagne had to be moved by Clarke. Forsberg is the teams best player, and Primeau is the captain, but Gagne is the engine that makes the team tick. Without his goalscoring the Flyers will simply not be competitive. Here's hoping that Gagne wants the big bucks, and either forces the Flyers into a round of salary dumping (bye bye Derian Hatcher!) or (gasp) forces him to deal Gagne elsewhere.

The Toronto Maple Leafs may send 2006 first-round pick Jiri Tlusty to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. - Toronto Sun

Where he will join Luca Cerada and all the other lost Leaf prospects, never to be seen again. Abandon all hope ye who are drafted by the Leafs.

The Phoenix Coyotes would be interested in acquiring Devils forward Scott Gomez in he wins his arbitration case and the Devils can't afford him. - Arizona Republic

The Coyotes have a serious lack of offense on the team, and Gomez is someone they would obviously covet for that asset, but if you already have one undersized skill pivot without a physical or defensive dimmension (Comrie), do you really need two of them?

Penguins winger Colby Armstrong could sign his qualifying offer on Thursday. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

One of the more interesting plots to pay attention to this year is 'who plays with Crosby', and at least part of the answer could be Colby Armstrong. I suspect that he is ultimately going to be a 3rd line checking winger (I feel the same way about the Leaf's Steen), but Armstrong might have enough pop in his stick and sense in his head to work well with Crosby. Bears watching.