The Bruins are one of those four teams, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. As Dreger sees it, Boston, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Chicago are four teams having “ongoing conversations” with Calgary.

Iginla, 35, is having another strong season for the struggling Flames. Through 29 games, he has eight goals and 13 assists, with those 21 point totals the third most on the squad.

Over the course of a 15-year NHL career, the right winger has compiled 524 goals and 570 assists.

The Celtics are conducting “preliminary talks” with the Los Angeles Lakers about swapping Rajon Rondo for Dwight Howard, according to CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger. While Berger points out that the deal “hasn’t gained any traction,” it seems like, at the very least, the Lakers and Celtics are talking about the possibility of trading two of their biggest stars.

While the two teams may not be ready to pull the trigger on the potential blockbuster just yet — considering Rondo is out with a torn ACL and Howard is playing at less than 100 percent — the two rivals might be willing to revisit the deal this offseason.

“It’s possible that the talks could be tabled until after the season,” Berger writes. “In that case, Howard would have to agree to a sign-and-trade to the Celtics.”

There would need to be some serious cap maneuvering by both teams to get a deal done involving the two stars, since Rondo makes just $11 million in salary while Howard is on the books for closer to $20 million per year.

Teemu Selanne

According to a translation of the Anaheim Ducks winger’s comments to MTV3 in Finland, Selanne thinks the lockout will end on Monday, Jan. 7, with training camps opening soon thereafter and a start to the season on Jan. 18 or 19. He also described seeing a “light at the end of the tunnel,” noting that the owners have pressure on them now with the entire season is in jeopardy.

While fans can only hope that Selanne knows something they don’t, the Finnish Flash might be on to something. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review also pinned Jan. 19 as the start of a hypothetical 48-game season, with the Flyers taking on the Penguins in the marquee matchup of Opening Day.

Stick tap to Yahoo!’s Puck Daddy blog

Commissioner Gary Bettman has been privately informed by owners that cancelling the season “is not an acceptable option,” according to the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. With this news coming on the heels of the league’s latest proposal to the players, it’s hard not to feel a bit optimistic about the chances of the NHL playing hockey this year.

The NHL has cancelled all games through Jan. 14 so far, with a total of 625 games wiped out. However, the league has indicated that a 48-game season is still possible if the owners and players can come to an agreement soon.

Despite a lack of formal talks between the owners and players’ union over Christmas, ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the league made an offer to the players on Thursday, with movement toward the union on some key negotiating issues.

An NHL player says the NHL made a new offer to the NHLPA on Thursday, one which moved on contract term limits, buyouts and variance...

—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) December 28, 2012

The proposal reportedly includes a six-year term limit for contracts (or seven years when teams are re-signing players), which is up from the league’s previous offer of five-year limits. Additionally, the league’s inclusion of the $300 million in make-whole money is significant because the owners had previously threatened to take that offer off the negotiating table.

The offer also includes a buyout provision that would not count against the salary cap, according to LeBrun.

Stay tuned !

—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) December 28, 2012

Stay tuned, indeed.

The Pirates are targeting Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias and Dodgers shortstop prospect Dee Gordon, according to the USA Today’s John Perrotto. Initially, it appeared that Pittsburgh would be looking for starting pitching help, but after signing Francisco Liriano they have apparently changed their tune.

Iglesias was expected to compete for the starting shortstop job in Boston this summer, but after the team’s signing of Stephen Drew, he now appears to be headed towards the minor leagues. Gordon is one of the bigger prospects in the Dodgers’ system, but with Hanley Ramirez heading back to short could also be looking for a spot come Opening Day.

The Sox are interested in Kyle Lohse and, to a lesser extent, Anibal Sanchez, according to multiple reports from Tuesday’s winter meetings. However, Sanchez’s asking price might be a little too high, since the former Tigers starter is reportedly seeking something in the area of six years and $90 million.

No one is drawing more interest than starter Anibal Sanchez , with a mystery team now joining the #Dodgers,#Angels,#Tigers,#RedSox,#Royals.

—
Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 04, 2012

#redsox interested in lohse. but they seem to be taking care of offense 1st. also like anibal but found price very high

—
Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 04, 2012

Lohse, who will be 34 next season, went 16-3 last season for the Cardinals with a 2.86 ERA. Sanchez, on the other hand, is only 28. He finished last season with a 3.74 ERA after coming to the American League in a midseason trade.

Cody Ross and Scott Hairston might change that, according to FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi, who says the Bronx Bombers are interested in the two as right-handed hitting outfield options.

While the Yankees are seemingly set with their starting outfield thanks to Ichiro Suzuki, Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner, Ross or Hairston would be able to provide a platoon option as the Yankees face a future that could be without switch-hitting Nick Swisher.

Ross sent out a cryptic tweet on Monday afternoon shortly before news of New York’s interest broke … might he be reacting to the thought of playing in pinstripes?

Wow

—
Cody Ross (@IamCodyRoss) December 03, 2012

Alex Rodriguez

Rodriguez needs surgery on his left hip “to repair a torn labrum, bone impingement and the correction of a cyst,” the team announced Monday.

The surgery is expected to sideline Rodriguez for four to six months, meaning he will miss part of the 2013 season. He also needs to rehabilitate the hip for four to six weeks before he can have surgery.

The hip problem had A-Rod playing injured for parts of last year, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Rodriguez, 37, underwent hip surgery in 2009 on his other hip. The previous surgery also repaired a torn labrum and addressed cartilage from a cyst.

Sherman notes that the Yankees hope A-Rod can still be a successful player again, and that this is not a retirement for the slugger.

The fact that Rodriguez was hurt down the stretch has to be some small consolation for the Yankees, after seeing their $275-million man bat just .120 in the playoffs before being benched in favor or Eric Chavez for much of the ALCS. However, the injury also puts pressure on Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office to find a replacement at the hot corner, in addition to some insurance in case Derek Jeter does not fully recover from his ankle injury suffered last year.

Jacoby Ellsbury

The Red Sox are currently “disinclined” to trade their 29-year-old center fielder, who will be a free agent after 2013, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal points out that Ellsbury’s trade value is diminished after the outfielder’s injury-riddled 2012, and that the team expects him to be “highly motivated” in his walk year.

Ellsbury missed 88 games last season in an injury-plagued campaign and never looked like the 2011 version of himself at any point. A year removed from finishing as the MVP runner-up while blasting 32 home runs and driving in 105 runs, Ellsbury managed just four round-trippers in 2012 while batting .271.

While the Red Sox may eventually consider dealing the speedy Ellsbury, it seems that now they are prepared to wait and see if he can regain his All-Star form. General manager Ben Cherington could always re-evaluate his stance, however, depending on how both the outfielder and the team fare next season.

The league will cancel the Winter Classic and the All-Star Game in an announcement on Monday, according to ESPN’s John Buccigross. It was previously reported that the NHL was cancelling all games scheduled through the end of November, but it appears that commissioner Gary Bettman‘s latest round of cuts will be more far-reaching.

The Winter Classic was scheduled to be at Michigan Stadium between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings, with a crowd of 100,000 expected to be on hand for the New Year’s Day game. The All-Star Game was scheduled for Jan. 27 in Columbus, Ohio.

While these reported cancellations are by no means positive news for fans of the NHL, they should not be seen as an indication that the league is necessarily cancelling all games up to those points. They could simply be clearing space on the schedule to squeeze in more games for a shortened season.

A previous report by the Toronto Star suggested that the league might cancel the Winter Classic as early as November in order to negate player leverage in negotiating talks. It appears that Bettman and the owners will not be waiting that long.

John Farrell

David Ortiz and the team are close to finalizing a deal for the slugger to return to Boston, according to ESPN.com. The deal would be for two years, according to the report, which is something that Ortiz has been very vocal about wanting in the past.

The two sides are reportedly still discussing financial terms, but according to the report, the team will announce the deal later this week.

Ortiz, who will turn 37 in November, underwent shockwave therapy for his injured Achilles this offseason, but the Sox appear to have confidence in the designated hitter's health. Big Papi, meanwhile, has been hinting that he would return to the Red Sox in 2013, telling The Boston Globe recently that he felt good about his chances of being back in a Red Sox uniform soon.

In 90 games for the Sox last season, Ortiz hit .318 with 23 home runs and 60 RBIs.

Alex Rodriguez

Despite general manager Brian Cashman's denial of a report that linked A-Rod to the Miami Marlins in a possible trade for Heath Bell, the rumblings of a deal shipping Rodriguez out of New York continue.

While Rodriguez is the owner of a full no-trade clause, however, a report by USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggests that the aging third baseman would be willing to waive it for the right deal.

While Nightengale's source tells him that Rodriguez won't ask to be traded, the source indicates that the 37-year-old A-Rod would "welcome a trade" as long as it's to a big-market team, like the Marlins, White Sox, Angels or Dodgers.

The Yankees would likely have to eat a large chunk of the $114 million owed to their third baseman over the last five years of his contract, but that might be palatable for a team with deep pockets like New York. After all, they're already paying him an awful lot not to play for them.

The New York Yankees are in discussions with Miami to trade Alex Rodriguez to the Marlins, according to Keith Olbermann, with the Yanks taking on most of A-Rod's remaining salary in the deal. Another option appears to be swapping Rodriguez for Marlins closer Heath Bell, with the Yankees taking on Bell's contract in exchange for paying less of Rodriguez's.

None of Olbermann's sources would comment on how serious the teams have been in their talks, but someone on the Marlins side said a deal "would eventually be made in some form."

A year removed from splurging on big contracts for Bell, Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle as free agents, the Marlins traded third baseman Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers as they sputtered to last place in the NL East. Now, they could be hoping that a change of scenery could be beneficial for A-Rod, who has been benched more and more by manager Joe Girardi during the Yankees' postseason run.

Rodriguez has drawn criticism lately for allegedly flirting with two women near the Yankees dugout during the team's Game 2 loss, and he was not in the lineup for Game 3 against Detroit ace Justin Verlander on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old Rodriguez is owed $114 million over the next five years.

Click here to read why the Yankees should get rid of A-Rod>>

There is “strong speculation” that the NHL could announce two expansion franchises headed for Quebec City and Toronto once the lockout ends, according to Jason Kay of The Hockey News.

Those two cities have been rumored to be on deck for a franchise for some time now, along with Seattle or (sigh) Hartford. However, the two Canadian cities were always considered the best bets.

The largest hurdle to bringing a second team to Toronto would be getting the Maple Leafs to sign off on having a new neighbor, but it’s nothing that a few million dollars likely wouldn’t accomplish. 

Additionally, adding two new teams to the league — while it wouldn’t address the issue of still having a team in Phoenix — would allow the NHL to implement its previously planned realignment, this time with eight teams in every conference. The expansion fees that the new owners would have to pay might also help lessen the blow of any lost revenue during the lockout.

However, the league is denying the report of expansion, leaving hockey fans in Ontario and Quebec in limbo. Which, as they wait for the union’s response to the owners’ latest offer, is right where they would be anyway.

NHLPA president Donald Fehr told the Toronto Star's editorial board that the longer the lockout lasts, the more unhappy the players will be with the league's salary cap system in place.

"If this goes on for an extended period of time, I don't know what [the players] are going to do," Fehr said. "But I think it's safe to say, they would
be exploring all options."

However, Fehr might simply be bluffing in order to spur the owners into action. He was quick to note that the players would be willing to play with the salary cap in place … if the owners end the lockout soon.

"If there can be an agreement in a relatively short term, which puts the
pieces back together and gets the season going, I think the players can
live with that," he continued.

As drastic as a move that would be for the players, it is not altogether unexpected. It had been previously reported that the players would submit a proposal to the league with a luxury tax system to replace the salary cap (even though they didn't), and a former owner tweeted back in Sept. that he expected the players to try just that.

Still, it would be a drastic step for the players to take, and one that would all but guarantee that the NHL would lose the entire season to another work stoppage, as it did in 2004-05. It took a lost season for the owners to put the salary cap in place — would the players be willing to do the same to get it back?

Derek Boogaard

The late enforcer's parents are suing the NHLPA, according to TMZ, after the union failed to file a grievance to collect on Boogaard's remaining contract. They are reportedly asking for the remainder of the forward's $4.8 million contract, with an additional $5 million in punitive damages.

According to the report, the Boogaards blamed the NHL for their son's death after he was prescribed "a multitude of narcotics and sleeping pills" by New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild medical personnel. However, TMZ reports that the NHLPA missed the deadline to file a grievance against the league in order to collect, so the family is pursuing legal recourse.

Boogaard, who was posthumously the subject of a lengthy piece by The New York Times focusing on the culture of fighting in hockey, passed away at the age of 28.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/R.I.P. Derek Boogaard

The Red Wings and Maple Leafs are scheduled to play at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1, in front of 100,000 hockey fans in person and millions more on television.

Of course, there’s one issue — the players are locked out, and the game might not be played at all.

The owners could cancel the Winter Classic as early as November, according to the Toronto Star, because they don’t want the players using the league’s marquee event as leverage in negotiations.

“It’s a scare tactic,” a union source told the Star. “It just proves the NHL has no intention of negotiating any time soon.”

Commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly informed the league’s board of governors of his plan, but Red Wings senior vice president Jimmy Devellano is saying that they are still proceeding as if things are on schedule.

“We’re going forward with [the Winter Classic] at this point in time,” Devellano said. “It’s way too early to start to speculate.”

With no talks currently scheduled between owners and players, however, time is of the essence.

As a player with 10 years of major league experience, five of which have been with the Sox, Josh Beckett has a built-in no-trade clause that he would have to waive for a deal to proceed. While Carl Crawford has not been with the Sox long enough to earn 5/10 rights, he does reportedly have a limited no-trade clause in his contract, and the Dodgers are on the list of teams he can reject, according to reports.

The Red Sox would need both players to give the green light for the proposed megadeal to go through. If either player refused — which they could still do, despite the supposed advanced nature of the talks — the Dodgers and Sox would have to go back to the drawing board and figure out a new deal, or even call off the whole thing.

The two teams have 72 hours to negotiate, which places a deadline for a deal sometime Sunday afternoon. With Beckett scheduled to pitch for the Sox this weekend, however, Boston could have an incentive to find out quickly if the right-hander is willing to move.

Crazy enough for you?

As if the Red Sox’ extra-inning loss on Thursday night wasn’t enough, the team has continued to surprise, with the rumor of a blockbuster deal looming. While Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford are still in Boston uniforms for the start of Friday’s game, anything’s possible right now.

NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette is trying to hold it all together. See more in the above video.

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