According to ESPN.com, the Penguins are still among the teams interested in Flames forward Jarome Iginla. There were some who thought the Pens may be done dealing after they acquired Morrow on Sunday and followed that up by adding defenseman Douglas Murray from the San Jose Sharks on Monday. Again, it doesn’t sound like that’s the case.

Pittsburgh also leads the league in goals scored, so it’s not like they need the help, but there’s no denying the potential benefit of adding Iginla. Iginla’s one of the best goal scorers of his generation, and while he’s not producing at his usual rate, he’s still a solid option. The 35-year-old has nine goals and 13 assists in 30 games this season.

It sure sounds like the Penguins, who are the Eastern Conference’s top team right now, are going to do all they can to arm themselves for a potentially deep playoff run. Pittsburgh enters play on Tuesday with a five-point lead in the East over the Bruins and Canadiens. The Pens are also the league’s hottest team, having won its last 12.

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.

6 p.m.: We’ve reached the conclusion of the first day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. We’ll be back Saturday for day two. Be sure to check NESN.com starting at 9 a.m. to see what topics are covered in the country’s biggest meeting sports data analysts.

5:55 p.m.: When asked about over-saturation of sports on television, Walsh points to increased audience sizes and competition from other outlets as proof that fans are actually underserved.

5:45 p.m.: The common challenge that teams in the NBA and Major League Baseball share is how to make teams profitable, Postolos says. Broad revenue sharing is one way leagues are facing this test.

5:40 p.m.: Walsh says that a lot of research will on concussions will come out in the next 12-24 months. He’s sure decision makers will take notice and act on it.

5:30 p.m.: Media is the biggest international opportunity at the moment, de Picciotto says. The next is taking brands globally (through sports). Finally, the movement of talent across borders gives players and fans a chance to see athletes from around the world.

He also thinks gambling has the potential to generate vast amounts of revenue, but it could kill sports as well.

On the question of performance-enhancing drugs, he says essentially need to keep up with societal values.

5:20 p.m.: Walsh asks how to use analytics to value sports properties — especially in increments of time.

PepsiCo has a proprietary model, according to Storms. “Nobody knows our business better than we do,” she says. The company uses a multi-stage process to evaluate the impact of any potential sponsorship or endorsement.

She concludes that there’s no way to measure the exact amount of product that sports partnerships move, but PespiCo is closer than it has ever been to doing so.

5:15 p.m.: Carter says leagues partner with media and sponsors to try and “surround the fan.” She adds that the old model of signage at a stadium no longer works.

5 p.m.: Walsh says we need innovative thinking about the playing of the game and the experience of the consumer.

He points to the fact that players are bigger, faster and stronger than they were decades ago, yet the size of the playing surfaces (specifically in the NFL and NBA) remain the same. “Why not make fields bigger to provide more excitement for fans,” he asks.

4:50 p.m.: The business of sports is our final panel of the day. Industry leaders will talk about the money side of this multi-trillion dollar industry.

Kraft Sports Group vice president Jessica Gelman will moderate the panel. She will be joined by Soccer United Marketing president Kathy Carter, Octagon president Phil de Picciotto, Houston Astros president George Postolos, PepsiCo vice president of global sports marketing Jennifer Storms, and ESPN executive vice president John Walsh.

4:45 p.m.: Schatz says the most overrated players are the ones whose athletic ability doesn’t translate into football success.

He points to D’Angelo Hall who is fast and has good hands but is poor in coverage.

He says Tony Romo is underrated because he is consistently one of the six or seven best quarterbacks in the league and one of the best in the fourth quarter … “as long as the game is not on national television.”

4:40 p.m.: The 49ers use analytics to better understand the tendencies of coaches — how they manage the clock and when they call time outs.

4:35 p.m.: Pioli says mutual respect is lacking in football when asked how to convince an NFL head coach to listen to an analyst who has never stepped on the field.

He says a coach must have an open mind, but it’s important how analysts present, deliver and communicate their information.

4:30 p.m.: Kremer asks how to quantify injuries and off-field problems. What value do you attach to those events?

No two injuries are the same, but Shatz argues that, en masse, players  are better at recovering from injuries in today’s game than they were in the past.

As for the character question, Pioli approaches it on a case-by-case basis, saying there’s no real way to measure something like that.

Pioli discusses the new player assessment tool being used at the NFL combine. He wants to know as much about a player’s mental makeup — specifically his levels of work ethic and level of selflessness (or selfishness).

4:25 p.m.: Demoff says the middle class is shrinking because teams are better at scouting and developing young players. Teams are now paying a premium for players they call “difference makers.”

4:20 p.m.: Demoff says the salary caps affect the schemes teams use. They “ultimately look for undervalued players and get as many of them as you can.”

He said more teams started playing 3-4 defenses a few years ago because nose tackles were undervalued. Now the best nose tackles command $12 million salaries, so teams are reverting to the 4-3 because the market allows them to get more bang for their buck with tackles to fit that system.

4:15 p.m.: Marathe calls the Patriots the “kings of replenishing.”

In the age of the salary cap, it’s impossible to keep a team together over the long term. “If every player took a 15-percent discount on their market rate, we still wouldn’t be able to keep them all,” he says.

He adds that the Patriots have been incredible at churning players yet remaining successful.

Pioli says that the Pats’ practice of stockpiling draft picks increases their chancing of landing good players. “Every pick is a gamble,” he said before adding that taking more gambles increases the chances of landing good players.

4:05 p.m.: Pioli says it’s tough to come up with a measurement to predict a player’s chance of success.

“Football is such an interdependent game. The success of a play has so many variables and depends on 11 indiviudals.”

Marathe expands on it, saying that trades don’t often work out because a player can succeed in one system, but look totally out-of-place in another.

3:55 p.m.: Pioli is no fan of the combine because there’s a difference between “pure speed” and “playing speed.”

He finds values in measurements. He says Tom Brady is such an accurate passer because he’s got huge hands.

Marathe talks about “hidden value” of 40-yard dash times, citing the case of Jerry Rice. He says Rice had an average overall 40 time, but his speed between 20-40 yards (what insiders call “the flying 20″) was one of the highest ever.

He said it translated into separation speed on the field. Rice was rarely, if ever, caught from behind.

3:50 p.m.: Demoff and Marathe say their teams are looking to hire analysts. The Rams are still working out how to deeper integrate analytics into their organization, while the 49ers have used one on the salary cap side for over a decade and are now using them on the football side.

Pioli says analytics have played a role in the game for ages. “Gut” decisions are based on prior experience and analysis, he says.

We’re just calling it something else now.

3:40 p.m.: Are you ready for some football?

The National Football League is undergoing an analytics revolution of its own. The Football Analytics panel will discuss how NFL coaches and teams are using data to evaluate players, map out strategy and make in-game decisions.

Andrea Kremer will moderate the panel. She will be joined by St. Louis Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff, former Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, San Francisco 49ers chief operating officer Paraag Marathe and Football Outsiders founder Aaron Schatz.

2:40 p.m.: Robin van Persie does his exploring in the half second before the ball comes his way. It’s how he always seems to be one step ahead of defenders (despite not being particularly fast or quick) when he gets the ball in the final third of the field.

2:30 p.m.: Jordet says Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have the highest frequency of “visual exploratory behavior,” meaning the two stars look around and gauge their surroundings before receiving the ball.

He says the midfield players who complete the highest number of forward passes are the ones who do the most exploring. In other words, they’re reading the game and playing it at the same time.

He bases the research on Sky Sports’ player cameras.

2:25 p.m.: We’re going from one extreme to the other. Baseball and statistics are inseparable, but soccer has been slow to adopt statistical analysis.

Geir Jordet, director of psychology at the Norweigan Centre for Football (soccer) Excellence is presenting some new research on “The Hidden Foundation of Field Vision in English Premier League Soccer Players.”

He explores the concept of field vision. How can some players make the right pass every time they get the ball? We’re about to find out.

1:50 p.m.: The panel discusses how difficult it is to predict how a young player will perform in the big leagues. There’s no exact science or measurement device that will predict which players will overperform or underperform at the top level.

1:40 p.m.: Posnanski says there’s a real divide in the way journalists cover baseball. He thinks younger writers — especially on the internet — are more versed in the “new language” of analytics, while mainstream media still focuses on wins, losses, errors and other 100-year-old statistics.

He thinks baseball coverage is currently changing and will continue to change with the times.

1:30 p.m.: Zaidi says analytics are changing the way the game is played and how managers manage.

McCracken adds that managers tend to want to avoid risk. If he plays a star player and the player doesn’t deliver, “it’s the player’s fault.” If the manager plays an untested rookie and the youngster fails, “it’s the manager’s fault.”

1:20 p.m.: When asked what the newest developments in baseball analytics, Keri says that teams are increasingly privatizing and keeping data in house. McCracken thinks this will slow the growth of the baseball analysis.

He goes on to say that video analysis is the next frontier in the field.

Zaidi says baseball analysis is too tied to outcomes rather than skills themselves. The A’s are trying to move in the direction of skill-based analysis rather than outcomes (which are the results of those skills).

1:15 p.m.: Zaidi drew chuckles from crowd when he said Billy Beane calls him “The Emotional Stat Guy.”

He adds that baseball decisions are very complex and there are a lot of disagreements, but Beane has to make the final call at the end of the day.

1:10 p.m.: Posnanski says that baseball provides new things to measure and quantify almost every day. Where some sports might see diminishing returns from the avalanche of data, he thinks that won’t be the case in baseball.

McCracken thinks the data can be dangerous. Some take a new stat and run with it without “completely understanding” the data that they’re seeing.

12:55 p.m.: We’re getting set for one of the most anticipated panels of the first day — on baseball analytics.

Sabermetrics are gaining influence among baseball’s decision makers. Grantland staff writer Jonah Keri, NBC Sports writer Joe Posnanski, statistical analyst Voros McCracken and Oakland Athletics director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi will discuss how teams are using analytics to gain a competitive advantage. ESPN’s Lindsey Czarniak will moderate.

11:20 a.m.: Polian and MacMullan talk about the Manti Te’o hoax and its effect on the player.

The former Colts general manager thinks the hoax won’t have a negative impact on his career over the long term.

“The hoax that he was a victim of  is a story, and it’s a gigantic story —  people can’t get enough of it,” Polian says. “Does it affect Manti Te’o the football player? I would submit to you absolutely not.”

MacMullan agrees with that assessment, but she thinks the hoax has had negative effects on his preparation for the NFL combine.

“He was probably not capable of preparing the way he would have liked to have because of all the outside noise and all the outside things that have happened to him.

“I don’t know this for a fact, but perhaps he may have under-performed at the combine because anyone that went through what he went through, regardless of how much you think he was involved or not involved, it had to have been devastating. There had to have been a lot of sleepless nights. There had to have been a lot of days he probably didn’t eat, and I’m sure a lot of days he didn’t work out the way he wanted to.”

11 a.m.: Pagliuca talks about the perspective owners and managers need. The best ones see things over an 82-game season “like a movie.”

Polian talks about a parallel universe we live in. Fans and media expect perfection over the course of an 82, 16 or even 162-game season. Professionals know that perfection is “almost never achievable,” and coaches teach against mistakes that are part of the business.

10:50 a.m.: Burke and Van Gundy have spoken about the most difficult aspect of their jobs as coaches and general managers.

They agree that the hardest part is cutting players — guys that “bleed for you” as Burke says. The human element, specifically the bonds that form in the locker room are tough to break.

10:45 a.m.: Burke likes hard coaches. They’re his favorite ones. But the former Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager says “the harder the coach is, the shorter his shelf life.”

10:40 a.m.: Pagliuca tells us that one of the best decisions the Celtics have made (since he’s been one of the team’s owners) was not firing Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers in the 2006-07 season.

10:20 a.m.: Van Gundy is discussing the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando. He says Howard asked for him to be fired and was causing a problem in the Magic locker room.

He wished Magic management would come out with a statement — either back him with a new contract or fire him — and end the distraction. They didn’t.

Polian says Jim Finks, Red Aurebach and Branch Rickey are the three greatest executives in history. He adds that coaches are useful for a maximum of 10 years. The ones that are able to “recognize and prepare them [players] are the ones that last longest.”

10 a.m.: “It’s Not You, It’s Me: Break-Ups in Sports” is our first panel of the day. Moderator Jackie MacMullan will lead a discussion about high-profile trades, public disputes over hirings and firings and other media spectacles.

John Buccigross, Bill Polian, Steve Pagliuca, Brian Burke and Stan Van Gundy will explore how high-profile changes affect on-field performances.

9 a.m. ET: In the span of seven years, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has become the place to be.

Sports insiders,  executives and leading researchers from around the country and beyond descend on Boston for two days  to discuss role of analytics in the sports industry with each other and thousands of students.

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is the site of this year’s conference. Nate Silver, Brian Burke, Adam Silver, Mark Cuban, Jonathan Kraft and Michael Wilbon are just a few of the panelists that will be on hand to give and receive insight into how sports are being changed by “big data.”

We are on hand for the 2013 conference, looking to see where the next breakthrough in sports analytics will come from. Join us here on March 1 for the latest on sports data analysis.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

The restricted free agent remains unsigned, and it appears that the Avalanche will now try to trade the 22-year-old.

TSN reports that the Avalanche have already begun discussions with Eastern Conference teams about the possibility of trading O’Reilly, who has yet to hit the ice this season as the saga drags on and gets uglier with each passing day. According to TSN, the initial price for O’Reilly appears to be a roster player and a top prospect.

The Denver Post’s Adrian Dater wrote Tuesday night that it now looks to be a “virtual certainty” that the Avs will trade the center, adding that things have gotten personal and “now there appears to be no turning back.”

Dater describes O’Reilly as a “22-year-old heart-and-soul, two-way center, an absolute rink rat.” The Denver scribe also tweeted this on Tuesday night about O’Reilly’s value.

One shocked NHL player tells me about O'Reilly: "Top 5 two-way center in NHL right now"

—
  (@adater) February 13, 2013

O’Reilly made his NHL debut with the Avalanche in 2009, and he’s played at least 74 games in each season he’s been in the league. He experienced his best season last year when he scored 18 goals and added 37 assists in 81 games.

Photo via Twitter/@Ryan_OReilly90

Roberto Luongo

Luongo has been the subject of trade rumors for some time now, with Cory Schneider taking over as the Canucks’ No. 1 goaltender. The latest team to be linked to the three-time All-Star is the Leafs, who happened to fire general manager Brian Burke on Wednesday. But while Luongo has noted his respect for Burke, the GM’s dismissal doesn’t necessarily mean Toronto will shy away from going after the veteran netminder.

According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Luongo is still very much in the hunt to become a Leaf in the wake of Burke’s firing.

#NHL news: Source saying #Canucks Luongo still very much in the hunt to become a #Leaf despite GM Burke relieved of his duties.

— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) January 9, 2013

Luongo spoke earlier this week about the prospect of joining Toronto, and he seemed to be warming up to the idea, even mentioning Burke specifically.

“I have a lot of respect for Toronto, Brian Burke and the Leafs,” Luongo said, according to the Toronto Sun. “They are obviously part of the equation, there’s no denying that. But there’s a lot of things that can happen. I want to make sure I’m aware of all of the possibilities.

“I don’t know [what's going to happen],” he continued. “I’ve never been part of something like this before. It’s cliche to say this, but it’s going to be day by day. I don’t have an answer. I don’t know what the end result will be.”

Luongo, who turns 34 in April, has 10 years at $5.33 million per season remaining on his current deal with the Canucks. That makes moving the goaltender a difficult task, although it’s something that seems inevitable at this point.

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 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.

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.

P.K. Subban

The Flyers and Canadiens have at least chatted about a trade involving Subban, according to RDS.ca's Bertrand Raymond.

Raymond's report, which is written in French, indicates (via Google's translator) that the Flyers presumably initiated discussions involving the 23-year-old defenseman. Philadelphia is believed to be seeking defensive help this offseason, and has been stymied thus far in its pursuit, which included losing out on Shea Weber after the Predators matched the Flyers' monstrous offer sheet.

Raymond reports that forward Sean Couturier's name came up when the Canadiens and Flyers chatted, but that it's unlikely Philadelphia would want to move Couturier, who has been impressive since being drafted in the first round two years ago.

In other words, there's a good chance the rumor doesn't amount to much and Subban ends up inking an extension to stay north of the border, but the Flyers are clearly still being aggressive in their quest for help along the blue line.

Subban is currently a restricted free agent, so technically, the Flyers could extend an offer sheet to the Ontario native. However, given his performance and the Canadiens' apparent desire to keep Subban, they'd likely match most offers.

Yandle, a Boston native, "would love to play for the Bruins," according to CSNNE.com's Danny Picard. The news comes amidst speculation that the B's could look to add a top-pair defenseman to play alongside Zdeno Chara.

Yandle, who turns 26 on Sunday, would certainly fit that mold. He's been an All-Star the past two seasons, and has played in all of the Coyotes' games the past three years. He recorded a career-high 59 points (11 goals, 48 assists) in 2010-11, and compiled 11-32-43 totals last season while helping Phoenix reach the Western Conference Final.

The Coyotes understand how important Yandle is to their success, so they signed him to a five-year, $26.25 million extension last summer. He's been the subject of some rumors this offseason, though, with the Red Wings reportedly among the teams that have inquired about the defenseman.

Picard's source — which he describes as "close to Yandle" — said any potential trade to the Bruins could include David Krejci, who signed a three-year, $15.75 million deal that starts this season. However, that's pure speculation at this point, so the real news remains Yandle's apparent desire to play for his hometown club.

Yandle has amassed 43 goals, 144 assists, 187 points and is a plus-17 in 365 career regular season games.

Photo via Facebook/Keith Yandle

Shane Doan, who has expressed a desire to remain in Phoenix, has been taking his time making a decision in free agency, largely because of the Coyotes' unpredictable future. If he decides to leave, the Sabres appear more than willing to scoop him up.

The Sabres have offered Doan a four-year, $30 million deal, according to ESPN's John Buccigross.

Much of the news surrounding the NHL right now, of course, hinges on the league's current labor dispute, but, clearly, Buffalo covets the veteran winger. The Coyotes franchise, which reached the Western Conference Final last season, has been Doan's home since he broke into the league in 1995, when the club was still the first edition of the Winnipeg Jets. If the Coyotes want to keep him around, though, they'll likely have to go beyond the two years that they're reportedly offering.

Doan, who turns 36 in October, posted 22-28-50 totals in 79 regular season games last season.

The Wings have inquired about Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle, according to The Detroit News.

This comes on the heels of last week's report from Brendan Savage of MLive.com that said Detroit was in talks with Calgary about making a trade for veteran D-man Jay Bouwmeester.

According to The Detroit News, Phoenix' "perilous ownership situation" is complicating matters when it comes to dealing for Yandle, a Boston native who turns 26 in September.

Yandle is among the NHL's bright, young defensemen, having earned an All-Star selection each of the last two seasons. He tallied a career-high 48 assists and 59 points in 2010-11, and recorded 11-32-43 totals last season while helping to lead the Coyotes to the Western Conference Final. A nifty playmaker whose defense continues to improve, Yandle has also shown plenty of durability, appearing in all 82 regular season games each of the last three seasons.

The cost for a defenseman like Yandle would undoubtedly be high from a talent standpoint. But with limited options in free agency, the Red Wings may be forced to roll the dice in order to improve their depleted blue line.

Yandle signed a five-year contract extension with the Coyotes in July 2011.

Photo via Flickr/xoque

Lightning forward Steven Stamkos and Penguins center Sidney Crosby were both in attendance at the meetings in Toronto, Ontario on Tuesday afternoon, where the players made their first offer to the league, according to CBS Sports.

The NHLPA said on Tuesday that its proposal to the league includes a smaller percentage of revenue for the players, and also asked for a broader revenue-sharing program to help the development of smaller market teams.

NHLPA leader Donald Fehr discussed the specifics of the offer after the players' meeting with the league.

The proposal appears to make the new CBA a three-year deal, almost a trial period even, and in the fourth year the owners would have the option of reverting back to the current rules while working out a new agreement. In addition the current contract rules will remain in tact, countering the owners' offer of limiting max deals to five years, and all contracts made under the rules of the old CBA will not be altered.

In the end, Fehr summed up his remarks in a very clear and concise manner explaining that the players were willing to make exceptions because, "we want to make a deal."

These terms were apparently appealing to the owners and did a solid job in bridging the gap from where the two sides stood on July 13, when the owners made their first proposal.

There may be hope for a hockey season, yet.

The NHLPA is expected to officially respond on Tuesday to the owners' aggressive opening salvo, but according to SportsNet's Michael Grange, it's going to be less of a counterproposal and more of a total overhaul of the league's current structure.

"The expectation is that [NHLPA president Donald] Fehr, having played it coy even as the expiration of the current CBA on Sept. 15 comes ever closer, will instead present the owners with his own vision of how the industry should be shaped," Grange writes, citing sources inside the union.

Fehr, and by extension the players, will ask that the league abolish the hard salary cap currently in place — the salary cap that took a lost season for the owners to win — and in its place institute a luxury tax system to reign in "teams that see fit to invest in talent."

Along with that significant change, the players are also prepared to suggest increased revenue sharing between teams in the league, to help the teams in certain hockey-crazed markets keep teams in lesser areas afloat.

"The game is growing but we want to make it that much better for everyone," said Maple Leafs union rep David Steckel. "It's not just us wanting more money, we want the game to be better for everyone."

While details of the NHLPA's proposal aren't yet clear, it appears to be a very different tact than some could have foreseen. How the owners then respond could go a long way towards deciding whether or not the NHL season starts on time.

The longtime Coyotes captain is a free agent, and while he's expressed a desire to remain with Phoenix, the franchise faces ownership issues that could force the forward to look elsewhere. If he does, the San Jose Sharks are among the favorites to land Doan, according to CSNBayArea.com's Kevin Kurz.

Doan has already visited with the Rangers, Flyers and Canucks this offseason, and the Predators, Penguins and Sabres have also reportedly expressed interest, so where Doan plays his next NHL game is really anyone's guess at this point. Kurz reports that San Jose has flown "under the radar" in its pursuit.

There have been reports that Doan is seeking a four-year deal worth $30 million. So while it's tough to determine where the 35-year-old will eventually land, it's clear that the team will have to pony up some cash.