NHL notes (cont.)

Jamming The Crease

Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman and Oshawa's John Tavares (right) are neck and neck as the top prospects in the 2009 draft. Getty Images Allan Muir's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Allan. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

Tavares to Spits in the wind

The top junior team in Canada lost out on one prize in their quest to bolster their Memorial Cup chances, but they might be honing in on another. Buzz around the OHL suggests that the Windsor Spitfires (22-2) are looking to acquire top prospect John Tavares.

Oshawa coach and assistant GM Chris DePiero confirmed that the Spits were among a number of teams who had called about Tavares, but added that the Generals had not yet committed to moving the gifted center. Tavares's 17 goals and 36 points in 23 games rank him third in the OHL scoring race behind Windsor's Taylor Hall and Ryan Ellis.

On the surface, it's an odd decision. The team is strong down the middle, and looks to get stronger if the Islanders return first-rounder Josh Bailey. But the Memorial Cup may be the toughest trophy to win in sports, and if you're within striking distance, you add talent and then trust the coach to make the pieces fit.

And if you're a team like the Generals, one with no shot at all, you have to start thinking about the future. If they decide to move Tavares, it'll set them up nicely for two years down the road. They have until Jan. 9 to make a decision.

The one that got away for the Spits was goaltender Brandon Maxwell, whose junior rights were acquired last week from the Erie Otters. But the 17-year-old was playing for the American national team development program, and was refused his release by USA Hockey.

Maxwell, a top prospect in this summer's draft, recently backstopped the Americans to a gold medal at the Four Nations tournament and has rescinded his verbal commitment to attend Boston College. He'll join the Spits next season.

Loose lips on the Hawks?

The decision by the Blackhawks to scratch Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Sopel on Thursday night in Dallas had the press box buzzing about an impending trade. Rumors have been swirling that the duo would be headed to Washington for Michael Nylander, the second line center the Hawks clearly covet. Chicago officials denied a deal was imminent after the game, but center Dave Bolland seemed to let something slip during a televised interview: "We've bonded a lot and played great together. It's so sad to see Buff..."

At that point, he was cut off by Hawks broadcaster Ed Olczyk. There are always rumors floating around, but this one bears watching more than most.

Lemieux refuses to quit

Count me among those who wrote off the thought of a Claude Lemieux comeback as some kind of middle-age crisis that would better have been resolved with a shiny new sports car. But give the 43-year-old some credit. When no team in the AHL was interested in signing him, he took the road less traveled to prove the seriousness of his intentions.

By signing with the China Sharks, Lemieux sent a message to potential NHL employers that this is not a lark. Hard to imagine that he'd stay in China very long (he had one assist in two games), and sure enough on Tuesday (Nov. 25) he inked an AHL deal with San Jose's Worcester Sharks. After that, who knows? Injuries and slumps have a way of creating opportunities for familiar names.