TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger gathered for the latest installment of Insider Trading on Tuesday and the topics discussed were the availability of Max Pacioretty and Evander Kane, possible landing spots for Martin Erat, NHL expansion and more. Custom Ottawa Senators Jerseys . Is Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty being shopped? McKenzie: Absolutely not, according to the Canadiens and their general manager Marc Bergevin, but it may be a splitting of hairs because teams in the NHL are calling the Canadiens and asking them about the availability of Pacioretty. The Canadiens are listening to offers, they are not saying hes available but his name is in play. How about Evander Kane of the Winnipeg Jets? McKenzie: Similar situation to Pacioretty as teams in the NHL are seeing an uneasy relationship between Kane and head coach Claude Noel and teams are curious to see if the Jets are interested in moving Kane. He has not asked for a trade, the Jets are not shopping him but teams are certainly monitoring the situation to see if Kane could be pried out of Winnipeg. The Capitals paid a steep price for Martin Erat on last years deadline day and it has not worked out well with zero goals in his last 23 games and he was a healthy scratch in the Capitals last game. Are there any teams interested in Erat? He has asked for a trade. LeBrun: There are interested parties and part of that is because his contract goes down to $2.25 million next year, so it is a cap-friendly contract in terms of salary. The Vancouver Canucks are among the teams that have some level of interest in Erat. Hes an easier player to trade than say Sharks forward Martin Havlat will be in San Jose. We expect the Calgary Flames to make a move at some time this year, whos generating the most interest there right now? Dreger: Teams are calling about Mikael Backlund, no surprise there, specifically the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are looking for a third line centre as well as a puck moving defenceman. Carolina has made an offer on Backlund but theres no fit there just yet. The Flames also need an age-comparable player in terms of their return. LeBrun: Busy times in Carolina. The Hurricanes have a couple of players on their trade block including Tuomo Ruutu, Jiri Tlusty and Tim Gleason, who it sounds like will be the first player traded out of Carolina. Gleason has a contract with a couple more years left on it at $4 million but if they can move him, I believe then they could turn around and trade for a guy like John-Michael Liles. Liles has been parked in Toronto because of his contract. For the Hurricanes to take Liles, they need the Leafs to take Ruutu and Leafs currently have no interest in picking up that deal. Michael Del Zotto has been on the block in New York and has been linked to Ottawa. How serious have the talks been there? Dreger: There has been a back and forth between the Senators and the Rangers. It is quiet now but Senators GM Brian Murray did throw out names like Erik Condra, Colin Greening and Eric Gryba. The deal is currently not a fit for the Rangers but those three players were made available in that discussion. Commissioner Gary Bettman talked about expansion and said nothing was imminent. What is happening? McKenzie: Bettman said there was no formal process in place but you have to believe there may be an informal process that is in the works. We know the NHL wants to get to 32 teams, the question is when it could happen. The absolute earliest you could add teams to the NHL would be the 2015-2016 season, just less than two years away. The league needs a one-year lead time on that, therefore if anything is happening, it will escalate over the next ten months. Is there any chance the Olympic roster deadline gets moved? LeBrun: Not according to Rene Fasel. The IIHF had a meeting in Zurich on Tuesday and they will meet again on Wednesday but the message from Fasel to Russia, Sweden and Finland, who wanted to extend the deadline, is no. The deal made with the NHL and NHLPA will remain at December 31, 2013. Any news on the Leafs Dion Phaneuf contract front? Dreger: Phaneufs agent did make a ballpark offer a couple of weeks ago, the contract being in the seven to eight-year range with the finances above $7 million per year. GM Dave Nonis is expected to counter within a week. How is Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne recovering? LeBrun: Rinnes MRI has been pushed back to next week and the talks between the Anaheim Ducks and Predators are also on hold because the Ducks have an injured goalie in Viktor Fasth. I dont see Jonas Hiller being traded in the near future. McKenzie: An extra note, Jonathan Ericsson is on the verge of signing a multi-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Jason Spezza Jersey . The Brazilian driver had the second-best time in last months tests at Jerez and said the "good start" could play to his advantage when the season gets underway in Australia in March. Bobby Ryan Jersey . Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday. http://www.authenticsenatorspro.com/Mark-stone-senators-jersey/ .com) - Australian Open champion Li Na, former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and former world No.DUNEDIN, Florida – Could it be? With the Blue Jays failure to land Ervin Santana and the continuing spring struggles, to varying degrees, of Esmil Rogers, Todd Redmond and J.A. Happ, Ricky Romeros name is being brought up on an increasing basis. Its getting lumped in with that large group competing for a job in the starting rotation. Manager John Gibbons was effusive about Romeros Wednesday performance, in which the former ace lefthander allowed one run over four innings of work. "All hes got to do is get it in the zone," said Gibbons. "That ball is moving every which way too. Its tough to square him up. If he gets in the zone, he makes them swing, you add that great changeup on top of that, thats where hes had his success. Where he ran into trouble he was just scattering it. He was walking guys, things like that. Hes getting in the zone now and thats the key." Baby steps, though. Romero did walk two batters and hit another. He was the beneficiary of a beautifully turned double play and of an outfield assist on a base hit by Jose Bautista, who threw out a runner at third. If Romero was to land the starting job, at this moment it seems remote, the Jays would likely begin the season with an eight-man bullpen. The fact Romero isnt on the 40-man roster works against him, performance over the last two seasons aside, but he is owed at least $15.6-million over the remaining term on his contract and the Jays would love to get some value for it. Romero has simplified his approach. "Like Ive told Kratz and Thole, the guys who have caught me the last two times, just set up down the middle and stuff will move," he said. "I feel like Im getting that movement back with the changeup and the sinker. There are going to be times when I come out of my delivery a little bit but I think the good thing now is that Im realizing when Im coming out of it. Its just slowing myself back down and my delivery is going to be key, just finding that rhythm." One noticeable difference from last season: when Romero talks about feeling good, feeling confident, his eyes and his body language emit the same. That hasnt been the case. "I definitely feel like its in the right direction and how can you not," said Romero. "Everything Ive been through, this feels good. Im not going to get ahead of myself or anything like that but its taking it day by day and working. Jean-Gabriel Pageau Jersey. I think if I do that, just continue to work, work, and see the little wins each and every day and remain positive I think Im going to be just fine. The rest will take care of itself." Its a long road back to being the 15-game winner from 2011 and Romero may never regain his All-Star form. But hes trying. His manager hopes the crisis of confidence is a thing of the past. "Some guys never rebound from it," said manager John Gibbons. "What hes done here this spring, we noticed it, first started noticing it, just warming up in the bullpen, just throwing their sides and in BP, before we even started playing games, he looked different. Were all pulling for him here." McGowan feeling better Dustin McGowan threw two scoreless innings in Thursdays 7-5 loss to the Astros. It was his first game action in 10 days thanks to a stomach bug. It was the same illness that affected Sergio Santos earlier this month. "I lost eight (pounds,) exactly, too," said McGowan. "I think its the eight pound flu or whatever it was. Next time Sergio needs to stay home." After years of battling shoulder problems, McGowan made 25 appearances out of the bullpen last season, posting a 2.45 ERA while striking out, essentially, one hitter per inning pitched. Hes stretching out this spring, longing to be a starter once more. He felt no side effects from his sickness-induced layoff. "I felt good," said McGowan. "For me, thats the most important thing is feeling good. Pitches are starting to come around and location is starting to get better so its a positive outing today for me." McGowan seems to understand the unlikelihood that hell end up in the rotation, admitting "Its hard to say in my head Im going to be a starter but thats where I want to be." Still, hell continue to try to pitch deeper into games. "Ill keep going this path but if Im at four innings by the end of spring, if they want me in the bullpen thats easy to transfer right into," he said. "If you throw one or two, youre ready for it easily." Has he gained the eight pounds back he lost while sick? "You dont see this," joked McGowan, pointing to his stomach. "Ive got it." ' ' '