We’re just minutes from kicking off the draft, and we still don’t have any word on impending trades. We also have plenty of seats available.Now, they’re starting to fill in as we countdown the minutes to the first pick but this is a far cry from the atmosphere in Montreal. I wouldn’t have expected anything…

Tomas Kaberle has been a mainstay on the trade rumor mills all offseason, as the Maple Leafs look to move him before his NTC kicks in on July 1. Just don’t expect that trade to happen today. Brian Burke, talking to the media here in Los Angeles less than an hour before the draft kicks…

Here are the facts: The Boston Bruins want Taylor Hall. He’s idolized the Bruins and Bobby Orr (he wears #4 for a reason) and the Bruins want him. They think he’d fit better on the team and while they’ll certainly love to have Seguin, they don’t have room for another center. Except the Oilers are…

Being the last major event before the NHL goes into spectacle hibernation, it was nice to see that the league rolled out some state fair-like attractions to entertain children (plus man-children) and hockey fans alike. Young hockey fans could play a little street hockey in one spot, 2K Sports displayed its video game wares and…

The Florida Panthers appear to be close to trading defenseman Keith Ballard, and it seems that the St. Louis Blues are the other team involved. There have been several reports that trade sending Ballard to a Western team in very close, while Jeremy Rutherford seems certain that team is the Blues. We have no word…

A trade involving their #5 draft pick, that is. Unless some odd act of mother nature occurs and Cam Fowler drops to the fifth spot, it seems to be an increasing likelihood that the New York Islanders trade out of their spot. They aren’t in dire need for one of the remaining top defensemen, and…

There’s been this undercurrent of a rumor the past few days (not all that crazy actually) that the Edmonton Oilers were hoping to make a play for the #2 overall pick in the draft, giving them the ability to draft both Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin at the same time. That would have been a…

Over the past 12 hours or so one new named has cropped up in trade speculation, and this time these ‘rumors’ have some legs. The Florida Panthers have been active in Los Angeles (or at least trying to be) as they look to make some moves on draft day. It appears that defenseman Keith Ballard…

Over the past few days, the likelihood of a Mike Ribeiro trade has been steadily rising as the Stars continue their search for a top defenseman while attempting to shed some salary. With several of the centers that were supposedly available going off the market, it seemed that Ribeiro would be able to fetch even…

The NHL Entry Draft is hours from going down, and amidst a flurry of trade and contracts talk the hockey crowds are starting to gather outside Staples Center. For those that haven’t been out here to Los Angeles before, I can’t imagine an odder choice for a place to hold the NHL draft but that…

The Philadelphia Flyers traded for defenseman Dan Hamhuis with the intention of signing him to a contract before the NHL Draft. Well, the draft is tonight and it doesn’t appear the two sides are anywhere closer on a deal. With both sides saying they’d like contract in place before the draft, there’s been recent speculation…

I’m getting ready to head over to the Staples Center for tonight’s draft, but wanted to pass along a few more notes. First, it’s almost an absolute certainly that I’m confident in the order of the first three picks tonight. Taylor Hall will go 1st overall to Edmonton and then Tyler Seguin to Boston with…

With news that Tim Thomas and Jason Spezza are looking less likely to be traded, the number of big moves we were expecting before (or after) the draft is dwindling. Teams are locking up their potential free agents and the big names that might have been traded appear to be staying put – for now.…

It sounds like you can take one more center off the market, as Senators GM Bryan Murray is saying that he has not reached out to actively trade Jason Spezza. Speculation has soared as we neared the draft that the Senators would be sending the star center elsewhere in a trade, and according to Murray…

Visit NBC’s Draft Headquarters for our complete coverage of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. This may sound odd, but the biggest need for the Red Wings is another Nicklas Lidstrom. Obviously, they’re not looking to strike gold with another player just like him, but Detroit is certainly facing a need for big, burly defenseman that…

Visit NBC’s Draft Headquarters for our complete coverage of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The Stars are in desperate need for defensive depth, as they’ve spent the past few seasons stocking up on gritty forwards. Last year, GM Joe Nieuwendyk shifted the focus on speedy, talented wingers and despite the dearth of blue line talent…