Latest from the Ottawa Sun and ESPN.com.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the following:

- The Montreal Canadiens are looking for a blueliner to replace the injured Andrei Markov. While the Habs signed free agent d-man Marc-Andre Bergeron he's seen merely as a stop-gap measure.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: Bergeron won't replace Markov's total game but could prove helpful offensively in even-strength and PP situations. If the Habs are searching for better they're unlikely to find one this early in the season so I daresay the Habs will be patient with their current blueline (Bergeron included) and see how things develop in the coming weeks before making any further decisions on adding another defenseman from outside the organization.

- A lot of teams will keep an eye on the performance of NY Rangers forward Chris Higgins, who's eligible for UFA status next summer.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: Injuries and inconsistency have dogged Higgins' career to date which is why the Canadiens shipped him to New York so it'll be interesting to see how things pan out for him with the Rangers.

- Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Miroslav Satan remains unemployed...Brendan Shanahan's NHL career is likely over.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: Satan's offensive inconsistency hurt his UFA value but he could find more interest in his services as the season progresses and struggling teams seek an offensive boost. As for Shanahan, I agree with Garrioch that his playing days are done.

- Goalie Martin Biron signed with the Islanders to market himself for a trade in January but he'll have to play better to land another NHL job.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: The Isles have to date only played three games and Biron appeared in one of them, an overtime loss, so it's a little early to suggest he needs to play better. Mid-November rather than mid-October is a better time to evaluate his performance.

- Contract talks are ongoing between the Thrashers and team captain Ilya Kovalchuk but to date they're nowhere close to a deal as he wants assurances the Thrashers are heading in the right direction.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: A wise decision by Kovalchuk. I think we'll have a better idea about the direction of Kovalchuk's contract status by mid-season.

ESPN.COM: Pierre LeBrun reports the following:

- The Washington Capitals have come close twice to loaning center Michael Nylander to a KHL team but it hasn't happened yet. If he were loaned to the KHL the Caps would still have to pay the majority of his salary but the other team would off-set part of it, plus the loan would clear his salary off the Capitals cap. It's believed Nylander's former Rangers linemate Jaromir Jagr is stumping for his current club Avangard Omsk to land him.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: With his no-movement clause, age, and salary there's not an NHL club interested in acquiring him so a loan to the KHL is the only way to get him off the roster.

- Pittsburgh Penguins management met with Sergei Gonchar's agent just prior to the start of this season but both sides agreed to postpone contract talks until January when GM Ray Shero will have a better idea of next season's salary cap. Gonchar becomes a UFA on July 1st.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: It appears both sides are willing to get a deal done but it'll be based on what next season's cap will be. That's a promising sign for Penguins fans, especially since league commissioner Gary Bettman recently dismissed reports the cap for next season could decline by twenty percent.

- Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said he won't look outside the organization to replace winger Erik Cole, who is sidelined for four-six weeks with a leg injury.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: At this point in the season it's tough to find short-term replacements for injured players and of course there's always the salary cap to consider.

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