Short takes
• Colorado Avalanche winger Jarome Iginla, 39, in the final year of a three-year, $16 million contract, is willing to waive his no-trade clause to play for a contender.
"I would like to, at the deadline, go somewhere," Iginla told Yahoo Sports. "I would like to be in the playoffs. I would hope that there is some opportunity to go and play in the playoffs. Those are the best games, the most fun for sure, and you have a chance to win."
The Wild, the team he has roasted over the years, talked to him as a free agent before signing Thomas Vanek in 2014. Iginla, who has 617 career goals, is clearly on the decline though, so many contenders may be wary. He has six goals and six assists and is minus-17 in 48 games.
Top free agent rentals as the March 1 trade deadline approaches? St. Louis' Kevin Shattenkirk, Arizona's Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan, Detroit's Vanek and Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop.
• It's pretty unbelievable that serial slew footer Brad Marchand got away with two in the past two weeks. Two games after getting dinged for a $10,000 fine for tripping Detroit's Niklas Kronwall, the Boston Bruins agitator did the same thing to Tampa Bay's Anton Stralman.
The league couldn't determine intent so it let Marchand get off scot-free.
In 2011-12, he got fined for slew footing Matt Niskanen. In 2014-15, he was suspended for the same against Derick Brassard.
After the Kronwall incident that cost him pennies compared to his recently signed eight-year, $49 million contract, Marchand said, "I'm sure [the Department of Player Safety is] getting sick of seeing me. That's a little bit of stupidity there. A little unnecessary. I can play the game without doing that stuff."
The league also needs to watch diver Matthew Tkachuk, the Calgary Flames rookie. Keith's boy embellishes every other shift.
