To Columbus Blue Jackets: Ryan Miller

To Buffalo Sabres: Jeff Carter

Notes: Both teams need a drastic organizational change to avoid the “rebuilding” stage. Buffalo needs a true #1 center and the Blue Jackets could use a true #1 goaltender.

Per TSN:

Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal, who has emerged as a top offensive threat this season, will take his high-skill game to Ottawa for the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game.

The NHL announced Wednesday that Neal will replace Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, who opted out of the All-Star Weekend festivities.

Neal, who had just one goal in 20 games after joining the Penguins last season, went into the All-Star break tied for second in the League with 27 goals, and tied for the League lead with 13 power-play goals.

His goal Tuesday against St. Louis put him one ahead of fellow All-Star Evgeni Malkin for the team lead in goals, and he’s second to Malkin on the team with 47 points. The goal also was the 100th of his NHL career.

With 27 goals in 49 games, Neal has tied his career high, set in 78 games in 2009-10.

Neal is the fourth replacement player named to the All-Star roster. On Monday, Letang and Edmonton forward Jordan Eberle were added as injury replacements for Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and Minnesota forward Mikko Koivu, and on Tuesday, Philadelphia’s Scott Hartnell was added in place of Chicago forward Jonathan Toews. Also on Monday, Minnesota forward Nick Johnson was added to the rookie group in place of injured Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Ovechkin removed himself from the All-Star events Tuesday. He had been handed a three-game suspension by the NHL on Monday for a charging incident with Pittsburgh’s Zbynek Michalek during Sunday’s game between the Capitals and Penguins, and Capitals General Manager George McPhee said Ovechkin didn’t feel comfortable going to Ottawa as a suspended player.

“Because he’s a suspended player he doesn’t feel he deserves to be there, so he’s not going to go,” McPhee said. “He doesn’t want to be a distraction to the event. … You know what all the questions are going to be, so it is a great event and he doesn’t want that distraction and we don’t want it, either.”

McPhee said the Capitals stand behind Ovechkin’s decision.

There was no League rule prohibiting Ovechkin from taking part in any of the All-Star Weekend events.

Per TSN:

He could’ve tested the free-agent waters this summer, but there was never a doubt in John-Michael Liles‘ mind where wanted to play hockey.

The 31-year-old defenceman signed a US$15.5-million, four-year extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Liles says he’s pleased to be staying with the Leafs, who acquired him in a trade at the draft with the Colorado Avalanche.

Liles has four goals and 21 points in 34 games this season and is more than good with the notion he might’ve passed up a more lucrative deal as a free agent.

“Some guys choose to go the unrestricted route but it’s a pretty special feeling when Burkie (Leafs GM Brian Burke) went out and traded for me and knowing that he wants me there for years to come,” Liles said during a conference call. “As far as money goes, you could say that you leave some on the table. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t … but I’m looking at it as I was negotiating a contract to stay in a place I wanted to be and play on a team I wanted to play on and live in a city I wanted to live in.

“It feels great. It’s a place that’s grown very dear to my heart, a place I was excited about getting traded to this summer.”

The five-foot-10, 185-pound American-born defenceman is in the final year of a contract he signed with Colorado that carries a cap hit of $4.2 million. Liles said his extension does contain a partial no-trade clause.

But Liles has been out of the lineup since Dec. 22 with what he says are “concussion-like” symptoms.

“I don’t want to term it a concussion because it’s been a bunch of different factors,” he said. “We’ve been working a lot on my neck, which I think has led to some concussion-like symptoms and that’s kind of where we’ve been at.

“I think it’s on a whiplash basis, I think, more than anything.”

Liles did resume skating last week but took time off over the weekend because he didn’t feel right. Still, Liles is expecting to return to the Leafs’ lineup after the all-star break.

“We were going hard there for four or five days and there was a day where I didn’t feel as good as I had previous days so we decided to take a day off and go day by day up until the break,” he said. “I’m not going to say it was a step back because I think it’s more I didn’t feel as good as I wanted to feel … it was just a matter of making sure we’re continuing to head in the right direction.”

In 557 career NHL games with the Avalanche and Leafs, he has 72 goals and 296 points.

Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro are on the hook again for “jinxing” a shutout, as Jiri Hudler scores on Carey Price seconds after the TSN announcers mention it.