In The Crease

Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom has given his agent, Don
Meehan, permission to negotiate a new contract with Detroit,
indicating that Lidstrom is leaning toward rejecting an offer
from Vasteras of the Swedish Elite League. Lidstrom is looking
for something close to Brian Leetch's salary of more than $8
million a year, although he doesn't have the bargaining power
Leetch had. Leetch would have been a free agent if he hadn't
re-upped with the Rangers last month....

The Canucks are trying to sign first-round draft choices Daniel
and Henrik Sedin by Thursday, because after July 15 the club
will be required to pay a $100,000 transfer fee to the
International Ice Hockey Federation for each of the twins if
they play in the NHL next season. The Sedins have been saying
since last fall that they plan to finish their last year of high
school in Sweden, while playing with their Swedish club, MoDo....

The Maple Leafs' Pat Quinn might be successful as both coach and
general manager (he'll get the latter title later this month),
but history suggests those jobs are too big for one man. The men
who most recently held both positions--Mike Keenan of the Blues,
Jacques Demers of the Lightning and Mike Milbury of the
Islanders--were underwhelming....

Roman Turek, whom St. Louis acquired from the Stars last month,
will be given a chance to beat out Grant Fuhr and become the
Blues' No. 1 goalie. Fuhr once lost his job to another
well-regarded but inexperienced Czech in his late 20s who came
to Fuhr's team in a summer trade. The goalie? Dominik Hasek.