The NHLs Mar. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out todays trade-related reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. And follow TSN.ca through Deadline Day for all the updates. Improving the Champs? Do the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks need to be even better? Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mark Lazerus spoke to Comcast Sportsnet and recalled last seasons acquisition of Michal Handzus and said, "I think just like last year (GM Stan Bowman will) be in the market for a center. I dont know if it will be quote-unquote a second-line center, but they do need some depth down at the middle," Lazerus told CSNs Pat Boyle. Lazerus said that the Blackhawks are currently carrying a surplus of defencemen and could use one potentially as trade bait. Bigger in Texas Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill spoke to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News and discussed his teams ability, if they choose, to trade draft picks for roster players because the team has the cap space to allow such a deal. Nill would not get into player specifics, but Heika suggested in his article that pending unrestricted free agents Vernon Fiddler and Ray Whitney could be desirable to other clubs. Heika also noted that Sergei Gonchar, Erik Cole, and Shawn Horcoff each have one year left on their deals and with a rising salary cap, their manageable costs might be attractive to teams as well. Leaky Pipes The Minnesota Wild are struggling with injuries to both of their goalies, Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding. Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Wild GM Chuck Fletcher has talked trade with some teams, but the market is drying up with Devan Dubnyk and Ben Scrivens now off the board after they were moved last week. Russo says the team has talked internally about signing free agent Jose Theodore in case they need some insurance. Theodore is living in South Florida and has been working out throughout the season just in case a call comes. Yerry Mina Barcelona Jersey . On Monday night, many fans in this city placed the blame squarely on the captain for his role in the James Neal overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jordi Alba Jersey . - The Oakland Athletics say they are stopping negotiations to extend their lease at the Coliseum. http://www.barcelonateampro.com/paco-alcacer-fc-barcelona-jersey/ . Setting United on its way to a 2-0 victory, Rooney sent the ball high from inside the halfway line over goalkeeper Adrian after just seven minutes. "Its just instinct, Ive turned and had a quick look and seen the goalkeeper off his line," Rooney said. Lionel Messi Jersey .com Tour title, closing with a 6-under 64 for a four-stroke victory. The 22-year-old former North Texas player finished at 12-under 268 at Panama Golf Club and earned $112,500 to jump from seventh to second on the money list with $171,500. Paulinho Jersey . So much so that even a simple foul pop up to the first baseman turned into a run. Houstons four-run rally in the ninth inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Monday night was capped by a bizarre play that started as Crowe fouled out to first baseman Justin Smoak with runners on second and third. DETROIT -- Robbie Ray provided a glimpse of what the Detroit Tigers saw in him when they acquired the pitching prospect for Doug Fister. Ray gave up one run in his major league debut and got plenty of run support, especially from Miguel Cabrera, to help Detroit rout the Houston Astros 11-4 on Tuesday night for its season-high seventh straight win. When Ray walked off the mound and toward the dugout in the sixth inning, he was given a standing ovation by a crowd that included his mother, father, fiancee and her family. "I did enjoy it," he said. "I started tearing up a little bit." Some of those same fans may have wondered what the Tigers were thinking when they traded a 14-game winner to Washington for the 22-year-old Ray during the off-season. "I got the sense that before today, they didnt know who I was," Ray said. Now, they know and 27,939 fans probably liked what they witnessed from the hard-throwing lefty. Ray (1-0) gave up one run, five hits and a walk, and struck out five in 5 1-3 innings. He probably earned another turn in the rotation because Anibal Sanchez is on the disabled list with a cut on his right middle finger. "Id be surprised if it was somebody else," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. Ray responded well when Jose Altuve led off the game with a bloop down the right field line, which he turned into a double. Dexter Fowler followed with an infield single after Ray ran past first base when Cabrera tossed him the ball. With the poise Ausmus predicted he would have, Ray struck out the third and fourth batters in Houstons lineup and an inning-inning groundout got him out of the jam. "That was a big inning," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "You have a guy whos making his first major league start on the ropes with the middle of the order coming up. "But to his credit, he was able to get out of it." The former Nationals prospect had a shot to have a scoreless start, but second baseman Ian Kinsler dropped a popup that allowed Fowler to score in the sixth innning.dddddddddddd "Hes got good stuff and a good head on his shoulders," Tigers catcher Alex Avila said. "But people cant -- or shouldnt -- put pressure on the kid about being part of the Fister trade." Cabrera homered in the first inning for his first of four hits and four RBIs. He raised his batting average to .293 after it was .206 on April 21. The reigning two-time AL MVP, who matched a season high with the four hits, had an RBI single in the seventh and a two-run double in the eighth. "Every player goes through a little bit of a lull once in a while," Ausmus said. "Its just that I think Miggy has set such a high standard that people dont expect it." The Tigers scored two runs in the third inning and another in the fourth. J.D. Martinez was the only player in Detroits lineup who did not have a hit until he had an RBI single in the five-run eighth. Houston, which has the worst record in the majors (10-23), lost its fourth straight and sixth in seven games. "Its a little tough, you know," right-hander Josh Fields said after giving up five runs and getting only two outs. "Were struggling. But itll be all right." Brett Oberholtzer (0-6) allowed four runs, nine hits, two sacrifice flies and a walk over six innings. "I thought he did a good job of battling and did a good job of leaving us in a good position when he left the game," Porter said. The Astros bullpen, though, ended any shot of at least staying competitive in the game by giving up seven runs. "Extremely troubled," Porter said. "If our bullpen would have been able to keep it there, it would have been a different ballgame." NOTES: Detroit OF Torii Hunter extended his hitting streak to 13 games and had the first of Detroits three sacrifice flies. ... Porter said RHP Scott Feldman, who has been on the DL since mid-April with right biceps tendinitis, will start Friday at Baltimore and said a decision will be made Wednesday or Thursday about who will be taken out of the rotation. 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