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The Ottawa Sun is reporting that Senators GM Bryan Murray will actively market his players as the trade deadline approaches. The paper suggests only Captain Daniel Alfredsson is an untouchable…the New York Post, an increasingly unreliable source, is reporting the New York Rangers are scheming with the Dallas Star concerning a return of pest Sean Avery to the Big Apple. Anywhere but Toronto, lads…Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks, often shunned for his “soft” play, leads the NHL with eight game winning goals…Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has, at 324, taken the most shots in the NHL, a stunning 103 ahead of his closest competitor, Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes…Martin Brodeur is looking at the end of February for a return to the New Jersey pipes. Stand-in Scott Clemmensen allowed four goals on 25 shots Tuesday, so his act may be wearing thin…the New England Patriots are as mysterious as ever. A press release issued yesterday seemed to hint that Matt Cassel is a strong possibility for the starting QB role in 2009. On the other hand, the Pats continue to deny the whispers that suggest Tom Brady is at increasing risk to miss the 2009 season due to various setbacks in his rehabilitation. We do know that a number of teams would offer high draft choices and players to obtain Cassel. Expect Bill Belichick to remain stubborn and obstinate right to the very end. If Brady is healthy, Cassel will be moved, period…all eyes are on the Minnesota Vikings as they attempt to obtain a reasonable pivot. Last year’s duo of Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson were clearly inadequate for a team loaded with enthusiastic young talent…wide receiver Anquan Boldin has announced to ESPN that he wants out of Arizona. His feelings have been irreparably hurt by management and he intends  to take his “piss and whine” act to another team…here’s The Sporting News list of the top ten free agent QB’s (scheduled to be available for free agency on Feb 27^th though, of course, New England has slapped the “Franchise” tag on Cassel)  1) Kurt Warner 2) Matt Cassel 3) Kerry Collins 4) Rex Grossman 5) J P Losman 6) Chris Simms 7) Ryan Fitzpatrick 8) Byron Leftwich 9) Kyle Boller 10) Dan Orlovsky. Time for a team (Chicago Bears?) to roll that lucky number eight!…Rotoworld speculates that Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh, out of the line-up tonight, may be showing signs of wear after having reported to Team USA for two of the past three off seasons. Guard Jose Calderon is expected to start tonight…Anna Rawson, a member of the Ladies American and European Tours, made quite a stir with comments from Australia yesterday. She said, “The tour has got so much better with so many young stars and great players. But the mentality, unfortunately amongst the media and industry has not changed. They still think we are at 25 years ago, y’know, when the tour was full of, y’know, a lot of dykes and unattractive females. Nobody wanted to watch”. Anna, voted by S I as one of the ten most attractive female athletes in the world, sure makes me want to watch…it’s very disappointing that Thomas Hauser, a force for good and righteousness, has inked a deal to provide content to the “subscribers” section of Max Boxing. The area requires payment of $5.99 a month, but Hauser has indicated he will continue to provide his “free” column to the Seconds Out site. I’ve made a choice to surf without my wallet and don’t subscribe to any site. So many pay sites sound enticing but I’m loathe to encourage a practice which will inevitably end up taking increasingly large chunks from your pockets…in NASCAR, Tony Stewart is driving the #14 this year, having ended his relationship with Gibbs Racing and his famous #20…the odds on the Manny Pacquiao - Ricky Hatton May 2^nd fight have shortened a notch, Pacman currently at -230 and Hatton at +190. For Pacquiao, coming off the enormous publicity and hype of his battle with Oscar De La Hoya, and looking forward to a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr, this fight could be the tainted meat in the “sandwich”. Pacquiao is the better fighter, surely, but the dynamics of scheduling could find Manny in “look ahead” mode against an opponent who needs this fight to preserve his legacy. Pencil this fight as a “must see”…the English press is buzzing in anticipation of Amir Khan’s fight March 14^th against Marco Antonio Barrera. The fight between the young prospect and the grizzled vet has captured the imagination of the British public but will not be shown on American TV. The odds are currently hovering at close to pick’em. Barrera suffered a cut in a tune-up fight last Saturday against a limited opponent but has been medically cleared for this engagement. I won’t miss this one. I’m curious if Khan, who looks sensational but has a questionable chin, can put it all together and defeat Marco. A loss by Barrera would (should?) bring to conclusion a glorious career…