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Would the Oilers be interested in Daley, who is 32, and has close to 800 NHL games? Maybe, although you’d think Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is more invested in getting Travis Hamonic from the New York Islanders. That said, Chiarelli and Hawks’counterpart Stan Bowman are co-general managers for the Young Stars team at the World Cup of Hockey next year so they talk a lot. But they would still have a surplus on the defence and would have to perhaps move somebody else.

When asked last week how the puck-moving Daley had been playing, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said “OK.” That doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement. He’s averaging 15:46 minutes a game after being a career 20:56 guy.

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Pro sports is driven by results so Anton Lander’s 0-0-0 stats log, finally got him a seat in the press box as a healthy scratch. He has played 20 games. “We’ve tried a lot of different things with Anton and the focus now is on the exterior with the zeros. No goals, no assists,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan, “but it’s a lot of details leading up to that. You have to be fast or you have to be quick and right now Anton is caught in between.” Winger Lauri Korpikoski took his spot at centre on the fourth line against the Caps. “I did start my NHL career as a centre with the Rangers,” said Korpikoski, a first-round draft in 2004.

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Justin Schultz isn’t far from returning after being out for a month with a bulging disc in his back. Rest has eased the situation, along with some rehab. “The practice today was a bit of a physical test for him and we’ll see how he is Tuesday in Carolina at practice when he’s maybe doing some wrestling (with players). We’ll see how he comes through that,” said McLellan.