The Sharks have agreed to trade Ryane Clowe to the Rangers for draft picks, as first reported by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The deal would require Clowe’s approval to be finalized.

Clowe was believed to be a trade target for Eastern Conference teams attempting to keep pace with the Penguins’ recent series of trade acquisitions. The 30-year-old winger has struggled while being held without a goal this season and has been hampered by a shoulder injury in the final year of his Sharks contract.

The Sharks and Rangers have agreed on a deal for draft picks. The deal will be completed once Ryane Clowe agrees to move. #TRADETRACKER—
Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) April 02, 2013

Dan Boyle questioned the NHL’s decision to cancel games. (Norm Hall/NHL/Getty Images)

The NHL will claim it had no choice but to cancel the first two weeks of regular-season games, but Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle told CSNBayArea he thinks the owners just want to see the players squirm.

“I don’t think they’re serious about doing anything until we start missing some checks,” Boyle repeated, after skating at Sharks Ice on Thursday morning.

The veteran also takes a dim view of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman needing just eight of 30 votes to veto any CBA proposals.

Boyle, therefore, seems to believe that there is a select group of owners – the big money makers, especially – that are willing to hold up the entire process, ignore other owners that would be more open to the players’ proposal, and cancel more and more games until they get exactly what they want. That includes, of course, an immediate reduction in current player salaries and contracts, something that the union has emphatically stated it would not accept.

“I think when players make comments, sometimes it’s directed towards 30 owners, but I think a lot of us feel that it’s not across the board. It’s a certain group of teams that are controlling 30 others,” Boyle said.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me that eight teams can control the fate of 22 other ones.”

Boyle and Ryane Clowe said last week that the players are prepared to make concessions such as possible caps on contract lengths, or perhaps stricter rules to prevent teams from circumventing the salary cap, but the NHL doesn’t seem to want to listen to  .

“I think we have to give back. There are a lot of things that we need to fix, and we want to give back,” he said. “They say it’s our turn, or whatever, but they don’t want to negotiate until we start missing some checks.”

Boyle sees no reason to believe the lockout will end any time soon.

“I don’t see anything happening for the next couple months. I know that’s very pessimistic of me, and I really hope I’m wrong. But the eight guys…what if there’s 22 teams out there that want to play right now? How do eight teams control their fate? That bothers me the most.”

Free agent Shane Doan reportedly met with the New York Rangers on Friday. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

NHL free agent Shane Doan was in New York on Friday to meet with the New York Rangers, Arizona Sports’ Josh Gambadoro reported.

The Rangers don’t have a reported contract offer on the table for the Phoenix Coyotes captain Doan, who has drawn interest from as many as 16 teams — more than half the NHL. Six teams — the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins — have reportedly made contract offers. One of those offers is believed to be for four years and $30 million.

But the visit to New York was Doan’s first official visit as a free agent. He has professed a desire to remain in Phoenix, as long as the franchise is committed to staying there. He has spent his entire career with the organization, after the then-Winnipeg Jets drafted him in 1995.

Doan is also in New York for the collective bargaining negotiations between the owners and players. He told the New York Daily News that he wants to make a decision on where he’ll play next season “as soon as I can.”

Doan has put up more than 50 points in 11 of his past 12 seasons. He had 22 goals and 28 assists last season with the Coyotes.

Larry Robinson, a nine-time Stanley Cup champion as a player and coach, will become associate coach for the San Jose Sharks, according to multiple reports.

Hall of Famer Larry Robinson has just been hired as associate coach of the San Jose Sharks. Two years, one-year option #Habs

—
Dave Stubbs (@Dave_Stubbs) July 08, 2012

Robinson won six Stanley Cups in his Hall of Fame playing career. He played defense for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1970s when the team won titles in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1986.

He spent most of his coaching career with the New Jersey Devils. As head coach in 2000, he led the team to a Stanley Cup. He also won a pair of titles with New Jersey as an assistant.

Brad Stuart signed a three-year deal with the San Jose Sharks (John Russell, Getty Images)

The San Jose Sharks have agreed to a three-year deal with defenseman Brad Stuart, acquired last week from the Detroit Red Wings. Stuart was set to become a free agent on July 1, but his new deal with the Sharks will keep him in San Jose until 2016, according to the CBC.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Stuart’s new deal will pay him about $3.6 million annually, less than the defenseman made in Detroit. Stuart was originally drafted by the Sharks in 1999, and his family still resides in the area. Stuart moved to the Sharks to be closer to his family.

Former NHL winger Nick Kypreos, now of SportsNet.ca, tweeted three updates on the trade talks involving Columbus Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash.

#SNdraft news. Seems #Sens and #Sharks most interested #NHL teams for #Bluejackets Rick Nash as of Thurs nite.—
Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) June 21, 2012

#SNdraft. Names from #Sharks being speculated in potential Nash deal besides 1st round pick include Clowe Pavelski and Demers.—
Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) June 21, 2012

That would be 29-year-old winger Ryan Clowe, 27-year-old winger Joe Pavelski and 24-year-old defenseman Jason Demers. The Sharks pick 17th overall in Friday’s NHL Draft.

#SNdraft. Names from #Sens being speculated in a potential Nash deal include prospects Lehner, Zibanejad as well as a 1st round pick—
Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) June 21, 2012

That would be a pair of Swedes, 20-year-old goaltender Robin Lehner and 19-year-old center Mika Zibanejad (the sixth overall puck of the 2011 draft). The Senators pick 15th overall in Friday’s NHL Draft.

The Ottawa package, if accurate, obviously involves young prospects with more upside, which is generally what teams look for when dealing a star.

However, David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News tweets a rebuttal:

From 2,247 miles away, I'm hearing there are no Nash talks between #Sjsharks and CBJ, who still want Couture. No counter-proposal period.—
David Pollak (@PollakOnSharks) June 21, 2012

Sharks center Dominic Moore missed last two games of the Blues playoff series to care for his ailing wife. (Noah Graham/NHL/Getty Images)

San Jose Sharks center Dominic Moore said Tuesday he missed the last two games of the first round series against the St. Louis Blues because his wife was diagnosed with liver cancer. The Sharks lost the series four games to one.

The Sharks released this statement today on behalf of Moore:

“There have been a lot of questions and concerns raised since it was revealed that I had to miss several games of the Sharks/Blues playoff series due to a family matter and I wanted to update extended family, friends, and former teammates on our situation.

“Towards the end of the 2011-12 season, my wife, Katie, began feeling ill. We visited with local doctors, who suggested running a variety of tests to ascertain the cause of the issue. Ultimately, Katie was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer and it was recommended that she undergo surgery, which took place in California in April.

“While it was disappointing to not be able to compete with my Sharks teammates in the playoffs, my wife’s condition and care come first and I want to thank the Sharks organization, my teammates and their families for the love and support that has been shown to Katie and I during this difficult time. We continue to pursue the best treatment and care for Katie.”

Moore played in 79 games during the regular season, scoring four goals and assisted on 21 goals.

San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan collapsed behind the bench after being hit by a stick in Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, according to NHL.com. McLellan is “alert and responsive,” but is still under observation, according to the report.

McClellan was struck by Wild defenseman Nick Schultz’s stick early in the second period and was attended to by medical and arena personnel before heading to the locker room.

McClellan, 44, is in his fourth year coaching the Sharks.

Nyjer Morgan makes his living on the baseball diamond, but he’s about to try his hand at another line of work. Morgan plans to lace up the skates and practice with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, according to the Canadian Press.

Morgan, a 31-year-old Milwaukee Brewers outfielder, grew up in the Bay Area and has always been a huge fan of the Sharks.

“I’m really excited to get on the ice with the team,” he said in a statement. “I’ve been a diehard fan since the team came to San Jose in 1991. I will never forget the George Kingston and Patty Falloon days. I’m not sure the guys are ready for me!”

Morgan has a little experience on ice — he played seven games for the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats during the 1999-00 season. He scored two goals and registered 20 penalty minutes.

“We’re excited to see what he can do out here,” Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. “We knew he had a hockey background and when we saw him on Jim Rome wearing our sweater, and we wanted to invite him to get on the ice with us.”

The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Benn Ferriero from the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League, according to a statement on the team’s official site.

The 24-year-old prospect currently leads Worcester with nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 20 games. He will likely fill in for Sharks forward Martin Havlat who is expected to miss one game after injuring his leg during a line change.

Ferriero has registered one goal in just four games for San Jose this season. In 61 total NHL games he has posted eight goals and seven assists for 15 points overall.

The Sharks are currently in eighth place in the NHL’s Western Conference with a 17-10-3 record. They currently trail the Pacific Division leading Dallas Stars by just two points.