Trade talks involving Duchene are expected to heat up over the next few days, according to Friedman.
Both players are pending unrestricted free agents, and as a result, they've long been considered to be two of the biggest potential trade-deadline targets for other teams.
The Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights have reportedly shown interest in Stone.
Duchene was dealt to the Senators by the Colorado Avalanche in November 2017, while Stone has spent his entire career with Ottawa after being drafted by the Sens in 2010.
Don Cherry is predictably perturbed about the Carolina Hurricanes' post-win routines.
The longtime "Coach's Corner" pundit went off Saturday night when asked about the subject by broadcast partner Ron MacLean.
"This is the National Hockey League. (Hurricanes bench boss Rod) Brind'Amour is a good coach. These guys, to me, are jerks," Cherry said. "They're still not drawing (fans) ... I'll tell you one thing: They better not do this in the playoffs. What I don't understand is, Brind'Amour's a straight shooter. He always was. This is a joke."
Cherry wasn't done there.
"Young men expressing themselves for (the) joy of winning," he said in a mocking tone. "You don't do this thing in the (NHL). This is professional hockey. What are these guys, jerks or something?"
The 85-year-old former coach suggested there's a time and a place for it.
"If you want to do it, do it before (the game), but that is absolutely ridiculous," he said. "I know all the broadcasters and everything are afraid to say something like that (but the Hurricanes are) jerks (for) doing it."
Cherry finished his rant by calling out Hurricanes captain Justin Williams, who often leads the post-win performances and is one of the biggest defenders of the team's celebrations.
"I know what I'm talking about. You (should) never do anything like that. They're still not drawing (fans). They're a bunch of jerks as far as I'm concerned. Imagine Justin Williams doing stuff like that. Ridiculous."
The Hurricanes changed their Twitter bio shortly after Cherry's comments.
Later on in the evening, Hurricanes defenseman Calvin de Haan tweeted the viral "Don Cherry's piano desk" video from 2011.
It was not due to injury, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector, who noted earlier in the day that the key to the Oilers' acquisition of Sam Gagner from the Vancouver Canucks is that Edmonton will now send Puljujarvi down to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.
The decision to sit him came less than 24 hours after the 20-year-old forward's agent suggested a change of scenery would be beneficial and the day after TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported the Oilers were open to trading him.
The San Jose Sharks got a huge boost on Saturday night as defenseman Erik Karlsson returned to the lineup against the Vancouver Canucks.
Karlsson has missed nine games with a lower-body injury and has not suited up for the Sharks since Jan.16.
The former Norris Trophy winner recorded 31 points over 25 games prior to the injury. Karlsson ranks fourth among defenseman with 0.91 points per game, and 10th in ice time while logging 24:59 a night.
The Sharks managed to maintain their strong play despite Karlsson's absence, going 6-3 and winning six of their last seven games without him.
San Jose occupies the second seed in the Pacific Division heading into Saturday's action.
Gagner, 29, will rejoin the team that drafted him with the sixth overall selection in 2007. The London, Ontario native played his best hockey in Edmonton, reaching the 40-point mark in each of his first five seasons with the club.
The 5-foot-11 winger has spent the majority of the campaign on loan with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and is in the second of a three-year contract with Vancouver. His deal has an annual cap hit of $3.15 million.
Gagner won't have to wait long for his chance in Edmonton, as the team announced that defenseman Matt Benning has been placed on injured reserve. The move clears a roster spot for Gagner to join the lineup against the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Spooner, 27, was acquired by Edmonton on Nov. 16 from the New York Rangers. It's been a trying season for the centerman, who's tallied three goals and five points through 41 games between the two clubs this year.
The Ottawa, Ontario product is in the first of a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $4 million.
The move marks the second trade for the Oilers in less than 24 hours after the team sent Cam Talbot to the Philadelphia Flyers for Anthony Stolarz in a goaltender swap.
Buffalo Sabres head coach Phil Housley didn't sugar coat his words after a 6-2 loss at home to the New York Rangers on Friday.
“We didn’t pin a guy in a cycle, we didn’t kill a play, we just let them roam and now we’re just riding our checks and it just looks like we’re soft," Housley told reporters after the game.
The Sabres got off to a sluggish start, spotting the Rangers a 2-0 lead after the first period.
“When we don’t execute we look slow, we look sloppy, we let guys off the wall in D-zone coverage, we were easy to play against in the first period.”
After boasting a league-best 11-3-1 record in the month of November, the Sabres have struggled to find consistency, failing to win back-to-back contests since Dec. 13.
"You have to understand the desperation at this time of the season. Every shift counts, every plays counts, the details of the game, that’s what is disappointing because you feel like we’re moving in the right direction and you take a step back.”
Heading into Saturday's action, the Sabres sit four points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They begin a three-game road trip on Sunday in New Jersey.
It's a trade that gives the Oilers a bit more wiggle room under the salary cap, as they gain a pro-rated $3.4 million in cap space for the rest of the season, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.
That'll allow them to activate defenseman Andrej Sekera off injured reserve when they're ready to do so.
As part of his modified no-trade clause, Talbot had a 10-team list outlining the clubs he'd be willing to accept a trade to, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. The Flyers were not on the list, meaning Talbot had to waive his no-trade clause for the deal to materialize, LeBrun added.
Once Talbot plays for the Flyers, they'll set an NHL record by using eight goaltenders in a single campaign, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Talbot, 31, spent four seasons with the Oilers, who acquired him from the New York Rangers at the 2015 draft. He's a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a cap hit of about $4.17 million.
Stolarz, 25, played 19 games with the Flyers over the last three years. He's a pending restricted free agent with a $761,250 cap hit.
Jesse Puljujarvi's agent, Markus Lehto, spoke out Friday on the situation surrounding his client and the Edmonton Oilers, suggesting a change of scenery might be best for the struggling winger.
"I think it's hard to reset," Lehto told Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "It's like, when the player isn't trusting anymore ... 'Do these guys really want me here? Do they really trust me to be a top-six guy? A top-nine guy? An offensive player?' The player is uncertain.
"Are we reaching the point that for the team and for the player, it might be actually beneficial for going different paths, different routes?"
Lehto's comments come after TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported that the Oilers are open to trading Puljujarvi if a proper return can be found.
Puljujarvi was drafted fourth overall by the Oilers in 2016 with tremendous hype after he recorded 17 points in seven games while winning gold for Finland at the world juniors. His NHL career thus far hasn't yielded anything close to the same success; Puljujarvi's notched just nine points in 45 games this season entering Friday while averaging 12 minutes per contest.
He's had three different stints with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors since being drafted, most recently in November, when he recorded four points in four games.
Puljujarvi is currently playing out the final year of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent at season's end.
