- Andrew Gross: Rangers assistant GM Jeff Gorton said there are no updates on Derek Stepan or Henrik Lundqvist.
- Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News: The Red Wings wanted to re-sign Daniel Cleary, but sit at $66.9 million with RFA Gustav Nyquist left to sign. Once Nyquist is signed, they’ll have 16 forwards under contract. GM Ken Holland has been trying to move out forwards, but he’s received little interest in Jordin Tootoo or Cory Emmerton. Cleary likely won’t wait much longer. Unless Damien Brunner lowers his asking price, he may find himself back in Switzerland.
- James Gordon of the Ottawa Citizen: Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said they were not able to meet Daniel Alfredsson’s salary demands as well as meeting his request to add talent to the team. They would not have been able to afford Bobby Ryan and Alfredsson.
“You can’t have it both ways and say, ‘Well I want this for me, but I want you to do this with me and the team.’ It’s ‘which one do you want?’”
Melnyk says he eventually told general manager Bryan Murray: “We won’t be able to spend that kind of money, so don’t promise that we’re going to bring anybody else in other than filling a hole that was there.”
GM Murray had said at a press conference shortly after Alfredsson had made his announcement, that Melnyk had told him he had a blank check to get a deal done.
“To come up with the kind of money they were talking about and being fiscally responsible and ensuring the ongoing success of the organization, we knew we needed to add a Bobby Ryan-type player,” Melnyk explained. “And at the end, when I said blank cheque, that would have meant we would not have gotten the (Bobby Ryan-type player). Couldn’t afford it. Just couldn’t do it.”
