On the Dallas Stars …
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: (mailbag) The chances are slim that free agents Travis Moen, Kris Russell or Jason Demers are back with the Stars next year. The could decide bring a veteran back – Patrick Eaves or Vern Fiddler – and then let Colton Sceviour go, though that doesn’t make a lot of sense to Heika.
If Alex Goligoski or Fiddler is re-signed, it would likely have to be with a hometown discount.
On the St. Louis Blues …
Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: (chat) Guessing that Ken Hitchcock remains as the Blues coach for next season. Hitchcock and GM Doug Armstrong are schedule to meet with the media on Tuesday.
Think that the Blues will try to re-sign David Backes. Troy Brouwer was a good fit, but they may not have had intentions of re-signing him when they traded for him, using the money saved for Backes, Jaden Schwartz, etc.
The Blues likely have plans to trade Kevin Shattenkirk this offseason. His trade value may have decreased after his playoff performance.
Rutherford thinks that it would be hard for the Blues to trade Jay Bouwmeester, who has three years left at a $5.4 million salary cap hit.
Believe that Vladimir Sobotka intends to play in the NHL next season. He has one season left on his contract at $2.725 million. GM Armstrong should address this soon.
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 960 on the St. Louis Blues and the big decisions that GM Doug Armstrong has.
“So you’ve got Backes and you’ve got Brouwer, who were both very key parts of your playoff team. Doug Armstrong had a hard job to get them here. They had to knock down a wall that they couldn’t get hrough. Now he’s got some really hard decisions to make because this is the time where you are going to set the long term salary cap future of your team. You got Tarasenko done. You got Pietrangelo done. But now it’s older guys. It’s Backes, it’s Brouwer, and it’s your coach.