A lot of teams would be interested in Igor Shesterkin even at $13-14 million
Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh of The Athletic: Contract talks between the New York Rangers and pending UFA goaltender Igor Shesterkin are basically on hold until after the season. This was Shesterkin’s request. Some outside the league wonder if the Rangers would throw $12.5 million at him before the opening of free agency.
A Western Conference assistant GM said there’d be 25 teams wondering if they could sign him if he got to free agency and it get into the $13-14 million range. If Shesterkin was looking for 14 percent of the cap, that would put it at about $13.3 million if the cap is $95 million. Teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens might be interested in signing him to seven years.
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The Winnipeg Jets should look for a defenseman and some depth upfront
Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press: (mailbag) Wiebe: Every team would like to have a big, fast, puck-moving defenseman that could play on their top pairing. Colton Parayko fits that bill but has a no-movement clause and five years left at $6.5 million. If the St. Louis Blues drop out of the playoff race and are looking to move Parayko, the Winnipeg Jets would have the room to try and add him. The price to acquire a top-two right-handed Dman wouldn’t be cheap.
McIntyre: The Jets should look to acquire a big, strong, physical defenceman. Seattle Kraken’s Jame Oleksiak fit the bill. They could use some depth upfront, someone with some size and skill for a hopeful long playoff run.
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Weibe: Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is a pending UFA and doesn’t want to talk about his situation publically. When some gets this close to free agency, they usually become curious as to what the open market may bring.
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