Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun: Despite some wishes from Leaf Nation, it’s unlikely that Bobby Ryan will end up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs have made no contact with the Ducks, but have been monitoring the situation. Ryan has been a little worried about the lack of progress on contract talks. He also denied reports that he’s looking for Corey Perry/Ryan Getzlaf money, $5.325 million. “I don’t want to force (management’s) hand and I don’t want them to force mine,” Ryan said. “I want to get it closed out before hand. There hasn’t been anything that’s gone in the right direction. But there’s no hostility.”
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: If Anton Volchenkov and the Ottawa Senators can’t come to an agreement soon, the Senators may deal his negotiating rights. Volchenkov is looking for $4.5-5 million per season. If they don’t re-sign him, they will look to bring in a more mobile defenseman, possibly Sheldon Souray who they’ve shown a little interest in. The Sens hope to bring back Matt Cullen and Andy Sutton. It’s unlikely the Senators will move up from their 16th draft slot.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: If the Senators are going to trade Jason Spezza, they’ll be hoping to get something done before July 1st, as Spezza is owed $4 million on Canada Day. I’m sure other teams know this and will look to make a deal afterwards. The Senators may find there are limited teams interested in taking on his remaining 5 years and $33 million, and that willing give back a fair return for him. Teams that could be in the market for a center; Panthers, Sharks, Flames, Bruins, Oilers, Kings, and Wild.
Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen: Bryan Murray isn’t going to trade Jason Spezza just for the sake of trading him. “He’s a player that we’re counting on being an important part of our hockey team, but like every player, there’s a possibility I get an offer that I can’t refuse,” Murray said Monday.
Joe Haggery of CSNNE: One of the Bruins top priorities heading in to this weekends draft is finding a trade partner for Tim Thomas. The San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning are said to have some discussions, and if the Flyers are able to shed some salary, they could enter the mix. Thomas had hip surgery after the playoffs, is owed $15 million over the next 3 years, and has a no-trade clause in 2 of the 3 years.
Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post: The Washington Capitals and Tomas Fleischmann don’t appear to be close on a deal for the RFA. The Capitals sent him a qualifying offer, a 5% increase on his 2009-10 salary of $725,000. Fleischmann is looking for a multi-year deal. Fleischmann may be using Tomas Plekanec as a comparable, he made $2.75 million last year, but is looking in the $5 million range on a new deal.
Richard Durrett of ESPN: Mike Modano told ESPN radio that if he decides to return to play another season, he hasn’t ruled out signing with someone other than the Dallas Stars if the team has a legitimate shot at the Cup.
Chris McCosky of the Detroit News: Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland may look to add an enforcer through trade or free agency. The Wings currently sit at $54.2 million for 18 players, with several RFAs to re-sign, so it would have to be an enforcer/agitator willing to work for cheap. Possible players could be Kryotopher Barch, Derek Boogaard, Cody McCormick, Jody Shelley, and Georges Laraque (after he’s bought out).
Kevin Allen via Twitter: Dustin Byfuglien is definitely available. I think the ‘Hawks will capitalize on Byfuglien’s strong playoff performance.
