- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Some think Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien won’t both be in Winnipeg after the trade deadline.
“I don’t believe they’ll both be there after the deadline,” a league executive said Friday.
Word is the Jets offered Ladd six-years at $6 million per season before the season started and that a deal will likely get done. People are not as optimistic about a Byfuglien deal.
Blues GM Doug Armstrong has put David Backes contract extension talks on hold. He’ll be looking from a big raise from his current $4.5 million cap hit. He could bring the Blues a nice return, but the Blues will be looking to add and not subtract. Teams will be calling the Blues.
Islanders GM Garth Snow won’t move defenseman Travis Hamonic unless he gets good value back. Teams have been calling the Islanders about pending UFA Kyle Okposo, though some are thinking that Okposo won’t be traded as the Islanders are still in the playoff race.
If the Canucks are going to trade Chris Higgins, they are going to have to eat some of his $2.5 million salary that runs through next season. Have to wonder what the Canucks will do with pending free agents: RadimVrbata, Dan Hamhuis and Yannick Weber. Hamhuis is still out after taking a puck to the face.
Talk is that a lot of free agents are going to looking for deal similar to Ryan Kesler’s six-years, $41.25 million deal.
Anze Kopitar’s eight-year, $80 million deal won’t make a Steven Stamkos deal any easier.
As many as 15 teams may have called the Lightning about Jonathan Drouin. The Blues may be the leading candidate as they may be dangling Kevin Shattenkirk. The Wild and Predators have been in on the talks. The Ducks were interested, but just added David Perron and Adam Clendening for Carl Hagelin.
GM Steve Yzerman may be trying to include Matt Carle in a Drouin deal.
Garrioch wonders if the Blue Jackets could be interested in Canadiens center Lars Eller. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen drafted Eller when he was with the Blues.
