- Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Penguins GM Ray Shero wants settle their coaching situation so he can focus on Evgeni Malkin, then Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang. It could cost the Penguins around $10 million a year to keep Malkin, and ownership has given Shero authorization to keep him at almost any cost. Shero had a “productive” meeting with Malkin’s agent, J.P. Barry.
- Aaron Portzline: Blue Jackets and Sergei Bobrovsky contract talks have picked up the past couple days. The sides have been waiting to see if Bobrovsky wins the Vezina Trophy, but Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has found away around it.
“I said, ‘Let’s just proceed as if he’s already won it,” Kekalainen told The Dispatch today. “Let’s take that out of the equation. Let’s assume he’s won it, and move forward from there. But … “
It doesn’t appear that a deal is imminent.
“His representation is doing what they feel is best; I don’t blame them,” Kekalainen said. “We’re doing what we think is best. I’m not discouraged at all. This is part of the process that both sides have to go through to get a deal done.
“But it’s something we’d like to work at, get settled and put behind us.”
- Chris Nichols of Sportsnet: Daniel and Henrik Sedin were on TEAM1040 radio on Monday and said they hope to remain with the Canucks beyond next season. The Sedin’s haven’t talked with their agents or the Canucks yet. Henrik:
“No, we haven’t talked about it yet, actually. It’s only been a few weeks since we lost here. We’ve always been in a position where everything is going to get worked out if both sides agree that they want the same thing. We’re not panicking. Like Daniel said, we’ve been very up front that we like it here. That’s all we can do.”
- Katie Strang: The Rangers and Ryan McDonagh have held preliminary talks, but nothing is serious yet.
- Mark Lazerus: Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said he’ll do “everything we can” to keep Bryan Bickell.
- Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago: Bickell said yesterday that he’d like to re-sign with the Blackhawks.
“Yeah, definitely, (I’d like to re-sign with the Blackhawks),” Bickell said during the Stanley Cup finals media day. “I got drafted in ’04 with this team. I think this is a second home to me. To be brought up through the minor leagues and being here the last couple years has been an honor. I feel this is a home to me. I have a lot of friends and family with me in the city. I enjoy it a lot here.”
When asked about a hometown discount.
“I don’t know about that,” Bickell said of giving the Blackhawks a hometown discount. “We’ll see. We’re just concentrating on the finals. Me and my agent will come together, and we’ll negotiate that at the end of the season.”
- Chip Alexander: There is no offer on the table, but Dan Ellis and the Hurricanes are “talking back and forth.” In a “holding pattern.”