- Igor Eronko: An exec from Traktor (KHL) said they made an offer to Kings RFA defenseman Slava Voynov, but there is no belief that he would accept it: ‘We know it’s almost unreal, but we’re going to try to sign Voynov until there is a chance’
- Gary Lawless: Blake Wheeler’s camp said there has been no talks with the Jets yet. Bryan Little contract talks are “very preliminary.”
- Michael Traikos: Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis on Leo Komarov: “We made him an offer that we thought was fair. If he chooses to play in RUS for more $, nothing we can do about it.” Dmitry Chesnokov: Komarov will sign with Dynamo Moscow today. His Dynamo deal would not preclude him from exploring NHL options.
- Darren Dreger: If Leafs Paul Ranger decides to return to the NHL, the Oilers would be high among the 20 plus teams that would be interested in him due to the Eakins hire.
- Igor Eronko: Alex Kovalev signed in the Swiss league.
- Darren Dreger: Sergei Gonchar’s deal with the Stars includes a full no-movement clause with a limited trade window from January 2015 to the trade deadline in the 2nd year of the deal.
- Craig Custance: Oilers RFA Teemu Hartikainen will play for Ufa of the KHL.
- Nashville Predators: The Predators sign defenseman Roman Josi to a 7-year, $28 million deal. Salary breakdown: 2.5 million in 2013-14, $3 million in 2014-15, $4 million in 2015-16, $4.25 million in 2016-17, $5 million in 2017-18, $5.25 million in 2018-19 and $4 million in 2019-20.
- Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun: Francis thinks that if Jarome Iginla wants a serious shot at the Stanley Cup, he’d have a take a big pay-cut. It would be due to the fact that Cup contenders would have a tough time fitting in a bigger contract. How many teams would/could fit in more than $3 million a year for him? The Ducks could be a fit, especially his Teemu Selanne retires. San Jose might be able to fit him in on a one-year deal. The Blues could fit him in on the right side, but would he fit in Ken Hitchcock’s system?
- Lisa Dillman of the LA Times: Kings GM Dean Lombardi’s top priorities will be UFA Rob Scuderi and Dustin Penner. He also has RFA Slava Voynov and Jonathan Bernier to sign. The Kings could let Penner hit the open market and open a top six spot for Tyler Toffoli or Tanner Pearson.
- Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The Blues have only had preliminary talks with RFAs Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Stewart and Patrik Berglund.
“We haven’t really moved ahead with anyone yet,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “We’ll probably do that, I’d say, 10 days before the draft (June 28) to two weeks before the draft. We’ll talk to guys if they want to get something done sooner, we’re prepared, but history shows that these guys usually don’t sign until after the free-agency period starts.”
They may get an offer sheet from someone, but that is not a concern for GM Doug Armstrong.
“Offer sheets aren’t a concern,” Armstrong said. “It’s part of the business and you know that they’re there. But the salary cap is coming down, and the mechanisms that would drive (current) teams away … that’s not available in the new CBA.”