- Renaud Lavoie via twitter: Lavoie heard from a player on the Jets that Evander Kane doesn’t want to negotiate a new deal.
- Ryan Porth of Sportsnet: Predators GM David Poile believes Ryan Suter is headed to free agency.
“As we’re moving along, it appears that Ryan is going to go to July 1st and he’s going to take a peek at free agency,” Poile said. “It’s his right; he’s earned it.”
“We’re going to be in consistent contact with him, and I’m certainly hoping, as he said to me a week ago, that he’s not going to make a sudden decision and we’re going to have some conversations after he has talked to these different teams,” Poile said.
“We have been very loyal to Ryan. We are sticking with that,” Poile said. “We have never tried to trade him or entertain any offers for him.”
“I don’t know why he wouldn’t want to play for the Predators. I don’t know why he wouldn’t want to be paired with Shea Weber for the rest of his career,” Poile said. “I hope he’s weighing all those factors before he makes his decision.”
- Willy Daunic via twitter: GM David Poile said that Suter’s side has NOT asked for a deal that would match Shea Weber’s contract dollar for dollar.
- Andy Strickland via twitter: Justin Schultz is expected to sign with a Canadian team, the Maple Leafs, Canucks or Oilers. Cory Pronman via twitter: If Schultz sign with the Maple Leafs or Canucks, he’d become their best prospect. He likely wouldn’t be for the Oilers, if they draft Ryan Murray, it would be debatable.
- Aaron Portzline via twitter: The Blue Jackets won’t extend qualifying offers to Shawn Hunwick and Taylor Ellington, they’ll become UFAs on July 1st.
- Cody Nickolet via twitter: Reports are that Predators 2011 draft pick Magnus Hellberg is coming to North America next year.
- Stephen Whyno of the Washington Times: The Capitals have announced that they will take the Bruins 2nd round pick (#54) from the Semyon Varlamov trade last summer.
- Dave Stubbs of the Ottawa Citizen: Alex Kovalev would like to return to the NHL:
“Hopefully, I’ll find an NHL team,” he said. “The preference is always going to be a team I’ve played on (Canadiens, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators) because you know the environment.
“And I’d definitely like to come back to Montreal. They’re all about the young guys, but I can help in all different ways. And I can still play. I have a lot of energy.”