- J.J. Regan of CSN Washington: After getting Marcus Johansson locked up for the year, the Capitals have about $460,000 in cap space. That number does include three goalies, with Justin Peters the one most likely to end up in the AHL. They would have about $1.4 million cap space if he’s send to the minors. The Capitals top need this offseason was to bring in a top-line right winger. They were able to add two options in Justin Williams and T.J. Oshie. If they were to add anything else before the start of the season, it would just be for added depth. They may prefer for hold on to their cap space for now as many teams would rather not be right against the cap at the start of the season, but they could look to bring in someone on the league minimum of $575,000.
- Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun: Both the Maple Leafs and Jonathan Bernier’s camp presented three hour arguments to the arbitrator on Friday before agreeing to a two-year deal yesterday.
“There’s obviously things they say you don’t want to hear,” Bernier said of the hearing. “But at the same time I think you grow from those experiences. I won’t be sour about it. I know it’s part of the business. They’re trying to get the best deal possible, we’re trying to do the same.”
GM Lou Lamoriello on the Bernier arbitration.
“In my opinion, the organization made the right decision going to arbitration so that with the whole new coaching staff, there was no questions on who would be in training camp,” Lamoriello said. “Right now everything is stable. It had been a while since I had been to an arbitration. They seem to get settled these days. But I thought it was very good to hear exactly what both parties had to say as far as Jonathan, but more importantly, where the team is at.
“The thought process is trying to get a goaltender, and hopefully it’s Jonathan, to be the stabilizer for this franchise.”
The Leafs have about $2.51 million in cap space.
- Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post Dispatch: (Q&A) Blues chairman Tom Stillman on the teams financial situation.
We’re much more stable than we were two years ago. We have to continue to grow that for a few reasons. One of them is the salary cap is going to continue to be the rabbit we’re chasing. It’s going to continue to move, we have to continue to grow, to keep up so we can put a really competitive team on the ice.
Stillman on if expansion would be good for the league.
It remains to be seen. The process is open, there’s no commitment that there will be expansion. There’s a long way to go and the league will take a very careful look at it and make sure it’s the right thing on a macro sense for the league and any market candidate will be looked at very carefully. The league is really healthy, it’s hitting on all cylinders. I don’t think it’s ever been stronger, and looking forward to some of the things they have coming down the pike, rather it’s new sponsorship deals, a new level of interest from a number of people, there’s just a lot of things going on.