- Randy Miller of the Courier Post: Jaromir Jagr said that the Philadelphia management didn’t want to negotiate a contract until after they knew the outcome of the two $100 million offers they had on the table. By the time Zach Parise and Ryan Suter knew where they were going to sign, Jagr had moved on.
“We made an offer to Jaromir back in February,” Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said of Jagr, who signed with Dallas and then was traded last month to Boston. “It didn’t go anywhere. They decided to wait until after the season was over. We talked a number of times between the end of the year and free agency. I talked to his agent (Petr Svoboda). He called me the day that Jaromir signed with Dallas. He said, ‘We’re getting close, where are you guys at?’ At that point, we weren’t in a position to do anything because we had offers out on other guys.”
The Flyers may not have wanted to give Jagr a raise from $3.3 million to anything past $4 million. Jagr responded to a question that if waiting for Suter and Parise drove him away.
“Well, the thing I understand is that if you give two offers to free agents … you cannot give two offers to somebody else,” he said. “Because if they grab it, with the salary cap, what are you going to do? So (Flyers management) had to wait for those players to say no and it took them a week. So it’s the whole free market.
“I was happy (in Philadelphia). Everybody knew it. I loved that team. I loved the fans. I loved the city. But on the other side, I always believe in God. And I always believed He would find the best place for me. I had a faith that something good would happen to me even if (returning to Philadelphia) didn’t happen.”
- Blue Jackets.NHL.com: The Blue Jackets have re-signed Matt Calvert (2 years, $1.975 million). In 42 games this season, the 23-year old Calvert has nine goals and seven assists with 32 penalty minutes.
“Matt is a dynamic young winger that plays with great tenacity at both ends of the ice and we look forward to his continued development and contributions to our hockey club,” said Kekalainen.
- Rich Chere: Devils Martin Brodeur confirms that he’ll play next season.
- Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger: Neither Marek Zidlicky or Patrick Eliashas spoken with the Devils about a contract extension.
“I don’t know yet. It’s pretty tough to say right now,” Zidlicky said. “I would like to come back. I don’t know what Lou wants to do with the team for next year. I’d like to stay here. He knows that.”