Looking ahead to some pending 2020 unrestricted free agents
TSN: Pierre LeBrun thinks the Nashville Predators will be able to re-sign defenseman Roman Josi but they may have to move up in price on a long-term deal. The sides talked all offseason, but not much since the start of training camp.
“I think the Predators are willing to go to $8.5 million a year with Roman Josi on a long-term deal. But I think the Josi camp would like to see a number that starts with a nine.
I think they want to see this guy become the third-highest paid defenceman in the NHL behind Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson and why not? He arguably is the third-best defenceman in the NHL. I suspect this will get done. But the fact that it hasn’t yet with the season around the corner is quite interesting.”
Bob McKenzie: St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is also a pending free agent. The Blues just traded for and extended Justin Faulk.
“Now, questions are being asked ‘what about the capitain? What about Alex Pietrangelo?’ He wants to stay in St. Louis. Is he going to get a contract? And how are they going to allocate all of that ice time for right-shot defencemen including Pietrangelo, (Colton) Parayko and Justin Faulk.
The expectation is Blues general manager Doug Armstrong will meet with Pietrangelo’s representatives when St. Louis is in Toronto early in the regular season. We’ll see if they can get a deal done here. But Faulk’s mere presence there maybe gives Armstrong a little bit of leverage in terms of what he wants to do.”
Lou Korac: St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong on how the trade/signing of Justin Faulk affects being able to re-sign pending free agents Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn:
“Ultimately the pie is so big & (Faulk) has taken out a slice of it now, but our goal was to do this w/understanding we felt we still had the ability getting creative & doing other things to sign those guys. That’s still our mandate.”