Preliminary talks for Adam Fox and Jack Hughes
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The New York Rangers have had very preliminary talks with pending RFA defenseman Adam Fox’s agent Matt Keator. Fox has arbitration rights and is offer sheet eligible. Fox wants to be a Ranger so agreeing to an offer sheet would be unlikely.
Cale Makar is a comparable and he signed a six-year, $54 million deal this offseason. The Rangers have to watch the cap as they already have some big deals on the books and Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller will need new deals as well over the next two seasons.
Fox will likely be looking for a deal at over $9 million. They may look a lower number on a bridge deal, but that could cost them more in the next couple of years.
Sources say that New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald and Jack Hughes agent Pat Brisson have held preliminary talks about a contract extension. Hughes getting a contract offer in the next couple of months wouldn’t be a surprise.
Will the Devils want to do a long-term or a bridge deal? Believe the Devils will try for a long-term deal.
Recent contracts of Nick Suzuki (eight years at $7.875 million per) and Brady Tkachuk (seven years at $8.2 million) will come up in talks.
Eichel running out of options
Emily Kaplan of ESPN: Sources are saying that Jack Eichel’s reps are making one last push for disc replacement surgery to the Buffalo Sabres. Eichel had been hoping that he would have been traded by now.
Sources said that as many as five teams have spoken with the Sabres over the last week or so. The Sabres are holding firm on the asking price. That, along with the medical uncertainty have cooled talks.
Eichel continues to collect medical opinions and will be presenting it to the Sabres this week. A last resort of Eichel would be filing a grievance.