Coyotes need to get younger and Sabres will build around people who want to be there
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: Change is coming to the Arizona Coyotes and the need to get younger. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is back on the trade block but it’s not a guarantee he’s moved. He has six years left on his contract at an $8.25 million salary cap hit.
Can see the Boston Bruins being a good fit if they can make money fit.
When talking about his roster and their young players, GM Kevyn Adams mentions Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens, and Casey Mittelstadt as the core that wants to be there and who they will build around. Adams doesn’t mention Jack Eichel, who will likely be dealt before the start of next season.
“We need to do a lot of building, we need to surround those young players with the right people, the right culture every day, with players who truly love being a Buffalo Sabre and want to get this right.”
It’s not going to be an easy offseason for the Avalanche
Peter Baugh of The Athletic: It’s going to be a busy, difficult offseason for the Colorado Avalanche as they have to deal with RFA Cale Makar and UFAs Gabriel Landeskog, Philipp Grubauer and Brandon Saad. The Seattle Kraken expansion draft will also give the Avs some tough decisions.
A source is saying contract talks between the Avs and Landeskog should pick up soon. Will Ryan Nugent-Hopkins eight-year, $5.125 million per be a similar structured for Landeskog?
In the Avs signings, they need to keep in mind that Nathan MacKinnon will be a UFA at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Jordan Binnington and Jacob Markstrom signed six-year, $6 million per season deals over the last year, and Grubauer had a better year this season.
Pierre LeBrun mentioned that Makar could be an offer sheet candidate. The Avs and Makar have held preliminary talks.