Coyotes in a listening mode
TSN Radio Vancouver: Darren Dreger on TSN 1040 radio on the flat salary cap and internal budgets for some teams: “There is a # of teams that have stressed going below that 81.5 cap & at least a few teams that want to get it into the low 70’s or lower. I heard from a good source today that ARZ has basically said anyone 25 or older, make an offer & they’re willing to listen.”
Can’t see the Canucks trading Boeser unless…
TSN Radio Vancouver: Thomas Drance on TSN 1040 on Vancouver Canucks and forward Brock Boeser: “I just don’t see the case for making a Brock Boeser deal, unless they find none of their other assets have significant value, which is possible. I guess if you were desperate to upgrade your defense core, but I just don’t see the reasoning”
The Blackhawks don’t have a lot of flexibility this offseason
Mark Lazerus of The Athletic: (mailbag last week) Being able to move on from the contracts of Olli Maatta and Zack Smith should clear enough salary cap space to re-sign Corey Crawford, Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome and Slater Koekkoek.
The Blackhawks don’t have the flexibility (salary cap and roster) this offseason to improve a lot. They have several mid-tier defensemen with term left on their contracts. It won’t be easy this offseason to move contracts. Improvement will likely have to come from within the organization.
Brandon Saad has a year left on his contract at $6 million and might interest some teams. If the Blackhawks trade Saad it would mean they are in a rebuild and would not be looking to win next season. If at the trade deadline the Blackhawks are out of it, he would draw a lot of interest.
Re-signing Koekkoek to a one- or two-year deal at around $1 million would be a fair deal.
On the idea of signing Dustin Byfuglien – the last thing the Blackhawks need is another aging, slowing defenseman.
Though the Blackhawks may prefer a one-year deal for Corey Crawford to give them some extra flexibility next season, according to sources they may be okay with a two-year deal at $3.5 million per. It would then be up to Crawford if he’d do it.
