On Andreas Athanasiou …
Dhiren Mahiban: Have been informed that Hockey Canada contacted Andreas Athanasiou about playing in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Athanasiou will decide on playing for Canada at the Karjala Cup soon.
On the Ottawa Senators …
Bruce Garrioch: Senators GM Pierre Dorion continues contract talks with Kyle Turris’ representatives. Dorion said there is “no panic,” and is confident that a deal can get done.
On the Vegas Golden Knights …
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal: Sportsnet’s John Shannon was on Bob Stauffer’s Oilers Now radio show and was talking about the Golden Knights. Vegas is carrying nine defensemen, with Brad Hunt, Griffin Reinhart, and Jon Merrill not seeing any game time yet.
Shannon doesn’t think that either Hunt or Reinhart would be claimed by anyone if Vegas put them on waivers.
Shannon adds that Vegas GM George McPhee continues to try to find a trade market for a defenseman.
“I think he’s just being methodical because he thinks he has some level of assets. And in reality we know that… he doesn’t have near the assets that he truly believes he has.”
On the New York Islanders …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Bob McKenzie was talking about pending free agent center John Tavares and how he’s still without an extension on his “Bobcast.” Some around the league are a bit surprised that he hasn’t signed an extension by now. Tavares has been saying all the right things about wanting to stay in New York.
“But – and you knew there was a but there – if it was a foregone conclusion that John Tavares was going to sign an eight-year deal with the New York Islanders, it would have been signed by now. And do not confuse that with me saying he’s going to free agency because that’s not what I’m saying. But what I am saying is he could have signed this past summer and he didn’t. And in fact, not only did he not sign this past summer, but to my understanding there has not been what I would call one substantive negotiation involving actual dollar figures between the New York Islanders and John Tavares.”
believes Tavares is still wanting to find out more information about where the organization is going to be playing in the future – where will a new arena be built, and how long before it’s ready.