On the Boston Bruins …
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: The Bruins are still looking for a left-handed top-four defenseman and a maybe a left winger for David Krejci. The Bruins biggest priority remains to get David Pastrnak signed, who is eligible for an offer sheet.
The Bruins have around $13 million in salary cap space and will match any offer sheet.
“We’re in really good position in that way,” Sweeney said in reference to the cap situation and possible offer sheets. “We’re having really good dialogue; we just haven’t found . In a perfect world, yeah, buttoned that up, but it just hasn’t happened to this point in time. I don’t comment on where things are at, other than we’re committed to the player and we’d like to find a long-term deal.”
Sources are saying Pastrnak’s deal would be slightly less that Brad Marchand‘s eight-year, $49 million deal – in both term and cap hit. Could be in the six-year, $36 million range, though nothing is done and they are progressing.
They could be waiting to see what some of RFAs are signing for – like Leon Draisaitl. Evgeny Kuznetsov signed for almost $8 million. Past comparables could be Johnny Gaudreau ($6.75 million), Sean Monahan ($6.38 million), Mark Scheifele ($6.125 million), Filip Forsberg ($6 million) and Vladimir Tarasenko ($7.5 million).
Short-term comparables are Nikita Kucherov (three years, $4.76 million per) and Artemi Panarin (two years, $6 million per).
On offer sheets …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Elliotte Friedman was on 630 CHED talking about free agency and that one GM thinks offer sheets are coming.
“I will tell you, I have a pretty interesting conversation with one GM after it’s over. I specifically asked him about Draisaitl. He said he didn’t think so. But he thinks the offer sheets are coming. Maybe not this year, but maybe in a year or two.
“And the reason he thinks so is because the quality of free agents are getting lower and lower every year. Guys are re-signing. They’re taking their term and they’re re-signing. How many big guys hit the market now. And I mean we’ve got a big one next year potentially in Tavares. But you look at it – Vlasic is gone. Fowler is gone. Price is gone. Stamkos went last year. McDavid now you know he’s signed for eight years.
“He’s saying we’re getting less and less on the big free agent stars. He thinks the day is coming where we’re going to see a big-time offer sheet.”