On the Boston Bruins …
Kevin Paul Dupont: Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin made $1.2 million the past two seasons. Would guess he’d sign a one- or two-year deal at around $1.5 million.
Jimmy Murphy: Source is saying that the Bruins and Khudobin are “very close on two-year deal.” Dupont’s estimate on the dollar amount sounds about right.
On James van Riemsdyk …
Shawn Simpson: Evander Kane signs his contract extension (seven years at $7 million per), van Riemsdyk should be looking at the same dollars. That should price him out of the Toronto Maple Leafs range. What about the Islanders?
On Nikolai Kulemin …
Aivis Kalnins: Nikolai Kulemin is expected to sign with Metalurg of the KHL.
On the New York Islanders and John Tavares …
Chris Nichols of FRS Hockey: Elliotte Friedman was on the NHL Network talking about the New York Islanders and John Tavares. Friedman said he believes the Islanders and Lou Lamoriello had a good meeting with Tavares last week, and that the Islanders went this route as they believed the Tavares was leaning towards signing elsewhere. They decided that they need to make a change.
“And I think they’re back in the game. I’m not guaranteeing anything, but I think they’re back in the game. And I do believe the press is on from the Islanders to try and get this closed. I don’t know if it will happen, but I think they’re making a real serious effort. I think they’re pushing hard.
“Somewhere around all of this lurks the potential signing of an Ilya Kovalchuk. I believe they’ve told Tavares that they will upgrade at the goaltending position. But I think all of that is part of their plan to re-sign him. Again, I don’t know if it’s going to work, but I think they’re going to go out and they are going to make a very serious push that’s already underway to try to get him to re-sign.”
Friedman said he thinks both Garth Snow and Doug Weight will remain in the organization.