On the Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Elliotte Friedman was on Sportsnet 960 and Sabres Ryan O’Reilly was brought up with the possibility of the Flames being able to acquire him and having Sean Monahan, O’Reilly and Mikael Backlund down the middle.
“That’s not bad,” agreed Friedman. “One, what’s it going to cost you. I mean, it’s going to be a lot. Centers are hard to find. If I’m Montreal, I’m doing everything I can to get Ryan O’Reilly, but what do you have to give up. It’s not going to be cheap, even with his contract, which is a little different – it’s kind of bonus-heavy. Calgary can handle that. It’s still going to cost you a lot to get him. So I mean yes, I would be interested, but at what price.”
O’Reilly has five years left on his deal at a $7.5 million cap hit.
On the Washington Capitals …
@Prospects_Watch: Pierre McGuire said that he believes it will be hard for the Washington Capitals to re-sign John Carlson, but he may give them a bit of home-town discount.
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1260 and was talking about Capitals pending unrestricted free agent defenseman John Carlsson.
“Contract year, and he’s going to get a six or a seven-year deal at $7 million-plus, is what he’s going to get,” predicted NHL Insider Bob McKenzie during a Friday morning radio hit on Edmonton’s TSN 1260. “That’s going to be the market value. And I don’t know if he’s going to get it from Washington. If he is, they’re going to probably have to move a few pieces around or what have you.”
McKenzie adds they want to re-sign him, and he wants to stay, but he’s been a bargain for the Caps for the past three to five years at around $4 million per season. A home-town discount in the low 6s when he could get $7 million-plus on the open market may not work for him.