The Columbus Blue Jackets have some decisions to make on their pending UFAs
Aaron Portzline of The Athletic: As last week, the Columbus Blue Jackets hadn’t spoken with pending UFAs Charlie Coyle, Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment, and Erik Gudbranson, but GM Don Waddell said they would be. Waddell said that free agents want to remain and that he should be able to find a way to keep them.
“If guys want to stay here, I’ll find a way to keep them here. I’ve said that before, and I have a very good history of that.”
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“Everybody wants to stay here. We’ve got something going here.”
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Jenner and Gudbranson have been in Columbus for a while, but Coyle and Marchment are new this year. A good sign for the organization that they’d like to stay.
The Blue Jackets will need to make a decision to re-sign Coyle and Marchment, or trade them if a deal can’t be reached. There will be interest, and the return should be decent. Waddell’s plan to keep them and sign them.
Coyle is 34 years old and has a streak of 13 seasons of making the playoffs, though he’s never won.
Trade interest in Rasmus Ristolainen picking up
Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff: Trade interest in Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen picked up with his play for Finland in the Olympics.
It doesn’t really sound like Ristolainen wants to be traded, but have heard over the past two weeks that five or six teams have checked in with the Flyers.
If the Flyers were to move him, they’d be looking for a Brandon Carlo or Ben Chiarot type of return – a first and a prospect. He’s got one year left at $5.1 million, so a team gets two playoff runs.
The Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers are two of the teams that have at least inquired, according to sources. A Boston source didn’t think the Bruins were overly high on Ristolainen, but they need to cover all grounds. The Oilers would need to move salary out, and Andrew Mangiapane is on the block.
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Spitballing other teams that would make some sense include the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Stars would need to do some juggling. The Red Wings have their firsts, prospects, including goaltender Sebastian Cossa. The Lightning don’t have their next two firsts.
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