Should have been a compliance buyout
Thomas Drance: “With the lack of cap space in the system, the brutal decisions facing teams and the completely unique considerations that will shape offseason moves over the next month; you won’t convince me that the flat cap era shouldn’t have come attached to at least one compliance buyout.”
Johnson to waive NMC for the expansion draft
Peter Baugh: A source said that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson has officially waived his no-movement clause for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft. The Avs won’t need to protect him.
It will be hard for the Lightning to keep Coleman and Goodrow
Joe Smith: Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julian BriseBois will need to get “creative” with the salary cap again next season.
He said it will be hard to keep Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow.
Hutton would love to return to Nashville
Chase McCabe: Buffalo Sabres pending UFA goalie Carter Hutton said on 102.5 The Game that he would love to return to the Nashville Predators to be a backup.
Some decisions the Maple Leafs will have to make
Luke Fox of Sportsnet: Predicting the Toronto Maple Leafs will protect eight skaters and would likely lose one of Alexander Kerfoot, Travis Dermott or Pierre Engvall.
The Maple Leafs could have plenty of options after the expansion draft to find Jack Campbell a partner in net. Bringing back Frederik Andersen a reduced contract is possible. Trade candidates could be Elvis Merzlikins or Joonas Korpisalo, John Gibson, Darcy Kuemper, Marc-Andre Fleury or Robin Lehner, or Alex Nedeljkovic. UFA options include Chris Driedger, Jaroslav Halak, Linus Ullmark, Petr Mrazek, and Antti Raanta.
Not shutting the door on a Zach Hyman return just yet. Tyler Bertuzzi is a left winger the Leafs have been linked to. He’d be cheaper than Taylor Hall, Gabriel Landeskog and Jaden Schwartz.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly has a year left on his deal and is too valuable of a player to classify him as an ‘own rental.’ Either sign him to an extension this summer or trade him.