On the Florida Panthers …
Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel: Jonathan Marchessault told TVA Sports that his agent told him that GM Dale Tallon wasn’t able to make a side deal with Vegas to protect him from being selected.
There of course is the slim chance that that Vegas could select Reilly Smith or Jason Demers, but it seems unlikely.
“My ego took a hit but it’s not like I had a bad season,” Marchessault told TVA Sports. “My agent told me there were several options, including one where the Panthers asked the Golden Knights not to pick me in exchange for a draft pick.”
The Panthers only have five picks in the draft, including the 10th overall. Marchessault was surprised that he wasn’t protected.
“Yes, I’m surprised not to have been protected,” Marchessault, a native of Quebec, told 91.9 Sports, a Canadian radio station on Monday. “I thought I was part of for the Panthers.”
On the New York Islanders and Vegas Golden Knights …
Arthur Staple of Newsday: Two sources saying the New York Islanders have a deal in place with the Vegas Golden Knights to send their first round pick to Vegas to select a specific player from the Islanders roster.
The designated player is still not known.
There could also be a third piece to the deal, with a strong possibility of it being the contract of forward Mikhail Grabovski. Grabovski suffered a concussion in March of 2016 and hasn’t been cleared to play since. He has another year left on his deal at a $5 million salary cap hit.
There are also reports that GM Garth Snow is looking for a high-end offensive player. Avs forward Matt Duchene could be at the top of their list that also includes Oilers Jordan Eberle and Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk. The Islanders may be willing to move defenseman Travis Hamonic.
Source saying that John Tavares has indicated he will wait to sign an extension until he’s more confident with where the Islanders are headed.