Looking like Simmonds days in Philadelphia could be over
Sportsnet: The trade market for Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne is going to start picking up.
“I think you’re going to see some teams start pushing for him,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Saturday during Hockey Night in Canada‘s ‘Headlines’ segment. “San Jose, Calgary and Winnipeg — if Philadelphia feels (a) it wants to make the deal, and (b) is sufficiently out of the playoffs, to do it too.”
The 30-year old Simmonds is in the last year of his deal at a $3.975 million cap hit.
John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia: Wayne Simmonds is well aware that he may have played his last game in a Philadelphia Flyers jersey last night.
“It quite possibly could ,” Simmonds said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. Obviously I’d like to stay here, but it’s out of my hands now.”
There is a sense that the Nashville Predators and former coach Peter Laviolette are the frontrunners now to land Simmonds.
The Flyers and Simmonds’ agent Eustace King haven’t made any progress of late on an extension.
Headlines notes on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that due to the high asking prices, it could be a quiet trade deadline for the Maple Leafs. The Leafs been watching the Carolina Hurricanes and their right-handed defenseman, but they may have to settle on a small trade with someone else if they make one at all.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says the Eric Staal doesn’t really want to be traded by the Wild. He holds a 10-team no-trade list and they pending UFA doesn’t want to go anywhere.