Quick hits involving the Kraken, Flyers, Kuzmenko, and Staal
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: It’s unlikely that the Seattle Kraken don’t trade pending UFA defenseman Mark Giordano. His rental trade value will be high.
The Philadelphia Flyers are still in the playoff race so they don’t have to make any decisions regarding Claude Giroux‘s future just yet.
Russian pending free agent Andrei Kuzmenko is one player to watch in the Olympics. He’s not in any rush to sign and likely won’t commit to anything before the end of the KHL season. Fit is the most important thing for him for next year. He can sign a one-year NHL deal and then be a UFA.
Chip Alexander: Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal said that his brother Eric is “itching” to get back into the NHL and that he may also be interested in playing for Team Canada in the Olympics.
Letang and Malkin on their UFA status
Pens Inside Scoop: Kris Letang on his pending UFA status: “I don’t really think about this right now, to be honest…Right now, I’m just trying to play my game at the same level. Every time I enter the year, my goal is to win another Stanley Cup, and that’s what I focus on. The rest can take care of itself.”
Josh Yohe: Letang estimates that he wants to play four more years after this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Evgeni Malkin back on December 29th: “I want to play maybe like three or four years more…”
Letang on Tuesday: “I don’t have a timeline, to be honest. In my mind, it could be five more years… I have to beat Geno, eh? Sid’s gonna say six.”
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: It will be interesting to watch what happens with Pittsburgh Penguins pending UFAs in defenseman Kris Letang and forward Evgeni Malkin. Coach Mike Sullivan is working on making sure their contract status (as well as Bryan Rust‘s) doesn’t affect their team. There is still plenty of time, and thinks they all know where the other side stands.