On the Arizona Coyotes …
Brian Lawton: Think that the Coyotes will aggressively pursue a defenseman through trade or free agency.
On the Edmonton Oilers …
Brian Lawton: Think that the Oilers should go all in and try to trade for P.K. Subban, as well as trying to add a free agent defenseman like Dan Hamhuis or Alex Goligoski.
On the Minnesota Wild …
Brian Lawton: Think the Wild should go after Minnesotans Alex Goligoski and Kyle Okposo.
On the Detroit Red Wings …
Brian Lawton: Hearing that the Red Wings will go after Steven Stamkos if he hits the open market. Think they need to improve their defense core.
On the Chicago Blackhawks …
Scott Powers of The Athletic: The Blackhawks haven’t ruled out re-signing defenseman Michal Rozsival.
“We haven’t made that determination yet,” Bowman said while attending the World Championship in Russia. “We sort of have to make some decisions over the next month or two. I know Michal is patient in that way. He’s a guy who knows how to play in the league. We haven’t ruled anything out in that front yet. We sort of have to make some decisions over the next month or two on which direction we’re going to head with our defense.”
On the Anaheim Ducks …
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Elliotte Friedman on 630 CHED on the Ducks two pending RFA defensemen – Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm.
“You know what? I have a theory that what Bob Murray could do in Anaheim is he could make them – is he could play them next year under their qualifying offers.
…
“Yes. I think it’s possible. I will tell you that another team told me that they think that – and I’ll tell you this, I think teams are rooting for him to do it, because they think the second contracts have gotten out of control. They all want somebody else to do it. They don’t want to do it themselves.
“Ultimately, I don’t think that’s what Anaheim wants to do. But there are a couple of teams that think that’s what Anaheim is prepared to do.”
