- John Vogl of the Buffalo News: Sabres GM Tim Murray is looking to add another first round pick and is tired of hearing about the salary cap floor as they are currently about $16 million under. If they extend some qualifying offers to some of their RFAs, the Sabres could be about $12 million below the estimated $52 million floor, with only Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno to re-sign.
“I don’t like spending money, but it’s easy to spend money,” Murray said in First Niagara Center. “It’s just are the right players or the guys that we like, are they going to approach us to take our money?
Murray has already had talks about getting another first round pick.
“I’ve got a lot of potential deals out there that have a first coming back, whether it’s in the 20s or in the teens,” Murray said. “I have been trying hard to do that. The people I’ve talked to haven’t said no, but nobody’s called back and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do this deal.’ ”
- Ian Mendes: Sounding like the Senators are not interested in trading for the rights to Dan Boyle.
- Ian Mendes: Senators Bobby Ryan recovery from sports hernia surgery is going well. He’s able to work out now.
- Hope Smoke: Doug MacLean: “I haven’t heard about any contract talks ” … “People are saying, whether it matters or not, that Ryan hasn’t bought a house there ” … “That would be a major concern losing Spezza & Ryan. If that happens potentially we’re talking rebuild or re-establishing in Ott”
- Hope Smoke: Bob McKenzie: “Obviously they’re coming off a disappointing year in Carolina but it’s a whole new regime & they’re trying to improve” … “It’s a new regime & they’re in transition. They have a lot of $ tied up in the Staals, Ward, Semin, Skinner” … “There’s been a whole lot of underachieving but there’s also been a lack of depth”