- Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area: Sharks GM Doug Wilson on the free agent market.
“We will look. We’ll explore everything. But, when you’re turning the team over to a younger core, you’ve got to be careful who you bring in from the outside that ends up superseding them. We’re giving them the opportunity. Here’s your team,” Wilson said.
“It doesn’t mean we won’t add people, whether it be trades or potential free agency going forward, but if you asked me right now, I would say probably not.”
- Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic: The Coyotes have six pending UFAs and Thomas Greiss is the only one that has received a phone call.
“I did have a conversation with Thomas Greiss’ agent,” General Manager Don Maloney said. “That was a brief conversation, but he’s the only one so far.”
Re-signing Radim Vrbata could be difficult as the two sides could not come to terms during their training camp talks. The Coyotes are still looking for an assistant GM to replace Brad Treliving who left to become the Flames GM. The Coyotes hold the 12th overall pick at the draft and have already identified four or five players they really like at around that range. They will look at drafting players at every position and will go with the best player available.
“We certainly have a group of very good young defensemen we really like but after Connor Murphy and Brandon Gormley, now it starts to get thin again,” Maloney said. “So, really, no position is particularly strong that we would avoid it at all. I think every team is the same. We’re going to pick the best player available.”
- Jim Jamieson of the Vancouver Province: The Canucks going after pending UFA Thomas Vanek makes little sense. Jamieson lists some free agents the Canucks should “have a look” at: Matt Moulson, Jussi Jokinen, Mike Santorelli, Steve Ott, Brian Boyle, James Reimer (RFA) and Dan Boyle. Free agents the Canucks “don’t have a look” at: Thomas Vanek, Marian Gaborik, Paul Stastny, Ryan Callahan, Dany Heatley, Jonas Hiller and Mike Cammalleri.
- Bruce McCurdy: Jaromir Jagr said that this will be his last World Championships.
- Allan Walsh: Look for Czech free agent forward Jiri Sekac to sign a NHL contract soon.