On the Winnipeg Jets …
Mike McIntyre: Would think that Michael Hutchinson‘s time with the Jets is done. Would be a surprise if the pending UFA comes back.
Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun: There is a mutual desire between the Winnipeg Jets and Paul Stastny to get a contract done. To get a deal done, Stastny may still have to leave some money on the table, possibly in term as well.
The Jets cleared out Steve Mason and Joel Armia, clearing just over $5 million in cap space.
The Jets will need to find a backup goalie now. They are unlikely to bring back any of their other free agents (excluding Stastny).
Restricted free agents for the Jets: G Connor Hellebuyck, D Jacob Trouba, D Josh Morrissey, D Tucker Poolman, F Adam Lowry, F Brandon Tanev, F Marko Dano, F Nic Petan
On the Philadelphia Flyers …
Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post: Flyers GM Ron Hextall had hoped to be in on John Tavares, but he’s continuing to talk to other free agents. The Flyers have about $19.5 million in salary cap space.
“I said we weren’t gonna go long-term with a good player. Maybe a great player we’d look at it,” Hextall said, clarifying earlier comments that suggested he didn’t want to spend in free agency. “I probably misspoke a little bit. We don’t want to go long, long-term. We’ll see where that goes.”
James van Riemsdyk is one forward that might interest the Flyers, but it’s not known if he’s interested in them.
Cheaper options could be center Riley Nash and winger Michael Grabner.
“I told you guys the other day we’d like to add a top forward,” the general manager said at the draft last weekend. “We’d like to add a veteran D if we could. Those are the two positions. If you say we have a wish list, that’s our wish list. Our pieces can move around so it doesn’t necessarily have to be a center or a winger. It can be a guy that can play both because we have some adaptability because we have some guys on our team that can move around.”