Teams given permission to speak with Jim Rutherford
Pierre LeBrun: The Pittsburgh Penguins have given teams permission to speak with former GM Jim Rutherford. His contract with the Penguins expires at the end of the month.
T.J. Oshie wants to stay in Washington
Samatha Pell: Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie when asked about the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.
“I signed an 8-year deal here because this is where I want to spend the rest of my career and retire here … I’ve approached every day since I’ve been here like this is going to be the last team I will ever play for”
Oshie added.
“ can make assumptions about what I want to do or what I would like. People bring up the C, that stuff’s not that important to me. This is where I want to be with my buddies, my family, my kids are growing up in schools here, this is where I love to play hockey.”
To extend or trade Johnny Gaudreau
Eric Francis of Sportsnet: Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has said he’s open to signing a contract extension. Saying and doing are different though.
On July 28th Gaudreau’s no-trade clause kicks in – five teams he’d accept a trade to. So, if the sides can’t reach an agreement before the 28th, it may be wise to move him when they have more trade options.
Trading him at the deadline next season may limit their options even more.
The expansion draft is on July 21st and the entry draft is July 23rd and 24th.
It’s hard to say what his trade value would be like given the flat cap, his $6.75 million cap, and declining play since his 99 point season three years ago.
Is it worth playing him upwards of $8 or $9 million on an extension when Matthew Tkachuk is due a $9 million qualifying offer next season?
Flames GM Brad Treliving last week when asked about Gaudreau’s comments about staying in Calgary.
“At the end of the day it has got to make sense for him and it has got to make sense for us,
“We’ll see where everything goes. Certainly that’s something we’ll have to discuss as the days and weeks go by.”