Dubas believes in patience …
Kristen Shilton: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has preached the importance of patience in doing long-term deals with free agents. He would like players to understand what the team wants to do long-term and be okay with their decision to sign a long-term deal. He doesn’t want them to regret any decision a year later. Forward William Nylander is the Leafs only remaining restricted free agent.
No updates on Wild Bill …
David Schoen: Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee said there is no update with regards to a new contract for forward William Karlsson.
Three RFAs left for the Anaheim Ducks, bigger names coming up next year …
Eric Stephens of The Athletic: The Ducks have around $9.5 million in salary cap space with RFAs Brandon Montour, Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie left to re-sign.
Ritchie wasn’t arbitration eligible and they’ll likely get him signed to a reasonable bridge deal. A two-year deal worth between $2.8 million and $3.6 million make sense – $1.4 to $1.8 million per season.
Ondrej Kase could get a deal similar to Andreas Athanasiou‘s two-year, $3 million per deal. Another option would be offering more years at a lower salary like GM Bob Murray did with Rickard Rakell – ie. four years at a between $2.5 and $2.8 million per.
There had been some trade rumors involving Montour at the draft last month, but it was more about teams calling them. Could Montour be part of a deal to help the Ducks acquire a proven top-four defenseman or a scoring forward?
Would have to think Murray will look to get Montour signed for under Josh Manson‘s four-year, $4.1 million per.
After next season John Gibson will be RFA, and Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg would be UFAs.
Gibson’s next deal will be over $6 million per season.
Murray on if he can’t get Henrique and Silfverberg signed and the possibility of losing for nothing after next season.
“I don’t think I can go into this with those guys being a little bit away from unrestricted,” Murray told The Athletic last month in Dallas. “It’s dangerous to have that situation and then you get to February or whatever the trade deadline is and you’re in the hurt and you’re close, you’re whatever. It’s very difficult to move the people at that point in time. It doesn’t work well.
“So, yeah, I think it’s important I try to get something done.”