On the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins …
Sportsnet: Eric Duhatschek was on Sportsnet 960 yesterday and said that with the emergence of Matt Murray, the Calgary Flames could look at Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury as an option for their No. 1 goalie next year.
“At this stage of Marc-Andre Fleury’s career I have a hard time believing Murray is the guy they’re making available,” Duhatschek said. “They’re going to have cap issues going forward, every team does that has high-end guys like Crosby and Malkin that you’re committed to for a long, long period of time.
“I think what you’ll see is that, if they announce the expansion draft in June in Las Vegas, that will be one of players whose names will be out there. People are gonna have to evaluate… is Marc-Andre Fleury the guy you need to get you to the next point?”
Fleury has three years left at a cap hit of $5.75 million. A concussion sidelined Fleury at the end of the season and Murray took over. Fleury had a 35-17-6 record with a 2.29 GAA and .921 save percentage.
“The acquisition cost for a guy like Fleury… that might just be taking him off your hands, free the money off the books, and it doesn’t cost you a tangible asset off your roster.”
On the Florida Panthers …
Aivis Kalnins: Hearing from Alexander Radulov’s camp that the Florida Panthers are the front-runners to sign him. They are still talking with other teams.
On the New Jersey Devils …
The Fourth Period: Kyle Palmieri’s agent Steve Bartlett said he expects to talk with Devils GM Ray Shero when Shero returns from the World Championships. The Devils could be looking for a five-year deal.
On the Vancouver Canucks …
The Fourth Period: The Canucks and restricted free agent Emerson Etem are expected to start contract talks soon. He could get a short-term deal with a slight raise from this $850,000 salary this past year.