On the Minnesota Wild …
Michael Russo of the Star: Training camp is few weeks away and the Wild are considering bringing in a forward or two on PTOs.
“Before we sign anybody, I think we’d like to have a better idea of what we have internally,” General Manager Chuck Fletcher said. “There are a lot of guys that either have played or on the cusp of playing, so I think we want to be careful we don’t box guys out.
“You want to make sure you have enough depth, but you also want to leave some flexibility.”
The Wild are considering options if some of their younger guys aren’t ready. Prospects who are in the mix include Tyler Graovac, Kurtis Gabriel, Joel Eriksson Ek, Alex Tuch, Zack Mitchell and Christoph Bertschy. Depth forwards who will get a shot include Zac Dalpe and Jordan Schroeder.
Some PTO options could include unsigned Wild free agents in Ryan Carter, Chris Porter and Justin Fontaine. Other free agent options include Paul Gaustad, Lauri Korpikoski, Steve Downie and R.J. Umberger.
Coach Bruce Boudreau has let GM Chuck Fletcher know what he’d like.
“I want to be more aggressive, more in-your-face, so we’re going to try to get bigger and tougher and stronger.”
On the NY Islanders …
Mark Herrmann of Newsday: The Islanders are working on making some improvements to the amenities and atmosphere at the Barclays Center. Co-owner Jon Ledecky said that the Barclays center will be their home for “years to come.” He wouldn’t comment on whether he meant many years or only a few. The Islanders have an opt-out clause and have looked at other options. They have looked at beside Citi Field in Queens and in Nassau County near Belmont Park.
“The last time I looked I’m not the predictor of the future,” Ledecky said. “Right now, I’m focused on one thing and that’s getting the fifth ring for our fan base. That’s the most important thing.”