Canadiens Hudon may welcome a change of scenery
Louis-Andre Lariviere of TSA Sports: There doesn’t appear to be a spot for Charles Hudon on any of the Montreal Canadiens top three lines. Hudon’s agent knows this and says a change of scenery may be a good thing.
“There is no place for Charles in the training and it’s no secret that a change of team, that would not be a bad thing for him, admitted his agent Allain Roy, in an interview telephone with TVASports.ca.
The Canadiens would need to qualify the pending RFA to retain his rights. Roy adds that Hudon is still an asset for the Canadiens.
“It’s really an asset for the Canadian because he’s a good player,” he insists. “Marc has a job to do as a GM. All the options are there. It’s up to the team to decide what they want to do with Charles. ”
Hudon doesn’t plan on playing in Europe. Several teams have inquired in the past.
Penguins need to make some moves to help fill some holes
Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The Pittsburgh Penguins core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang don’t appear to be going anywhere.
The Penguins will be making some tweaks, a goaltender will be moved, their bottom-six will get another shuffle, and they’ll add at least one third pair defenseman.
They’ve added more speed on the wings in the past 14 months – Brandon Tanev, Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen.
Both Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry are pending RFAs. Murray could get $6 million if he goes to arbitration, and could be looking for more on a long-term deal. Jarry could be in the $3 to $4 million range on a short-term deal.
“That’s the trade-off. You make a deal to acquire Jarry, you’re betting on future performance. You don’t have to bet on that with Matt Murray. He’s got it. He’s got jewelry,” Burke said. “Both will have attraction. Both will have value.”
Murray might be able to net the Penguins some future assets and/or useful veterans from a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs or Colorado Avalanche.
NBC Sports analyst Anson Carter wonders about a Marc-Andre Fleury return. Fleury does have a big contract and he could be a buyout candidate for the Golden Knights. Casey DeSmith will likely be the Penguins backup next season.
Forward Nick Bjugstad (traded to the Wild yesterday) and Jared McCann could be trade candidates. Forwards Patrick Marleau and Conor Sheary are free agents and won’t be back. Dominik Simon is an RFA, and Zach Aston-Reese is out for the season.
Pending free agent defenseman Justin Schultz won’t be back.
