Predators looking to shake things up
Sportsnet: Nashville Predators GM David Poile is getting impatient with his struggling team and he’s looking to shake things up.
“There’s no question he’s started to bring up the phone lines to see what’s out there, and if things don’t change, the Predators could make some kind of roster change pretty quickly,” Friedman said.
In a radio interview earlier in the week Poile said that head coach Peter Laviolette‘s job is safe at this time.
Poile added that “We are open for business.”
Sandin likely to join Leafs “sooner than later”
Sportsnet: Rasmus Sandin was the top-scoring defenseman at the World Junior Championship and he may end up in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup “sooner than later.”
“Because he played six games earlier in the season, I do think at some point later this year we’re going to see him get in more games with the Maple Leafs,” Johnston said during Saturday’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
Playing four more NHL games would burn a year of his entry-level contract. If he only plays three more, his contract would slide.
“I don’t believe the Leafs believe that’s a priority,” Johnston said regarding Sandin playing fewer than 10 NHL games and preserving a year of his entry-level contract.
Penguins talking with their pending RFA defenseman
Dan Kingerski of Pro Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins are eligible to sign defenseman Marcus Pettersson to a contract extension now, and contract talks on a long-term deal have begun.
An extension is not imminent but a source confirms a contract “is a priority” for the Penguins. The Penguins’ salary cap situation this past offseason didn’t allow the Penguins and Pettersson to do a multi-year deal as they had hoped.
There had been rumors early in the season that the sides had basically already agreed to a deal but that isn’t the case. The source didn’t say a deal was close but acknowledge the desire from both sides to get a contract extension done.