On the New York Islanders and Ilya Sorokin …
Igor Eronko: Islanders goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin doesn’t want to sign with the Islanders while Garth Snow is there.
Arthur Staple: Eronko has lots of Russian sources, and there is no reason to doubt what he said about Sorokin, but it’s not what has heard.
Arthur Staple: What knows: “– It’s still about $ — Sorokin makes a lot of it in the KHL and doesn’t want to play on a 2-year ELC. — Sorokin’s US-based agent was Snow’s agent. Would be an odd way to show he dislikes GS.”
On the New York Islanders and John Tavares …
Chris Botta: Bob McKenzie said that he thinks John Tavares will be signing somewhere else. Since January has said that Tavares will listen to what other teams have to say during free agent window and added “Ineptitude of Snow and ownership – plus failure to bring in new GM – has made situation bleaker. Brilliant “evaluation,” guys.”
Chris Nichols of FRS Hockey: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet 960 was talking about pending UFA John Tavares and the New York Islanders.
“I’ve always believed that he wanted to stay,” said the Insider. “I’ve got to think now we’re getting to the point where he’s going to listen to offers.”
Friedman says the San Jose Sharks could afford both Evander Kane and John Tavares, and possibly have room to bring back Joe Thornton as well.
“… It all depends on what you want to do,” indicated Friedman. “I don’t know. We’re making things up here, but why not – that’s what we do on sports radio. If Doug Wilson can say, ‘We’re going to sign Kane, we’re going to sign Tavares – Joe, what can we get you down to?’ You think he won’t do it?”
All three would have to take less but it would give them chance to win according to Friedman.
Chris Nichols of FRS Hockey: Bob McKenzie on his recent TSN Hockey Bobcast. McKenzie said he hasn’t heard anything regarding John Tavares lately, but something may come up in the next week or two. McKenzie says his gut feeling is that Tavares won’t be back with the Islanders.
“Now, if he goes to market – and again, I don’t want to radio myself, or podcast myself so to speak – but I’m thinking that Montreal not likely at the head of the class that would be in the running for John Tavares. Not to say that they wouldn’t want to be. I’m sure they would be. I’m sure the big offseason strategy for the Montreal Canadiens is to go at John Tavares, if he’s in free agency, really, really hard.
“I’m just not convinced that John Tavares would have Montreal at the top of his list. Now, how do I know that? I don’t. I’m just voicing an opinion that I think there’ll be lots of teams in the National Hockey League who are interested in Tavares: San Jose, St. Louis, Montreal – the list goes on and on I’m sure. And he’ll have a lot of choices to make.”
McKenzie adds that the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t in the mix, and that he’d be surprised if he signed with the Canadiens.
