On the Florida Panthers …
Harvey Fialkov: Panthers GM/Coach Tom Rowe said the Dmitry Kulikov trade to the Buffalo Sabres was for salary cap reasons. They Do like Mark Pysyk though.
On the Chicago Blackhawks …
Mark Lazerus: On pending Blackhawks RFA Artemi Panarin: “I know nobody does offer sheets. But, man, I’d offer-sheet the bejeezus out of Artemi Panarin if I’m a rival GM.”
On Bob Hartley …
Aivis Kalnins: Bob Hartley signed a one year deal with the Latvian Hockey Federation. The deal has an opt out if Hartley receives an offer from an NHL team.
On the Edmonton Oilers …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Darren Dreger was on TSN 1040 and was asked about Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli and if he would feel pressure to a make a move at the trade deadline to take a run at it this season.
Dreger thinks it could be possible they try to take a run at it, but doesn’t know if Chiarelli would feel pressure to do so.
“Chiarelli is an aggressive general manager. He’s always got his hand in the ring in terms of looking at areas of improvement. This year will be no different. To say that they have a specific area of need? Hmm. Aside from being patient and allowing a couple of these players to develop a little more – I’m talking, of course, about Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl… They’ve got Ryan Nugent-Hopkins now – not necessarily experimenting on the wing, but starting to flourish a little bit offensively on the wing.
“I think that if they could add a piece they’d still like to add maybe somebody on the blueline. But you go into next season and maybe that’s not such a pressing issue with, again, the more experience that Klefbom earns and, when Darnell Nurse is healthy, the experience that he gains as well.”