On the Florida Panthers …
Craig Custance: The Panthers had offered Dan Bylsma a coaching job the last time he was looking for work. wonders if GM Dale Tallon‘s opinion of Bylsma has changed after his time with the Sabres.
On the Vancouver Canucks …
TSN Radio Vancouver: (Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin signed with KHL team) The Canucks said that they offered a Tryamkin a two-year contract but he decided to return to Russia for family reasons.
Aivis Kalnins: “As I hear things coming from Tryamkin, looks like he won’t be going back to North America any time soon. He sounds very disappointed about things that happen in the NHL on and off the ice.”
On the Philadelphia Flyers …
Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Daily News: Flyers GM Ron Hextall has said that he’s not happy with his team and there will be some changes.
Those changes are unlikely to include forwards Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Giroux signed an eight-year, $66.2 million contract in back in 2013 and has a no-movement clause. Voracek doesn’t have a no-trade or no-movement clause, but he carries a $8.25 million for another six years. It’s not impossible to trade them, but it’s pretty close.
Hextall can use one or more of his defensive and goaltending prospects in a trade.
If he doesn’t want to do that and is willing to be more patient with the rebuild, he could consider moving Wayne Simmonds, Sean Couturier and/or Brayden Schenn to get even younger.
Simmonds would interest teams as his cap hit is under $4 million through 2019 and he brings leadership, toughness and scoring. They don’t have to move him, but they could think about it.
