On the Detroit Red Wings …
Ansar Khan of MLive: With the Red Wings eliminated last night, things quickly turned to Pavel Datsyuk and if he’ll return to the Red Wings next season or if he’ll be heading back to Russia.
“I’m not thinking about two days or how many days (until he decides),” Datsyuk said. “I need a little bit cool down and emotion get out and then I start thinking about it more.”
When asked if he was thinking that last night’s game could be last game in a Red Wings uniform.
“Don’t put me in a scary question,” Datsyuk said. “I put this question out many times and I don’t start thinking this way. It’s not happy thinking about these questions.”
Craig Custance of ESPN: Three areas the Detroit Red Wings will focus on this offseason.
- Settle the Pavel Datsyuk situation – If he leaves for Russia, the Red Wings will be stuck with his $7.5 million cap hit, and they’ll have to move it. It might cost them a second-round pick and/or a prospect.
- Try to sign Steven Stamkos – If Datsyuk’s leaves, and if they are able to trade his cap hit, they could look at Stamkos if he hits the open market. The Wings might have to trade a player like Tomas Tatar or Gustav Nyquist to create the cap flexibility to do so.
- Improve their blueline – They may need more than one defensemen. Keith Yandle and Alex Goligoski are pending UFAs. Could move some of their forward depth for a young defenseman.
On the Minnesota Wild …
Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune: Wild owner Craig Leipold put to rest any rumors that GM Chuck Fletcher is on the hot seat.
“Listen, I should put this to bed right now. There is absolutely no way Chuck is not going to be here next year. He is our guy. I continue to have a high level of confidence in Chuck and his staff and we’re already talking about next year.”
Leipold on if he’d ask Fletcher to alter his approach?
“That’s a great question,” Leipold said. “But I would never answer it. Let’s just say that Chuck’s going to be with us, and we haven’t gotten into any detail, but Chuck knows he is not on any hot seat with me.
“So if there are rumors — and I haven’t seen them — then they aren’t something Chuck or anyone else should be worried about.”