On the Red Wings …
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press: If Pavel Datsyuk’s bolts the Red Wings for Russia, he leaves the Wings with his $7.5 million cap hit. Datsyuk’s agent Dan Milstein told the Free Press that the Red Wings have said they won’t try to trade his contract, which doesn’t make sense for Wings.
Trading his contract wouldn’t be easy, and it would cost the Red Wings a potentially high draft pick. Teams at the lower end of the cap world include the Jets, Coyotes, Sabres and Hurricanes.
If the Red Wings were to move Datsyuk’s cap hit, they would cap room to potentially take a run at pending UFA Steven Stamkos.
On the Vancouver Canucks …
Vancouver Canucks: GM Jim Benning said that he hopes to sign Thatcher Demko in “the next couple of weeks.”
On the Chicago Blackhawks …
Chris Hine: GM Stan Bowman on re-signing Andrew Shaw given their future cap situation: “We’ll just see where (the cap) is at”
On Rasmus Ristolainen and Seth Jones …
Mike Harrington: The agents for pending RFAs Rasmus Ristolainen and Seth Jones are rubbing their hands together after the Maple Leafs re-signed Morgan Rielly for six years at $5 million per season.
On the Ottawa Senators …
Bruce Garrioch: Marc Crawford on TSN 1040: “Yes, I have contacted (Ottawa) to express my interest but nothing more than that.”
On the Calgary Flames …
Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald: Flames GM Brad Treliving on their goaltending.
“You can’t be 30th in goals against. And that’s not just hanging out goaltenders, that’s a group stat,” stressed Flames GM Brad Treliving during Monday’s end-of-season assessment at the Saddledome. “Do we need more saves? Sure. But all of us wear that.”
Treliving will make goaltending a priority this offseason. The potential for expansion could change which goalies might be available this offseason.
“As it looks right now, if there is expansion, the rules and the overview we’ve been given talks about protecting one goaltender,” Treliving said. “So the natural thought is who has two goaltenders, and how quickly do they want to get rid of one?”