Latest on the top eight restricted free agents
Luke Fox of Sportsnet: The latest on the top remaining restricted free agents.
1 Quinn Hughes – Vancouver Canucks – A bridge deal may be the only solution as a five-year plus deal won’t come cheap. The sides are talking every day or two and there is no animosity between the sides.
2. Elias Pettersson – Vancouver Canucks – Agent JP Barry said they are looking at five years or less for Pettersson and Hughes more the five. Sportsnet’s Iain McIntyre thinks it could come in at $14 million for both Hughes and Pettersson.
- Rick Dhaliwal: Elliotte Friedman on RFAs Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes: “The 2 sides are talking everyday. It is all over the map. I don’t think the pressure point is training camp. I think the real pressure point is the start of the season.”
- Donnie & Dhali: Friedman: “I think they have considered everything especially with Hughes..”
3. Kirill Kaprizov – Minnesota Wild – The Athletic’s Michael Russo sources predict a two-year deal at $6.5 million or a six-plus deal at $9 million. Wild GM Bill Guerin:
“We are at a point where we feel we’re being extremely fair. How far apart are we? Not very, but sometimes those can be the things that take a while. I mean, that’s the way I see it. You could ask Paul or Kirill, and they might say something very different.”
4. Brady Tkachuk – Ottawa Senators – The Sens may have offered eight years at $8 million per. Brady’s brother Matthew said the sides aren’t close.
5. Rasmus Dahlin – Buffalo Sabres – A bridge contract may make the most sense for both sides.
6. Robert Thomas – St. Louis Blues – The Blues have less than $1 million in cap space and Thomas is looking for more than Jordan Kyrou‘s $2.8 million. Oskar Sundqvist and his $2.75 million will be on the LTIR.
7. Kieffer Bellows – New York Islanders – Had his name in the rumor mill at the end of the season. He was given a qualifying offer.
8. Anatoly Golyshev – New York Islanders – Hasn’t played a game for the Islanders after signing back in the spring.