Buyout Period …
Chris Johnston: On Thursday at 5:00 pm ET the first buyout period will end. Can expect a couple more buyouts coming.
On Offer Sheets …
Chris Johnston: Interview period for RFAs opens on Tuesday. Jets Jacob Trouba and Blue Jackets Seth Jones are offer sheet candidates.
@DragLikePull: Pierre LeBrun said on Insider Trading that Seth Jones could attract an offer sheet. The Blue Jackets would buyout out a roster player if needed. (Players can’t sign offer sheets until after July 1st and the buyout period ends on June 30th)
On Qualifying offers …
James Mirtle: There may be some surprising RFAs that aren’t qualified by tomorrow, making them UFAs. This could happen in Toronto.
James Mirtle: Leafs RFAs: Stuart Percy, Peter Holland, Josh Leivo, Martin Marincin, Garret Sparks, Sam Carrick, Connor Carrick, Frank Corrado, Colin Smith.
Aaron Portzline: (as of yesterday afternoon) Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said they hadn’t finalized their decisions with qualifying offers.
On the Boston Bruins …
Joe Haggerty: Bruins GM Don Sweeney said that Chris Kelly has recently been medically cleared. Sweeney will talk with Kelly’s agent about a potential return.
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: In Sweeney’s quest for a defenseman, he said GMs were asking for both their first round picks and more for a defenseman. David Pastrnak‘s name kept coming up too. That price was obviously too much for the Bruins.
“In all honesty it would have taken both first rounders and then some…the acquisition cost was high. We want to continue to improve our hockey club with whatever we have to do, but it’s not unlike last year when it would have taken all three first rounders . There’s a balancing act there,” said Sweeney. “There was not a lot that moved around today. People have been laying foundation for quite some time, but there are players that we’re just not comfortable putting into deals. I’m going to defend that. I’ll be honest with you that I just am.
“We’ve taken a position where we’re going to build this the right way. We want to be competitive and improve our team, and we’ll be active in the free agent market to fill holes while allowing our young players to push through. But I wasn’t trading David Pastrnak. We’ve been criticized, and rightfully so at times, for being impatient with our younger, skilled players. This represents a good opportunity that we don’t want to do that.”