Little talks between the San Jose Sharks and Joe Pavelski
Kevin Kurz of The Athletic: The 34-year old Joe Pavelski is entering the final year of deal with the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks have about $52.3 million committed to 10 players for next season, and that doesn’t include a potential extension for newly acquired Erik Karlsson – in the $11 million range.
The Sharks do seem a bit reluctant to commit long-term to Pavelski.
Other pending free agents for the Sharks include Joonas Donskoi (UFA), Timo Meier (RFA), and Kevin LeBanc (RFA).
Pavelski agent Dan Plante is waiting for some meaning contract discussions.
“Since there hasn’t been a whole lot of talks about a contract extension at all, I would say that they are lukewarm or tepid, at best. It’s really kind of non-existent, so maybe non-existent is a better word.”
Pavelski would like to get a deal but isn’t really worried about it.
“Yeah, it’s always nice to get something done. It just is,” he said. “Throughout my whole career that’s how it’s kind of been. We’ll just go with it as it goes. I’m not too worried.”
Zack Smith may end up staying with the Ottawa Senators
TSN Insider Trading: After clearing waivers, Pierre LeBrun says that things appear to be back to the way they were for Zack Smith – centering their second line.
“A lot of players I think were stunned in that dressing room that a popular player like Smith was put on waivers. But the reality is as we know, we had Zack Smith on the TSN Trade Bait Board last February. He’s been out there. The Senators have talked to teams and clearly couldn’t find a taker and so they do this. Now sometimes when you put a player on waivers and even though he clears, it can ignite a further trade conversation with a team that has some mild interest if the Senators were willing to eat some of that deal or take a contract back. But the reality is he may just play the rest of the year in Ottawa and this was just one quick attempt by the Senators to see if there was a taker.”
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Teams that have spoken with the Senators in the past about Zack Smith may circle back on him now that he’s cleared waivers. There would likely be a market for him if Senators were willing to eat some of his contract.
“Whenever a guy is on the waivers, there’s always that chance afterward that they get traded because it sends a message to the league that they’re willing to listen,” Smith’s agent, Allain Roy, told TSN 1200 on Wednesday. “Yeah, there’s always that chance, but I have no indication either way.
“Let’s call this a hiccup and move on. Pierre took all the right steps. It was done the right way. And Zack is happy; he loves it in Ottawa.”