Notes on the RFAs, Faulk, Gardiner, Marleau, and Puljujarvi
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Winnipeg Jets RFA Kyle Connor is looking for term, while Patrik Laine is looking for a bridge deal.
Brayden Point could be looking for a three-year bridge deal.
The Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser have talked about different term lengths.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may be willing to go $11 million for Mitch Marner, but only if it’s for seven years. A two-year bridge deal may be agreeable for both sides. There was a rumor that Marner’s camp pitched a three-year deal with season three coming in at $15 million. That was several months ago and no longer relevant.
It’s now up Justin Faulk if he wants to be an Anaheim Duck. The Ducks and Faulk are working on a contract extension. He might be looking for something in the $6.5 to $7 million range.
The Montreal Canadiens were interested in Jake Gardiner, and think the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets were also interested.
There had been some reports that the Edmonton Oilers had some interest in Patrick Marleau but don’t think that it is something that will happen.
The Edmonton Oilers talked to the Carolina Hurricanes (Julien Gauthier) and Tampa Bay Lighting (Alexander Volkov) about Jesse Puljujarvi.
An agent on the unsigned RFAs
Bob McKenzie: An agent on the RFA dynamic with training camps scheduled to open later this week.
“We’re going to try to do in two or three days what we haven’t been able to do in two or three months.”
McKenzie notes that the start of training isn’t a hard deadline but it is somewhat of a pressure point.
Three-year bridge deals to increase?
Bob McKenzie: One GM on the RFA gridlock and Zach Werenski‘s three-year bridge deal.
“It seems there’s a growing appetite, on both sides (club and player), to maybe solve the problem by kicking the can down the road (bridge deals). Market seems in flux.”