Where Victor Soderstrom plays next year is unknown right now
Craig Morgan: Have heard that Utah’s Victor Soderstrom may have changed agencies and moved on from Quartexx Hockey. (Puck Pedia still has him listed with Darren Farris of Quartexx Hockey)
Utah is open to re-signing the RFA forward but they are also open to exploring the trade market for the former first-round pick (2019).
There is also some thought that he could decide to play in Europe next season.
NHL News: Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, NY Islanders, and the San Jose Sharks
The Washington Capitals have extra money for a top-six if they can find one
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: (mailbag) The Washington Capitals Nicklas Backstrom will be on the LTIR again, and possibly T.J. Oshie. Evgeni Kuznetsov terminating his contract (with the Carolina Hurricanes) gained the Capitals and additional $3.9 million in cap space. Patrik Laine remains in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and he can’t be traded to the Capitals or anyone else while he’s in the program.
The Capitals do have added space for a potential top-six forward and Laine should be one option with their added space. They’ll need some clarity on his situation first. There isn’t really a top-six option in free agency but they could look at Laine or some others in the trade market.
aSt. Louis Blues News: Torey Krug May Miss Entire Season Due to Ankle Issue
Jeremy Swayman could get into the $9 million range
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: (mailbag) Depending on the term, the 25-year-old RFA Jeremy Swayman could get upwards of $9 million on his next contract. An eight-year extension could be below $9 million but a five- or six-year deal could be between $9-$10 million.
Swayman’s age and what he’s accomplished already, finding comparables is a little different. Juuse Saros was 29 when signed his eight-year, $7.74 million deal. Connor Hellebuyck was 30 when he signed his seven-year, $8.5 million deal. Thatcher Demko was 25 when he signed his five-year, $5 million but he only had 30 wins under his belt. Andrei Vasilevskiy was 25 when he signed his eight-year, $9.5 million deal but was under a flat cap in 2019.
