- Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune: Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman on Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane contact extensions that they can begin talking about on July 1st:
“It’s the highest priority for us,” Bowman said. “Looking at next year, there’s no doubt that’s what we’re going to do. I’ve made it clear. We’ve never wavered from that. There’s no doubting the importance of those two players. The direction this franchise has taken has really been in tandem with those two players. When Patrick and Jonathan came on to the scene, it really sort of breathed life into our franchise and into our team.”
Toews on signing an extension with the Blackhawks.
“Absolutely,” Toews said. “Who could ever think of a better situation to be in? (When) I was drafted, I had absolutely no idea all this would be in store for me in my short career so far. I’ve been so fortunate to be a part of a group of unbelievable guys.”
Pat Brisson is the agent for both Toews and Kane, as well as Sidney Crosby.
“The negotiations, that’s something I’m not going to do publicly, but I have a great relationship with Pat Brisson,” Bowman said. “He’s the best agent in the game — he has a lot of high-profile clients. He gets deals done. I’m excited to work with him and get that worked out.”
Bowman will look at re-signing pending RFAs: Ben Smith, Antti Raanta and Jeremy Morin. Brandon Saad has one year left but could get a contract extension. Likely on the way out are pending UFAs: Michal Handzus, Sheldon Brookbank, Peter Regin and Nikolai Khabibulin.
- Chris Kuc: Pending Blackhawks UFA, Michal Handzus doesn’t plan on retiring: “I’ll be playing.”
- Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Bob McKenzie on Team 1040 radio on the Canadiens RFA P.K. Subban:
“This time around, all the leverage is in his favor. None of it is with the Montreal Canadiens. He’s two years away from being an unrestricted free agent. He’s got salary arbitration rights. If he files for salary arbitration, he’s going to get a Shea Weber number over $7 million a year on a two-year award. He can take $7 million on an arbitration award and basically walk himself to the door for free agency and the Montreal Canadiens would have nothing to show for it.
“So the Canadiens’ alternative is let him go to arbitration, pay him over $7 million and watch him walk out the door for free in two years, or pay him somewhere between $8-$10 million a year right now on a seven or eight year deal. And as much as they want to try to save the money here or there so they can pay some other players, they really don’t have a lot of leverage here.
“Where P.K. may take a discount is that he might be within his rights in his new – if you look at Shea Weber’s making $10 million a year, really. Ryan Suter’s making $10 million a year or thereabouts. He probably could demand over 9 and closer to 10 and if he really wants to get it he probably could. But the Montreal Canadiens are going to say, listen P.K., if you do that we’ve got to get rid of this guy, we’ve got to get rid of that guy. It means you’re going to be playing with guys that make 5 and $600,000 on your blueline instead of guys that are making 3, 4, 5 or $6 million a year. What’s it going to be?”
McKenzie on pending UFA Dave Bolland and the Maple Leafs:
“Yeah, I think there’s probably a price and a number of years that they’re interested in and my guess is Bolland is looking to hit a home run. The Leafs are probably looking for a ground rule double and it might be difficult to find a meeting of the minds on this, but not impossible. But I’ll be curious to see what happens there.
“Bolland might have better luck with unrestricted free agency with the Florida Panthers and others. Dale Tallon, of course, was in Chicago with David Bolland. Drafted him as a Blackhawk. They’re going to be spending some money on July 1 and trying to increase the veteran presence and character on that team where there’s so many young guys right now that they probably want to try to make a push this year to get into the playoffs.
“So my guess is David Bolland is going to get a lot more years and a lot more dollars on the open market than he is from the Toronto Maple Leafs. That’s not to preclude a deal with Toronto, but it kind of suggests to me it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up going to market.”