Rutherford on the Canucks
Harman Dayal: Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford said that if they can’t move certain contract this summer they will have to look at buyouts.
Chris Johnston: Rutherford said that contract talks with pending UFA forward Andrei Kuzmenko have started.
Ben Kuzma: (twitter thread) Rutherford on the Canucks:
“The changes could end up being core players because I knew it would be a big challenge and we’d have to do minor surgery. I’ve changed my position. We have to do major surgery.”
“Ownership hasn’t interfered with any decisions I’ve made. What it looks to me is to get younger with players 25 or 26 or younger and bring this team together in the next year or two. This was never going to be a quick fix, there’s a long game here.”
“All the core players aren’t going to end up being here. We haven’t had the opportunity to take those steps because we’re stuck with contracts we can’t move. Until we do, or until they expire, it’s going to be hard to make those changes.”
The Senators have had some interest in Matt Dumba and Jakob Chychrun, and they aren’t alone
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Darren Dreger reported last week that the Ottawa Senators kicked tires on Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. Sources confirm their interest and GM Pierre Dorion was with the team in Minnesota last week.
Wild GM Bill Guerin doesn’t want to lose Dumba for nothing but with his team in the hunt.
The Senators have also been linked to Arizona Coyotes Jakob Chychrun but the Senators aren’t interested in the asking price of two first-round picks and a top prospect.
The Wild have also talked to the Coyotes about Chychrun. Also interested in Chychrun are the Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Senators and goaltender Cam Talbot are talking. He’d like to stay and they are interested, He might draw some trade interest.