Can the Vancouver Canucks afford to extend Elias Lindholm?
Sekeres and Price: Frank Seravalli when asked about the Vancouver Canucks newly acquired pending UFA and the potential cost to re-sign him.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Matt Sekeres: “What are the chances are he’ll re-sign here? What’s the cost range on this player Frank? Cause in moving (Andrei) Kuzmenko, they open up $5.5 million from next year’s cap.”
Seravalli: “It’s expensive. It’s, there was lots of talk in Calgary in the preseason that Lindholm was looking for a number that started with a nine. And even if it’s in the eights, I don’t, I just don’t see a path for the Canucks to be able to afford that.
Maybe there’s some other surgery done. Maybe he’s so good and fits so well that you have no choice but to make other moves in order to make something like that happen.
But with Petterson’s new deal that he’s owed. With the next deal for Filip Hronek, which I continue to pound my fist on the table and say that that’s a number that starts with an eight. I just don’t see, the math isn’t mathing for me.”
Will the Winnipeg Jets look to upgrade their blue line?
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: One source thought that the Winnipeg Jets were the runners-up for Elias Lindholm. They acquired Sean Monahan shortly after Lindholm was traded to the Canucks.
Murat Ates of The Athletic: (mailbag) It’s possible that the Winnipeg Jets sign Rutger McGroarty to his entry-level contract after his NCAA season at the University of Michigan is done. That said as they’re currently looking, it wouldn’t be easy for him to get ice time and it may be in his best interest to return to Michigan next year.
Think that the Jets might want to add a defenseman at the deadline. One agent thought they’d be looking for one. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff when asked on Friday about acquiring a defenseman.
“We have time between now and the deadline to continue to assess and continue to look at and continue to evaluate. The work on the ice is only going to get harder, and the work off the ice isn’t going to stop.”
Chris Tanev wouldn’t be an easy trade given their salary cap. Other rental options could be Philadelphia Flyers defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler.
Nate Schmidt‘s position on the Jets blue line for next season could be at risk. He’ll be in the final year of his contract at a $5.95 million cap hit.