Wild looking to get Zucker and Dumba locked up before arbitation …
Sarah McLellan: Minnesota Wild GM Paul Fenton on contract talks with Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba: “Still status quo. Still trying to get something done, and hopefully we do before arbitration.”
Michael Russo: The Wild and Matt Dumba’s reps are expected to talk again today. Their salary arbitration hearing is set for next week, so they’ll need to get working on an extension if they don’t want to get to the hearing.
Ryan Ellis will be looking to cash in …
Adam Vingan of the Tennessean: One the Nashville Predators priorities this offseason was to sign defenseman Ryan Ellis to a contract extension.
Ellis isn’t in the Drew Doughty or Oliver Ekman-Larsson class, but those two could have an influence on Roman Josi. Ellis and Josi will be getting big raises.
“As I see it right now, yes,” general manager David Poile said last month when asked whether he intends to keep the Predators’ top-four defense corps together. “Money will be a factor in that; there’s no question. (Ellis) is the first one to keep it together, then Roman next year. That’s the goal.”
John Carlson’s eight-year at $8 million per, and Ryan McDonagh‘s eight-year $6.75 million are recent comparables on the high end.
Kris Letang (eight-years, $7.25 million – 2013), Erik Johnson (seven-years, $6 million – 2015), and Cam Fowler (eight-years, $6.5 million – 2017) may be better comparables.
A salary cap hit between $6.5 and $7 million could be what Ellis could be looking at.