Rumors and Notes: Leafs, Kings, Devils, Kane, Sutter and Werenski
  • Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk: Trade speculation will continue to follow Maple Leafs Dion Phaneuf, Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Bozak and others. It’s not a great time for the Leafs to be dumping salaries and retaining any salary as they are paying part of Phil Kessel’s contract, as well as $200,000 towards Carl Gunnarsson’s salary through next season. Lupul may be untradeable. Expect the Leafs to be busy on the trade front this season as the rebuild continues.
  • Dan Rosen of NHL.com: (mailbag) Rosen wouldn’t be surprised if the Kings and Anze Kopitar reached a contract extension in training camp for around $10 million per season.Rosen doesn’t see the Devils making any significant moves before the start of the season. They could look at UFA defensemen Cody Franson or Christian Ehrhoff, but it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to add one as they need to let some of their defensemen to develop at the NHL level.

Updated: WKBW: Sources are telling 7 Eyewitness News that the police are looking into an incident involving Patrick Kane and a woman that started at a bar in Evans.

  • Lou Michel and Robert McCarthy of the Buffalo News: Two sources are saying that Hamberg police officials and detectives are not allowed to publicly talk about the investigation involving Patrick Kane.

    “We can neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of a criminal investigation until such a time as a person is charged with a crime,” said Hamburg Police Chief Gregory G. Wickett.

    Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III.

    “We neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of an investigation until such time as someone has been charged with a crime,” Sedita said.

    A Freedom of Information Law request has been made. No charges have been filed against Kane, and it’s not known if police have questioned him.

  • Tom Gulitti: (answering question) The Devils don’t have a president in place, and co-owner said there are no plans to hire a new one.
  • News 1130 Sports: Brandon Sutter on his new contract with the Canucks: “It’s a relief, I didn’t want to go into a season of uncertainty, nice to get it over with. Big part of this deal was the getting the no-trade clause, I have been traded twice, it’s not fun going through that.”
  • Aaron Portzline: Blue Jackets first round pick Zach Werenski was insisting last week that he would be heading back Michigan for his sophomore season, but each time it was mentioned, it came with a “for now” or an “as of today.” His CHL rights are held by the London Knights of the OHL.