- Adam Vingan of the Tennessean: Predators GM David Poile wrapped up their free agency shopping pretty quick.
“We improved the team by keeping the team together,” he said Wednesday. “There’s been so many changes in the last couple years, including leading into last year. I think we need a little more stability than we had in previous years. Previous years, we didn’t win. We didn’t make the playoffs. We needed to make some changes.”
“We’re throwing a lot of spaghetti up on the wall, hoping some of it sticks. We’ve got some speed, we’ve got some size and I’m excited about it.”
The Predators re-signed Mike Ribeiro for two-year and $7 million, and signed UFAs Barret Jackman and Cody Hodgson.
“It feels like it’s an arms race, especially in the Western Conference,” Poile said. “It’s not like anybody’s getting any worse on our side, so I hope we are (competitive). I feel that we’ve made a couple of good moves, but I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s going to be close.”
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: (chat) Heika doesn’t think that GM Jim Nill would be interested in signing UFA defenseman Cody Franson or Johnny Oduya. Both would want term and the Stars may be saving that for a bigger named defenseman. They like the contract flexibility they currently have.Heika notes the Rangers and Maple Leafs as teams that could be looking to make trades.
Heika on if they’ll go with their currently blueline or if GM Nill’s waiting for the right deal: “I think he’s waiting on the right deal and believes it could be out there in September…or maybe even at the trade deadline. He wants the right guy, and he’s confident enough in the current group that he would take them into next season as constructed if he has to.”
- Luke Fox of Sportsnet: List of the top remaining unrestricted free agents.1. Cody Franson
2. Christian Ehrhoff
3. Johnny Oduya
4. Alexander Semin
5. Chris Stewart
6. Curtis Glencross
7. Jiri Tlusty
8. Sean Bergenheim
9. Eric Fehr
10. David Schlemko
11. Brad Boyes
12. Lee Stempniak
13. Marek Zidlicky
14. Lubomir Visnovsky
- Ryan Rishaug: “Clarification Scrivens buyout isn’t an option, doesn’t meet the salary requirement. So a D would be main buyout target. Sorry for confusion”