- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Senators assistant GM Pierre Dorion said on TSN 1200 radio yesterday that the Senators won’t be buying out Colin Greening’s $2.65 million cap hit over the next two seasons. Their second buyout window opens up today. Dorion said that Greening’s contract is “about $10,000” shy of the average player salary that is allowable for a buyout during this window according to the CBA. GM Bryan Murray will continue to try to trade Greening. There was mild interest in him earlier this summer.
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: One league executive thought that Senators Mike Hoffman may have been awarded around $2.6 – $2.7 million from the arbitrator. Hoffman was awarded $2 million and understands where management was coming from when giving their argument, and there is no hard feelings.
“At the end of the day, I took this path and this is my job and those things come with your job. You need to accept it and be professional about it. It’s over now. It’s something I went through, learned from it and experienced it and now I’m really looking forward to next season.”
It is thought that before arbitration, his agent was looking for a three-year contract at around $3 million per season. The Senators are wanting to see more of Hoffman before doing that type of deal.
- Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun: The Maple Leafs will be taking it slow and steady with first round pick Mitch Marner.
“It’s slow and steady and there is nothing wrong with that,” Hunter said. “It’s what I keep saying: ‘Don’t push too far ahead.’ We have to get him stronger — and he will get stronger. He wants to work at it.”
Marner has already signed an entry-level deal and is hoping to make it hard for the Leafs to cut him during training camp.
“We’ll see what he can do in camp, but if (Marner is cut), he will go back to London and have a good season, play for Canada (at the 2016 world junior in Finland),” Hunter said, “and after his season as an 18-year-old, he would be ready to play in the NHL, hopefully.”