- Elliotte Friedman: The Avalanche are willing to listen to offers on forward Ryan O’Reilly. There is no guarantee that he’s trade by the draft, or even at all, but the Avs will look at their options. He’ll be a UFA after next season. Expected that they would want some help on their blueline.
- Elliotte Friedman: The Calgary Flames are aggressively working the phones looking to make moves. They have $22 million in cap space, but they won’t do anything that would jeopardize their ability to re-signing Mark Giordano, Sean Monahan or Johnny Gaudreau to long-term deals. They could use some size. They could go after a goalie. Jiri Hudler has one year left on his deal and is getting some interest.
“From what I understand,” explained Friedman, “the team’s response was… ‘you’re really going to have to make it worth our while.”
- Damien Cox: The Maple Leafs won’t have a GM in time for the draft.
- Damien Cox: At the trade deadline, the Red Wings weren’t unwilling to move either their first round pick or Anthony Mantha. It appears now that they are willing to trade either or both. Dion Phaneuf would have been a Red Wing at the trade deadline, if they had been willing to include Mantha. The proposed deal was Phaneuf for Stephen Weiss, Brendan Smith and Mantha. The Wings didn’t want to give up Mantha. “Ppl need to get their heads around the fact Phaneuf is valued as a player around the league. Contract is a major barrier, however.”
- Damien Cox: Todd Nelson is expected to take an AHL coaching position by mid-week. He interviewed with the Red Wings, Hurricanes and Penguins last week.
- Damien Cox: Tony Granato will return to the Red Wings after talking with the Sabres and Maple Leafs.
- Pierre LeBrun: The Senators have given the Ducks permission to speak with Paul MacLean about their assistant coaching position. He’ll be talking with other teams as well.