- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch: The Blue Jackets will have a few difficult decisions this offseason, but it shouldn’t have the drama like in past seasons – their contract talks (or lack of) with Ryan Johanson and Sergei Bobrovsky. Pending UFAs include Mark Letestu, Curtis McElhinney and Cody Goloubef. GM Jarmo Kekalainen said that he’ll let his free agents know if they are not interested in re-signing them. So far, he hasn’t told any of them that they won’t be back. Jack Skille and Brian Gibbons are also UFAs, and likely won’t be back. Matt Clavert is a RFA and has arbitration rights.The Blue Jackets already have 14 forwards under contract for next season – not including Letestu or youngsters Kerby Rychel and Josh Anderson. The Blue Jackets will be looking for defensemen and draft picks at the draft.
“Everybody knows the roster only holds 23,” Kekalainen said. “When you count the guys and see the young guys pushing, you know we need to do some planning with that.
“But we have some guys on two-way contracts still. So if we don’t move some guys in the offseason, and if we come into the fall like this, we can buy ourselves some time (by sending the two-way players to the minors).
“It’s not ideal, but we can do that.”
- Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe: Capitals Braden Holtby is a RFA and is in line for a big contract. One comparable could be Semyon Varlamov’s five-year, $29.5 million deal.Goalies that aren’t worth the money they are getting: Cam Ward ($6.3 million average annual value), Ryan Miller ($6 million), Kari Lehtonen ($5.9 million), Mike Smith ($5,666,667), and Jimmy Howard ($5,291,667).
The Blues need more energy and bite on their blueline, and are committed to finding room for Robert Bortuzzo and Petteri Lindbohm. They’ll also need to find the cap space for Vladimir Tarasenko’s. Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk would draw the most interest on the trade market.
The Penguins salary cap situation will likely prevent them from re-signing Paul Martin. Martin will get more than the $5 million cap hit he had this season. A team looking for a veteran defenseman (Oilers, Devils, Maple Leafs) would not want to go longer than three years.
The Wild buying out Niklas Backstrom may be the only option they have.
