- Elliotte Friedman: The Canucks and Brandon Sutter are working on a contract extension. Hearing that it could be for five years and just under $4.4 million.
- Renaud Lavoie: Bruins GM Don Sweeney is said to be negotiating with free agent defenseman Marek Zidlicky and an agreement between the two sides is possible.
- Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Daily News: The Flyers have signed Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek to long-term contract extensions, now will Brayden Schenn be next for GM Ron Hextall? Schenn has a year left on his bridge deal at $2.5 million.
“I’m not sure there’ll be a push,” Hextall said Thursday. “I’ve spoke with Brayden’s agents a number of times over the summer about different things and the subject has never come up. It’s not something we’re in a hurry to do and I’m assuming they feel the same way.”
Schenn might not be in Flyers long term plans.
“Not that we wouldn’t like to get him signed, but I think we’ll probably give it another year to see where things flush out,” Hextall said. “I don’t anticipate signing Brayden, which never means that you’re not going to. But it’s not something that we’ll actively pursue. We’ll wait and see how the year goes and probably talk at some point, whether it be during the year or next summer.”
- Aaron Portzline: Latest check with Christian Ehrhoff’s agent (on Wednesday) suggests that there is nothing new with regards to contract talks with the Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets have salary cap concerns and have a low-ball offer on the table. He wants to play for the Blue Jackets, but for the moment, the fit isn’t right. They don’t have the cap room to meet the current contract demands of Ehrhoff. If he continues to remain unsigned and he starts to get desperate, there might be a deal. This is not a stand-off or anything like that, the situation just needs to play out.
- J.J. Regan of CSN Washington: The arbitrator ruling for Marcus Johansson and the Capitals will come down this morning. There is little time for the two sides to agree on something beforehand, so it’s likely they will wait for the arbitrators ruling. One reason that a deal between the two sides hasn’t been reached, could be the deals that Colin Wilson and Craig Smith signed with the Predators. The three had similar numbers and were set for arbitration. Wilson received a four-year deal at $15.75 and Smith signed a five-year, $21.25 million contract.