- Tom Gulitti of The Record: Pending UFA Steve Bernier hopes to re-sign with the Devils, but he hasn’t spoken with them. He’s planning on speaking with other teams when the window opens on June 25th.
“Nobody,” Bernier said today. “So far, it’s been quiet, but we understand that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done before they start talking to players. So, it’s pretty calm right now, actually.”
Scott Gomez’s agent said there was “nothing to report” with their contract talks with the Devils. GM Ray Shero said he’s made “no final decisions” regarding his free agents.
“That’s ongoing,” Shero said. “The thing with them is as as soon as I have a decision to pursue something or not with their agents, I told them I’d let them know and go from there. But, they’ve got until July 1 (when) they become free, so I’m trying to utilize that time and if we’re not going that direction with somebody not holding them up so they know that. As soon as we can get to that decision one way or the other we’ll let them know.”
Shero on if he plans on buying anyone out.
“I guess I would say I prefer not to say.”
“I’m not saying that’s one way or the other on buyouts either,” Shero said. “This could be not just for this year. This could be moving forward. Whatever I’m thinking about a player moving forward, it’s been a policy of mine that I’m speaking with them first before we do some of these things. But, again, that is not specifically about this year.”
- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch: Mike Reilly’s agent, Pat Brisson, let the Blue Jackets know yesterday that he won’t be signing with them.
“We did everything we could possibly do,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “From player development since we drafted him, to recruiting him — or whatever you would call it — over the last few months … it wasn’t enough.
“We have to respect (his decision). It’s part of the (collective bargaining) agreement. He has this right.”
Sources saying he’s narrowed his list down to “two or three” teams and will decide in the next few days. He can’t officially sign until July 1st. GM Jarmo Kekalainen in their thin blueline depth.
“Now that we know this is the case, we’ll have to look at things differently,” Kekalainen said.
- Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly: Flyers GM Ron Hextall said that he didn’t submit a buyout offer for Vincent Lecavalier. The 35-year old Lecavalier has three years left with a $4.5 million salary cap hit. They will continue to try and trade him. The Flyers were close to deals with the Panthers and Predators last year, but the deals obviously fell through. A deal will likely have to happen after July 1st as Lecavalier is owed a $2 million signing bonus on July 1st. Lecavalier is unlikely to return next season, from Hextall: “it hasn’t worked for him and it hasn’t worked for us.”