- Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet: NHL team executives on Bobby Ryan’s decision to wait a bit before committing to the Senators: “That’s a bad spot for Ottawa.”
Marc Methot wants to remain in Ottawa, but there is a question on how much he’d leave on the table. If they can’t sign him, they’ll look to move him as they can’t lose him for nothing. Same can be said for Bobby Ryan. One issue facing the Senators if they are looking to trade either, is that teams don’t have a lot of cap space.
CSKA GM Sergei Fedorov doesn’t think the Ryan Johansen is really interested in playing in the KHL and that he wanted it to be known that he didn’t offer him a contract.
“I like to be a responsible manager that doesn’t interfere too much with NHL business,” he said. “Whenever I’m thinking of signing someone, I call two NHL GMs. I ask them if an NHL team is going to sign that player or not; we want to see if he really wants to play in the KHL.”
Not sounding like the Blue Jackets and Sergei Bobrovsky have held any contract extension talks yet.
Rumor was that the Bruins were trying to sign Johnny Boychuk to a contract extension last week instead of trading him, though Friedman’s information is that contract talks haven’t taken place.
It’s thought that the Bruins have offered Torey Krug and Reilly Smith one-year contracts in the $1.25 million range. That would be a pay cut for Krug.
Coyotes GM Don Maloney has held, and will continue to hold talks with Antoine Vermette about a contract extension. Maloney doesn’t normally hold talks during the season but said that “Antoine is mature enough to handle talking through the year.”
The Coyotes unsuccessfully tried to add some toughness to their blueline this summer.
Odds of Kimmo Timonen returning to the NHL are not great.
- Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun: Stars RFA defenseman Brenden Dillon is skating with the WHLs Vancouver Giants and says the situation “sucks,” but is hopeful a deal can get done soon.
“It’s that time of year when I should be down there and I want to be down there. It is what it is and this is the part of the game that I can’t really control and that’s why, as players you have to trust in your agent. Hopefully things are going to get closer and closer and then eventually get done. I’ve been in contact with the guys in Dallas, the texting, the calls, and, you know, it sucks. You wish you could have been down there a month ago, or whatever. ”