- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch: Ryan Johansen’s originally asked for $6.8 million per season over two-years, and is now down to $4.7 million per season for two-years. The Blue Jackets may be fighting a bigger fight.
The Blue Jackets truly believe they have the moral high ground in this fight, as if such a position exists between millionaire owners and millionaire athletes. The Blue Jackets are fighting for their own budget, of course, but they are also fighting on behalf of all other NHL clubs.
Agent Kurt Overhardt is looking in opposite direction in that the league is now starting to be dominated by young stars and that they deserve to be paid right away.
Overhardt is brash enough to take the stand: a new standard needs to be set for how players like Johansen are paid, and he will be the one who helps set it. The collective bargaining agreement was written with very specific language, yes, but it cannot change the fact that Ryan Johansen is a budding No. 1 center.
- Allan Muir of SI: Muir thinks that if the Red Wings offered a pick/prospect to the Bruins for Adam McQuaid ($1.566 million), it could benefit both teams. The Bruins would obviously prefer to send him to a non-divisional team, but if the Wings offered the best pick/prospect, it could work.Talk is the Canadiens would like to move Travis Moen, but he carries a $1.85 million cap hit through next season.
- David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News: The Sharks will likely run with the hot goaltender (Antti Niemi and Alex Stalock) and they’ll have a shorter leash if struggling.
“Preseason, they’ll have equal opportunity — they always have,” McLellan said. “Then as the season opens they’ll both have the opportunity to establish themselves, and if somebody gets hot, we’ll run that hot goaltender for a little while.”
“In the past we’ve probably been slower to transfer responsibility from one to the other over a given period. That may happen quicker this year,” he said, indicating neither goalie would get as much time as before to play through a rough patch.
- Chris Johnston: Hurricanes Elias Lindholm will see some time at center while Jordan Staal is out.
- Lou Korac: The Blues will get their roster down to 30 by Sunday.