- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Though Penguins president David Morehouse has said that Evgeni Malkin isn’t going anywhere, Matheson thinks the Penguins should listen to all offers on Malkin.Penguins GM Jim Rutherford should call the Blues and ask about T.J. Oshie, David Backes and draft picks. Oshie and Backes could form a Penguins new second line, with Hornqvist playing with Crosby. Malkin could center Vladimir Tarasenko.
Rutherford could call the Predators a offer Malkin for Shea Weber. Malkin could be reunited with James Neal, and Weber could mentor the Penguins young blueliners.
Malkin for Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak? Kessel would play with Crosby.
The Penguins are the third oldest team and need to get younger. They also need draft picks as they only have one pick in first 120 selections – they don’t have a first, third or fourth.
The Penguins have 14 players under contract for next season at $58 million.
- Lou Korac on In The Slot: RFA Vladimir Tarasenko is the Blues top priority. He’ll be the first player they re-sign and they’ll match any offer sheet.
“We are not going to be active in signing other players until we get him taken care of,” Armstrong said of Tarasenko. “Meaning we’re going to take care of our restricted free agents, but we’re not going to … he’s the primary guy. He knows it, the hockey world knows it.
“The St. Louis Blues will not be in a spot on July 5th if he’s not signed, not to be able to match any offer sheet that’s out there. And if it means allowing players to go to free agency, if it means making players sweat it out on what their deal’s going to be, he’s the priority for us.”
The sides haven’t had any talks yet.
“The caveat on his deal is going to be term and compensation based on the cap,” Armstrong said. “You hear maybe a $4 million swing from the different side on what the cap’s going to be. That’s a lot of money in a cap system.
“… I haven’t had any talks. We talked in training camp, (Tarasenko) wanted to wait. I approached it again midseason; he wanted to wait. … He’s earned the conversations that we’re going to have. We might not give him exactly what he wants, but I’m not going into this not respecting what he’s accomplished and not respecting what he can accomplish.”
- Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk: The Canucks may consider moving one of their goalies this offseason and Brough wonders if pending RFA Jacob Markstrom will be moved.
“We have depth in the goaltending position,” Benning said. “We’re going to decide who we’re going to go with going forward. That’s an area where we could probably recapture a draft pick if we decide to trade somebody.”