On the Trade Market and Jimmy Vesey …
- Damien Cox of Sportsnet: There hasn’t been much trade action so far this season, with GMs saying that cap room and lack of flexibility as part of the reasons. Teams are not wanting to trade younger players as they usually come with a lower salary number.
- Travis Hamonic and Ryan Johansen are available, but it could be a while before they are moved.
- Patrick Marleau requested a trade a while ago, but the Sharks may not move him at all.
- Steven Stamkos and Eric Staal are pending unrestricted free agents, but both have no-movement clauses and may not want to be traded.
- If the Maple Leafs end up signing current Predators prospect Jimmy Vesey – who can be a free agent at the end of the summer if he doesn’t sign with the Predators – you can expect tampering allegations from the Predators. The Leafs drafted Jimmy’s brother Nolan, and hired their father as a part-time scout this summer.
On Steven Stamkos …
- Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune: Steven Stamkos maintains his commitment to the Lightning.
“I want to be a part of it,’’ Stamkos said Monday. “I’ve never thought about not being a part of this. As I said before camp when we had the first talk, this is the team that I want to be on.
“But that’s the million-dollar question: Is something going to get worked out? But as I’ve said since Day 1, both sides have had that open line of communication. And, really, without getting into any detail, with all the respect we have for one another, that’s all I can say.’’
It can be difficult to avoid all the noise, especially on social media.
“But when you see stuff that you can’t control, articles or stories or whatever it is, there is no use in getting all wound up about stuff that I can’t control. I can control my play on the ice, the way I approach the game, the relationships with all the great people here, that’s the stuff that I try to focus on.
“Do I totally shut it out? Absolutely not. You can’t. But it’s something I’ve been trying my best to deal with in a situation that I’m unfamiliar with. And I feel like with each passing day, you learn to deal with it better.’’