On the New York Islanders …
- Scott Burnside of ESPN: Kyle Okposo is in the final year of his five-year, $14 million contract – a $2.8 million cap hit. Okposo will be looking for a big raise on his next deal. There is nothing going on regarding contract extension talks with the Islanders. He does think about not having a deal in place.
“Anybody that tells you that they don’t think about it at all is lying,” Okposo said after a recent practice. “To put it bluntly. So, yeah, it’s definitely in my mind, and you want to play well, and you want to help your team in any way that you can. You also want to play well personally for your own issues, for your contract’s sake. Definitely, you want to play well for your family.”
Okposo is okay with the fact that there hasn’t been any talk between the two sides.
“I’m OK though with where the things at,” he said. “There’s really been no dialogue, and that’s OK. I’m fine with that. I’m fine with just going out there and playing and trying to do everything I can to help this team. I think we have enough here to be there in June and to be the best team in the league. That’s definitely my main focus. You try to put that stuff out of your mind as much as you can.”
On the Columbus Blue Jackets …
- Aaron Portzline: Asked if the Blue Jackets might trade Jack Johnson as part of the rebuild – Seems unlikely. It may be more of a rearrange for the Blue Jackets and not a rebuild. They are going to be a younger team.
- Aaron Portzline: GM Jarmo Kekalainen said he was glad to trade Ryan Johansen out of the Eastern Conference, but he was going to make the best trade for the team regardless.
On Mike Richards …
- John Shannon: Heard that five teams showed interest in Mike Richards.
On the Philadelphia Flyers …
- John Boruk: Flyers GM Ron Hextall has targeted the 2017-18 season since he made the Scott Hartnell trade. The Flyers only have $28 million committed for 2017-18, and that will be the year he leaves him imprint.
Scouting the Ottawa Senators – Florida Panthers game …
- TSN 1200: Scouting the Senators-Panthers game last night: Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars (2), St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Calgary Flames.