- TSNs Insider Trading: Bob McKenzie: Mike Richards will not have his situation resolved by the start of the NHL season. There has been no date set for the grievance he filed with the league.
McKenzie wonders if it’s possible that the Kings and Richards could come to a settlement.It has been a total lockdown of information from all sides. If there is some type of settlement, what implications would it have on the salary cap?
Darren Dreger: The Flyers have spoken with teams about possibility of trading forward Brayden Schenn. He is available, will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and has arbitration rights. There is nothing imminent.
McKenzie: Scott Gomez and Scottie Upshall, in the Blues camp on PTOs, could have earned themselves a contract.
- Dreger Report: The Leafs brought in or signed seven players who will be free agents at the end of the season – Nazem Kadri, Shawn Matthias, P.A. Parenteau, Brad Boyes, Martin Marincin, Michael Grabner and Nick Spaling.It gives them flexibility.
Some of the players mentioned above could be offered a longer term contract at some point, and some could be traded.One of the goals is to give Mark Hunter as many draft options as they can heading into the 2016 NHL draft.
When asked if Steven Stamkos or Eric Staal would fit into the Maple Leafs rebuilding plan if they became available, Dreger said:
“The Toronto Maple Leafs are salivating at the notion that maybe he’s available via trade, if you know there’s just no way of getting a deal done with the Tampa Bay Lightning, or maybe he’s available in unrestricted free agency. Because he is age specific, it’s not abandoning the plan when you are adding a cornerstone piece. However you do it, like Steven Stamkos.
Now Eric Staal was of interest to the Toronto Maple Leafs a year or so ago, maybe a bit long, less now again because of the age sensitivity. But you know this is about building a better future for the Toronto Maple Leafs and they would consider just about anything.”
- Mark Spector of Sportsnet: The Oilers have assigned Nikita Nikitin (one year left at $4.5 million) to the AHL. Ben Scrivens fate will be known at noon. The Oilers will also have to decide on defenseman Andrew Ference , who “simple has run out of gas as an NHL player.” If Scrivens clears waivers, the Oilers could have $6.8 million in salary, a $4.9 million cap hit, buried in the AHL. Ference’s contract expires at the end of next season. He is not one of their top-six defenseman, and will make $3.25 million.