- From Corey Long, NHL.com correspondant, on Stamkos and Bishop:
Long speculates on a number of pressing issues for the Lightning next season, including the need to re-sign Stamkos. Long notes that Stamkos has said he wants a contract similar to the eight-year, $84-million deals that Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews signed in Chicago. Though the Lightning have their core group intact from last season’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, a large contract for Stamkos could make it difficult to re-sign Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, and Nikita Kucherov.
Long goes on to wonder if starting netminder Ben Bishop could be traded to make cap space. Earning just under $6 million, moving his contract could provide the cap room needed to keep other players in Tampa Bay. The Lightning are deep in goal (including Andrei Vasilevskiy) and may be willing to move on from Bishop, as Long speculates.
- From Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun on Mark Stone:
Garrioch spoke with Mark Stone, who is fully healthy after suffering a a hairline fracture of his wrist during the playoffs last season. Stone told Garrioch that he’s ready for training camp:
It’s felt great out there the last couple of skates…The shot feels good. The hands feel good. My legs are starting to come along. I feel good and I feel like I’m 100%.
- More injury updates, this one on Nichushkin from Mark Stepneski:
After playing only eight games last year, Valeri Nichushkin is ready for training camp. Stepneski reports that Nichushkin is “feeling great, no more pain in the hip he had surgery on last season.” With a revamped roster in Dallas, Nichushkin is poised to enjoy excellent linemates on either of the Stars’ top two lines.
- On the Sharks’ captaincy, from Mike Halford at NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk:
After a confusing season in which captain Joe Thornton was stripped of the “C” and the team used a system of four assistant captains (including Thornton), Halford writes that the Sharks will return to a traditional captain system this season. Thornton is unlikely to reclaim his captaincy as the 36-year-old will be a free agent after next season. Instead, Halford lists Joe Pavelski, Marc-Eduard Vlasic, and Logan Couture as potential choices for the role.
- From Michael Russo of the Star Tribune on Darryl Sydor:
Wild head coach Mike Yeo notes that he was aware Sydor was in treatment for alcoholism last summer. Yeo said:
He was great last year…Unfortunately he had a setback here, but I know he can get back to where he was last year. We just want to do everything we can to support him and give him a chance to get better.
Russo writes that Sydor has started treatment in California. Though he’ll miss the first week of training camp, Russo notes that Sydor’s attorney feels he may miss more time. Yeo expects Sydor to re-join the team eventually though the Wild have yet to comment on Sydor’s return.
