- Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: Mark Hunter is doing the draft for the Maple Leafs and Kyle Dubas is talking trade with teams.Hearing that Brendan Shanahan and Mike Babcock don’t love Phil Kessel and they want to move him. They want to make a ‘hockey trade.’ Both Shanahan and Babcock don’t dislike Dion Phaneuf the way they do with Kessel.
- Larry Brooks of the NY Post: Penguins GM Jim Rutherford will try to get Patrick Sharp from the Blackhawks. Don’t know if he’ll be able to get it done.The Islanders could be another team interested in Sharp.
- Chuck Gormley of CSN Washington: The Capitals don’t have their 2nd, 3rd and 7th round picks, but do have the Sabres 3rd (62nd overall).GM Brian MacLellan would like to trade for a top-line right winger. They have some salary cap restraints, so he may be more inclined to trade a roster player than one of their five draft picks.
MacLellan might be interested in adding draft picks, say by trading the rights to UFA defenseman Mike Green.
Going the opposite route, MacLellan could look to trade a pick for the rights to a player if they thought it would give them better leverage for a UFA – say Kings right winger Justin Williams.
The Capitals may not be willing to trade their 22nd overall pick – something it might cost to land of the wingers that might be available – Patrick Sharp (two-years at $5.9 million), Radim Vrbata (one-year at $5 million) or T.J. Oshie (two-years at $4.175 million).
- Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago: Brad Richards would like to return to the Blackhawks next season, but realizes it might not happen.
“I don’t’ know,” the 35-year-old Richards said. “I know Stan and my agent are probably going to have a discussion. I think before I do anything I’m always going to call in and check in to see if there’s anything we can do here, just because it’s such a special place now and winning. I also know how much work they got to do here in the couple weeks before July 1 and all the different stuff that has to go on.
“I just got to be patient and see where all that goes. It’s a lot easier to sit back and relax and watch this when you just won a Stanley Cup. Last year I was a little nervous, and I wanted something to happen right away. Now I can be patient, and I’ll figure all that out once I get my bearings again here.”
If Richards wants to return, he might have to take less than the $2 million he made this past season.