- Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The Penguins will be looking to add more skill on the wings this offseason.
“We didn’t need to see the finals to know it; we knew down the stretch that we need more skill on the wings,” Penguins general manager Jimmy Rutherford was saying Wednesday. “That’s a priority for us.”
Rutherford on the rumors surrounding Evgeni Malkin.
“No, he’s not available,” Rutherford said flatly. “Based on my communications with him or with his agent, he does not have an interest . He loves Pittsburgh and he wants to win here. Like everybody else, he’s disappointed with us not reaching our goal. He played hurt. He actually played when most guys wouldn’t play. There’s no interest from either side in moving him.”
- TSN: Canucks GM Jim Benning on TSN 1040 radio on their goaltending situation.
“I want to keep an older experienced goalie and Ryan is that guy,” Benning said. “Then we are going to decide on either Lack or Markstrom. I don’t feel comfortable going into the season with two young goalies… Ryan for sure will be back.”
Benning on Jacob Markstrom.
“He is ready to be an NHL goalie now,” Benning said of 25-year-old. “He worked with Dan Cloutier all year and Dan helped him tighten up his game and of the 11 or 12 (playoff) games they won, I think nine of them went to overtime. They were all close games and he was under the gun every game to be good and he was good.”
- Chris Johnston of Sportsnet: A source is saying that Russian defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is visiting friends in Toronto and will be returning to the KHL next season. The Maple Leafs are believed to be interested in Zaitsev. He has one year left on his KHL contract with CSKA Moscow and he plans on honoring it.The NHL and KHL have been talking about allowing players to head over to North America for a fee like they do for other countries, but Bill Daly said today that no agreement has been made yet.
- Igor Eronko: Zaitsev talked to Brendan Shanahan while in Toronto.