- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Don’t rule out the possibility of the Senators trading for Bobby Ryan. The Sens will have Jacob Silfverberg and Mark Stone battling for a roster spot. Even if Daniel Alfredsson decides to come back and possibly signing an extension, the Sens could still add some depth. Alexander Semin is the only legit scoring threat left on the UFA market. Sources are saying the Ducks still aren’t sure what they are going to do with Ryan. They may need a young dman to replace the loss of Justin Schultz. The Sens have a current cap hit of $47 million, so taking on Ryan’s $5.1 million salary isn’t a problem. Sources are saying that the Flyers, Maple Leafs, Penguins, Red Wings, Lightning and Senators will make a run at Ryan. The Ducks may have to move some salary to re-sign Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, who’ll be UFAs after next season.
- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson continues to say he won’t trade Rick Nash for less that “market value,” even if it drags on until September. Howson hasn’t talked about Nash in the past couple days, and Nash’s agent Joe Resnick has been quiet for months. It was confirmed yesterday that the Bruins are also on Nash’s list, joining the Rangers, Red Wings, Penguins, Flyers and Sharks. Howson has listened to offers from all teams, and he hasn’t come close trading him. GMs are still feeling the asking price is too high for a player who is forcing a trade.
- Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News: The Wings have lost Jiri Hudler, Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart this offseason. The Red Wings may be better to not make a big splash this summer and hold off until next year. Current UFAs for next year could be led by Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Shea Weber and Jarome Iginla. Hoarding cash and developing players this year may better serve them in the long run. If they are looking for a difference maker this year, they could look at Keith Yandle, Rick Nash, Bobby Ryan and Shane Doan. Krupa doesn’t think losing Valtteri Filppula, a top 4 defenseman, a legit prospect and draft pick(s) for Nash is worth it.
- Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News: The Red Wings are back to square one in looking for a defenseman and top 6 forward.
“There’s a small list of players out there and a lot of teams in the market,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “We’re happy that we got the guys that we did on July 1.”
“We like our team, we like who we have,” Holland said. “We’ll continue to look over the market, make our (phone) calls, and continue to try and get better.”If the Wings go the trade route, they could look at Bobby Ryan, Jay Bouwmeester and Keith Yandle, but the prices are steep.
- Terry Koshan via twitter: Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle says he now plans on starting James van Riemsdyk at center during training camp and will go from there.
- David Pagnotta via twitter: CSKA has an offer on the table for Alexander Semin, but so do several other teams. Semin wants to remain in the NHL. Josh Yohe via twitter: Semin is interested in playing with the Penguins. He wants a long term deal, but Yohe isn’t sure if the Penguins want to go there. Will DePaoli via twitter: Semin’s camp may see the Penguins as a place for a short-term deal to maximize money. He is looking for a long-term deal.