On the Ottawa Senators …
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: The Ottawa Senators are watching Dennis Seidenberg at the World Cup of Hockey, and he’ll likely sign with them after.
Simmons wonders what rule the Toronto Maple Leafs will stretch to not play Joffrey Lupul this year, and potentially to not pay him.
On the Pittsburgh Penguins …
Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: (last week) The expansion draft will likely force Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford to trade Marc-Andre Fleury at some point. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Penguins went with Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury on a 50-50 split this season. Fleury shot down the idea of asking the Penguins for a trade.
“No. No. No. I’ve always said this is like my home,” Fleury said. “I wish I could play here my whole career. I try to do my best for the team and for the organization.”
On Kris Russell …
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Bob McKenzie on TSN 690 on Friday on Kris Russell.
“There’s interest in Russell. The question is at what number for AAV and how many years. It’s been one of the longest-running sagas of the summer, was Kris Russell’s free agency. Everybody assumed he’d be taken care of in the first couple of days, and here we are on the verge of training camps opening and he still hasn’t been picked up.”
On the Buffalo Sabres …
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News: (from late last week) Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen still doesn’t have a deal, but the RFA is confident that it will get settled after the World Cup.
“It doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t worry about it,” Ristolainen said Thursday. “I’m 100 percent here for Team Finland. Then let’s see what happens with Buffalo after the tournament. I’ve never been in this situation before so I really don’t know how long it takes or how the contract things work.
“It doesn’t bother me, but on the other hand I’m not happy it’s this long too. I still trust that we will make that contract happen. I like Buffalo. I want to be there as long as I can and I feel they feel the same way about me. I trust it’s going to be taken care of.”
Ristolainen is one of players in the tournament who is without a NHL contract. His camp is believed to be looking for a five or six year deal.