Sharp will be a UFA after next season … JVR and Giroux enabled Flyers to deal Carter and Richards … Zibanejad should remain in Sweden
  • Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago: Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp will be a UFA after next season. He was asked about when a new deal could be done,

    “I don’t have much to say about it,” Sharp said. “I stated I want to stay here and hopefully the organization wants me to stay. Besides that, I’m not really going to focus on it. I’m just going to be the best player I can be and be a good teammate and those things kind of sort those things out.”

    Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has stated in the past that he’s already reached out to Sharp’s agent.

  • Tim Rohan of the Philadelphia Inquirer: With the solid play of Claude Giroux and James Van Riemsdyk, it enabled the Flyers to trade Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

    ” the ascension of James over the last part of the season and particularly the playoffs, I think we have two good young players there that are on the verge of doing even better things for our team,” Holmgren said

    “I’m a guy who has been here for a couple of years now, so I’m going to have to step up and take a bigger role, maybe be a little bit more of leader now,” van Riemsdyk said.

  • Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen: Scanlan doesn’t think the Senators should rush 1st round pick Mika Zibanejad. He could benefit from another year in the Swedish Elite League, gaining strength and experience before coming over. The Sens have 12 forwards on one way contracts so it’s likely he goes back to Sweden.