- Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun: It doesn’t appear like the Calgary Flames and Ian White will reach an agreement before their Friday arbitration case. From White’s agent, “If something happens, something happens. But we’re not counting on it”. White made $950,000 last season, where he had 13 goals and 25 assists in 83 games.
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: It looks like both Peter Regin and Chris Campoli will be going to arbitration with the Ottawa Senators, as contract talks with both are going nowhere.
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: It looks like Brad Richards will remain with the Stars, with the possibility of being one of the center-pieces the club builds around. “The Stars want to keep Richards and Richards wants to stay here.” He’d have to take a pay cut from his $7.8 million if he were to resign.
- Douglas Flynn of NESN: Before the Bruins include Tyler Seguin and Blake Wheeler’s salary (his ruling should come out sometime today), they are pushing up against the cap. Efforts to trade Marc Savard and Tim Thomas are at a standstill. Michael Ryder and his $4 million salary could be a cap casualty. Chiarelli has said he won’t buyout players. Ryder would be a $1.33 million cap hit the next 2 seasons if they bought him out, which might not help out as much as they need. His contract may make it hard to find a trade partner. They could put him through waivers and send him to the minors. Ownership may not want to pay $4 million to someone in the minors, and there is a chance that Ryder would be unhappy and have a negative influence on their prospects.
- Jimmy Murphy via twitter: Accroding to La Presse, if Antti Niemi’s arbitration ruling is too high, they’ll look to trade him and sign Jose Theodore.
- Larry Brooks of the NY Post: The Rangers are about $6.7 million under the cap, with Marc Staal still unsigned, and the need for possibly another defenseman. Wade Redden could be waived during camp. It’s believed that Frolov turned down a 4 year, $18-20 million deal from the Rangers to sign a 1 year deal with the Rangers.
- David Pagnotta via twitter: Even after signing Alexei Ponikarovsky, the Kings may still look to add another top guy.
- Alessandro Seren Rosso of RussianHockeyFans: Alexander Radulov’s KHL contract runs out after this season, and it looks like he’ll be heading back to Nashville next year to play out the remaining year with the Predators under is old NHL contract.
- Genadi Boguslavski via twitter: 2010 St. Louis Blues 1st round draft pick, Vladimir Tarasenko, is still deciding if he’ll play in the KHL or head to St. Louis. Andy Strickland says that the Blues expect Tarasenko to play in Russia this year.
- Craig Custance via twitter: The Phoenix Coyotes are talking with the Lee Stempniak, they’d like him back at the ‘right price’.