The 2016 NHL Draft is now complete, but things aren’t slowing down just yet.
With the window wide open for teams to talk to UFAs, the buyout deadline approaching, and plenty of trade talk still circulating, it’s going to be a busy week.
Check in with yesterday’s flurry of updates (including plenty around Steven Stamkos) and keep it here for the latest trade and signing gossip.
So, where do we stand with the Stamkos saga right now?
Let’s recap what we learned earlier this weekend:
The Buffalo Sabres are, as GM Tim Murray has said, ready to “chase the big fish.” Murray believes geography (Buffalo is not too far from Stamkos’ hometown of Markham, Ont.) and the team’s focus on having Stamkos “only at centre” (Stamkos’ preferred position) work in his favour.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to pitch a big offer, too, with the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks also very much interested.
The Detroit Red Wings cleared a bunch of cap space when they moved Pavel Datsyuk’s contract at Friday’s NHL Draft, making them among the top teams to contend for the Tampa Bay Lightning captain.
And now, we wait.
Radulov stays in Russia
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported that Russian forward Alexander Radulov, who confirmed his desire to return to the NHL back in April, won’t be playing in North America this season after all.
Friedman said Radulov, 29, was not able to find an NHL suitor willing to pay what he wanted.
Time to make an offer?
As Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reminds us, teams must submit qualifying offers to any of their chosen RFAs by 5 p.m. ET on Monday.
Buyouts coming?
The deadline for teams to buy out a player is fast approaching, too.
On Saturday, Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving said he may take advantage. The Flames have several RFAs to re-sign, with big raises coming for Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.
Blues asking for big return on Shattenkirk
There’s no doubt that Kevin Shattenkirk would prove valuable to any team. As a result, the St. Louis Blues are trying to get plenty of value for him. The only problem is that Shattenkirk, 27, will be a UFA in 2017, making it tough for teams to offer up much in return for the offensive-minded blue liner.
According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, a preliminary conversation between the Blues and Detroit Red Wings had St. Louis asking for Dylan Larkin. While you can’t blame them for trying to pry the speedy rookie from GM Ken Holland’s hands, all signs point to Larkin being a key part of the Red Wings for years to come. (Yesterday, the Bruins also said that the Blues’ asking price was too high.)
According to the same Free Press report, Holland has also shown interest in Anaheim Ducks defenceman Cam Fowler.
Could “Russian Crosby” come over after all?
Vadim Shipachyov, the centre who raised eyebrows with his strong play at the world championship this May, could potentially be coming over to the NHL.
Dubbed the “Russian Crosby” by Washington star Evgeny Kuznetsov due to his playmaking abilities and choice of jersey number, Shipachyov was the captian of SKA St. Petersburg this past season, scoring 17 goals and 43 assists in 54 games.
The Canadiens were believed to have interest in Shipachyov but the rumours died down when the 29-year-old appeared to have signed for another year in the KHL. According to Friedman, that may no longer be the case.
If Shipachyov does decide to come to the NHL for the 2016-17 season, he should have several suitors.
Six teams in talks with Eriksson
According to this WEEI report, pending UFA Loui Eriksson has been in contact with six teams since the NHL’s interview period started on Saturday.
Eriksson will be one of the top goal-scorers available this summer and is coming off a 30-goal season in Boston. The Bruins are reportedly uneasy about offering Eriksson any more than four years. The soon-to-be 31-year-old’s representatives think he can fetch five.
The Swedish winger earned $4.5 million last season.
