- Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province: It sounds like the Canucks won’t be trading Alex Edler this offseason.
“He’s got all the tools to be a dominant No. 1 defenceman,” Linden said Tuesday from Ottawa where he addressed a Canadian Men’s Health Foundation national launch of a fitness initiative.
“He’d be the first to admit he didn’t have a good year, and part of our job is to recapture the Alex Edler that we all know he can be. He has the skill-set that every team wants and we just have to get him back where he should be.
“There isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t have its hand up for the opportunity to have an Alex Edler. It’s not in our consideration. We want to work with Alex; we have to get his game back, and I know he’s committed to doing that.”
The Canucks may consider trading Jason Garrison (back to the Panthers?) or possibly using a compliance buyout on him. Garrison carries a $4.6 million salary cap hit. David Booth is another potential compliance buyout candidate. Booth has one year left at a $4.25 million cap hit. Trading Garrison and buying out Booth could be the big changes this team has been talking about.
Ryan Kelser should get plenty of interest leading up to the draft. He has two years left at $5 million and was coveted by the Ducks and Penguins.
On the coaching front, Kings assistant John Stevens will be in the Stanley Cup Final and Willie Desjardins will be coaching the Texas Stars in the AHL Final.
- Katie Strang of ESPN: Rangers GM Glen Sather will have a tough decision this offseason, to buyout Brad Richards or not. Richards deal runs through 2020, and they could face a cap recapture penalty if he retires beforehand. Internally they have already started thinking and talking about it.
“I’ve thought about it a lot. But it’s not something that we’re thinking about right now. We’re focused on what we’re doing, what the team is doing, how we’re going to play, who we’re playing against,” Sather said Tuesday. “Certainly haven’t thought much about it lately. But that decision will come in the summer. It’s like all the decisions, we’ve got lots of free agents to sign. We’re happy with the way it is right now.”
