Goalie market for an expansion draft …
Allan Muir of SI: Muir thinks that if the NHL expands, there could be a bunch of trades as teams put together their protected list for an expansion draft.
With teams potentially only being able to protect one goalie, goalies that could become available could include Frederik Andersen (ANA), Mike Smith (ARI), Malcolm Subban (BOS), Semyon Varlamov (COL), Antti Niemi and Jack Campbell (DAL); Jimmy Howard (DET), Laurent Brossoit (EDM), Darcy Kuemper (MIN), Mike Condon (MON), J-F Berube (NYI), MacKenzie Skapski (NYR), Andrew Hammond (OTT), Marc-André Fleury (PIT), Philipp Grubauer (WSH), Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson (WPG).
That list doesn’t contain goalies who could be UFAs after next season – Scott Darling (CHI), Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth (PHI) and Brian Elliott (STL).
Could also see teams make side deals to not select a player. Example could be the Capitals offering a draft pick and a contract like Brooks Orpik to not select Grubauer.
On the Minnesota Wild …
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: This offseason, the Wild will look again at trading a defenseman for a center. There has already been the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for Jonas Brodin rumor. A shoulder injury to Wild prospect Gustav Olafsson could throw a wrench into a trade. Olafsson is bigger than Brodin, has a harder shot and is NHL ready.
On the Edmonton Oilers …
Jonathan Willis of the Edmonton Journal: Though he hasn’t been great for the Oilers since being acquired from the Canadiens, the Oilers should re-sign Zack Kassian to a one-year contract extension. A qualifying offer would cost the Oilers $2 million.
Jonathan Willis of Oilers Nation: What the Oilers should do with their pending free agents.
Re-sign: Zack Kassian, Iiro Pakarinen, Jordan Oesterle and David Musil.
Don’t re-sign: Nikita Nikitin, Adam Miller, Brad Hunt, Ryan Hamilton, Adam Cracknell, Niklas Lundstrom, Luke Gazdic, Tyler Pitlick, Adam Clendening and Kale Kessy.
Depends on contract terms: Eric Gryba and Adam Pardy
