- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: It’s not looking like the Senators will land the top-six forward that GM Bryan Murray was hoping to get. He will focus on re-signing RFAs Mike Hoffman and Alex Chiasson before deciding on what to do next. They are still looking to move Colin Greening.
“I’m always looking (for another forward). It’s just a matter of (the fact) I’ve got to sign my own guys first,” said Murray Saturday. “If we had decided to move one of those restricted guys it would have been different but we didn’t.
“We like what we are. We’ve moved a fair number of dollars out so it probably opens the door for one more move later on if we find it.”
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun: Head coach Paul Maurice is open to the idea of Alex Burmistrov returning the Jets if they can get a deal done.
“I met with him knowing he wasn’t coming back that year,” said Maurice, who was working as an assistant coach for Team Canada and Burmistrov was suiting up for Russia. “I remember him clearly as an 18-year-old and thinking ‘wow.’ Part of my meeting with Alex was recon for my first full season with the Jets. What happened? Why are you playing over here as it relates to me going to the Jets that year. What was the dynamic like that got you to here? And then of course, would you come back to the NHL (down the road).
“The things that I took from it is that he said he loved Winnipeg. I’m hopeful. I’ve got lots of time for this young man as a player. There are other things that would have to get sorted out contract-wise, where he wants to play, the commitment to the team coming to our team. But I had a really good meeting for him and I’ve got lots of time for him as a player.”
- Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: The Stars have already told Shawn Horcoff that they won’t be re-signing him. Jhonas Enroth is expected to hit the open market.
Free Agent defensemen the Stars could look at: Mike Green, Cody Franson, Andrej Meszaros, Johnny Oduya, and Paul Martin.Free Agent forwards the Stars could look at: Matt Beleskey, Joel Ward, Antoine Vermette, Michael Frolik and Justin Williams.
- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch: The Blue Jackets weren’t able to add to their blueline and subtract from their forwards at the draft.
“I still think we have the same objective,” Kekalainen said. “But I’ve said all along: If we want to try to get a defenseman who would make our defense better, let’s get the right guy. Let’s not try to force something just to get a body because we feel like we have to do something.”
