On Cody Franson …
Rick Dhaliwal: It is possible that free agent defenseman Cody Franson signs this week.
On the Toronto Maple Leafs …
Michael Augello: After re-signing Connor Brown over the weekend, the Maple Leafs are now at 48 contracts. They would have room to bring someone to training camp on a PTO and would be able to sign them, or they could sign a veteran defenseman to a one-year deal. Bringing back defenseman Roman Polak is a possibility.
On Danis Zaripov …
Aivis Kalnins: Among the teams that have some interest in Zaripov are the New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights, and New Jersey Devils.
On the Boston Bruins …
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: Kevin Paul DuPont of the Boston Globe reported recently that the Boston Bruins increased their offer to David Pastrnak to seven years and $42 million from six years and $36 million.
Those offers to Pastrnak are not close enough and a deal between the sides is not imminent. Leon Draisaitl‘s eight-year, $68 million ($8.5 million per) is a comparable, so offers of $6 million a season won’t get it done for Pastrnak.
thinks the Bruins need to step up their offer soon or run the risk of having a disgruntled young player like they’ve had in the past with Phil Kessel, Tyler Seguin, and Dougie Hamilton.
Offering seven years is encouraging, but they should have offered six years and $7 million a season if they wanted to the close the gap. Buying another year of free agency without increasing the money makes little sense from Pastrnak’s side of things.
Pastnak’s camp might not be looking for Draisaitl’s $8.5 million a season, but Vladimir Tarasenko‘s $7.5 million seems fair.
The Bruins need to stop digging their heels in with low ball offers.
There is no threat of an offer sheet.
thinks that maybe a three-year bridge deal at $7 million could make sense instead of doing a long-term deal.
