On the Minnesota Wild …
Michael Russo of The Athletic: Brent Flahr is the Wild’s acting GM while owner Craig Leipold interviews GM candidates.
Paul Fenton has already been interviewed, and Leipold has likely been waiting for Predators-Jets series to be over before interviewing Fenton for the second time.
New Jersey Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald interviewed last week and will be a finalist.
The Wild have also interviewed Columbus Blue Jackets AGM Bill Zito, John Ferguson Jr. of the Bruins, and Dave Nonis of the Ducks.
Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin will get an interview after the Penguins initially said no.
In the meantime, acting GM Flahr has signed six players and will speak with 2014 draft pick Kaapo Kahkonen this week.
The Wild have had to push back their amateur and pro scouting meetings because a GM isn’t in place.
On the Toronto Maple Leafs and contract extensions for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner …
Chris Nichols of FRS Hockey: Elliotte Friedman was on 630 CHED and was asked if they could be able to sign their three big young guys (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander) to extensions and still have enough room to sign someone like John Carlson.
Friedman doesn’t know if they’d do a Carlson deal. Nylander could be looking at bridge deal, and they may not be too happy with the way his season ended.”
“I think the thing that’s interesting is I’m not convinced that Matthews and Marner will sign this year. Now, I’m not saying it won’t happen. But I really believe it was a slam dunk that Edmonton was going to do whatever it could to get McDavid done last year and they did. I think Toronto will ask both of those players, but I’m not convinced that those players are going to do it yet.
“Again, you always wonder about these things turning into headlines, but I will just say this and I hope people will take it for the way I’m saying it: It’s that it wouldn’t be a huge surprise, I think, to a lot of people if Matthews and Marner both began next year unsigned.”
