NHL Rumors: St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, and the Columbus Blue Jackets
Pending unrestricted free agents in St. Louis Blues Alex Pietrangelo and Boston Bruins Torey Krug won't be signed by the end of the season.
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Pending UFAs in Alex Pietrangelo and Torey Krug

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: It’s looking like pending unrestricted free agent in St. Louis Blues Alex Pietrangelo and Boston Bruins Torey Krug won’t be signed by the end of the season.

The Bruins may need to create some more cap space to fit in a Krug extension.  Both Pietrangelo and Krug will likely get offers from the Blues and Bruins, but they will likely be for less than they could get on the open market.

Have wondered if the Blues may pitch Pietrangelo on a John Carlsson’s eight-year, $64 million extension.

“Yes, $8-million AAV is an excellent comp and I think Carlson is well ahead of Pietrangelo career to platform on stats,’’ one rival player agent who is not involved in any of this said. “But the (Erik) Karlsson deal ($11.5-million AAV) will have Newport trying to get in between.’’

Another agent put Pietrangelo at eight years and $9.5 million.

Krug is on pace for 56 points and his game is more than just points. One agent put him between $7.5 and $8 million.

“Boston won’t want to pay Krug more than Pasta ($6.66-million AAV) or Bergeron ($6.875-million AAV),’’ the first agent from above said. “I think Krug could get $7-million AAV if goes free, maybe $7.5 million.’’

There has been some talk that the Florida Panthers will try to sign him. The Toronto Maple Leafs could use a top, right-handed defenseman, but they’d need to move a bunch of salary out.

Anderson likely to be traded this offseason

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The Josh Anderson – Columbus Blue Jackets situation is strange. The four to six weeks has turned into two-plus months and that he may be done for the season if surgery is done.

Anderson will be an RFA after the season, and one year away from being a UFA. It’s possible that the Blue Jackets could sign him to an extension, but they’ll likely move him in the offseason.

He scored 27 goals last season but has been injured for most of the year.