Craig Custance via twitter: There will be interest in UFA goalie Jonas Gustavsson. One executive suggested he could be this year’s Mike Smith is he signs with the right team.
Darren Dreger via twitter: The Canucks have filed “cutdown” arbitration with forward Mason Raymond. His qualifying offer is $2.6 million, so his salary can’t drop more than to $2.21 million if the Canucks win the arbitration case. The Canucks had to file before June 15th. Going through arbitration could give a maximum of a 15% pay cut, less of a pay cut or none at all. Raymond was to be a RFA on July 1st. The Canucks are not able to walkaway from the arbitration ruling, but they can trade him before or after the ruling.
Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News: The Red Wings have had some discussion with UFA Jiri Hudler. He likes the city and team, but could be highly sought after if he hits the open market. Hudler’s 50 point season could get him a contract similar or more than David Jones’s 4 year, $16 million.
Todd Cordell via facebook: Bryce Salvador’s agent, Carlos Sosa, said he won’t disclose any information regarding negotiations or contract extension talks at this time.
Tom Gulitti of the Bergon Record: Petr Sykora hopes he’s able to re-sign with the Devils.
“You never know what’s going to happen, but I think I had a good enough season to come back here next year,” said Sykora, who signed a one-year contract for $650,000 after training camp. “I’m going to do my best. I felt that I did my best during the regular season. I don’t know. Twenty goals, Stanley Cup Finals, I hope it’s going to work out.”
Johan Hedberg may be interested in coming back to the Devils next year as well.
“I have no idea what will happen,” Hedberg said. “I haven’t spoken to Lou (Lamoriello) about anything. I want to wait and see what his thoughts and plans are and then go from there. I had a lot of fun this year, plenty of fun, and feel like I’ve got some more hockey next year.”
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post: It looks like Jay McClement’s days as a Colorado Avalanche are over, and he’ll be a UFA on July 1st.
Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun: The Jets and Tanner Glass are getting close on a deal.
“Not quite there, yet, but definitely talking. I’d say we’re at 80%-85% (done),” Glass told the Winnipeg Sun Wednesday. “We both want to get it done, so that’s the main thing.”
Dmitry Chesnokov via twitter: Alexander Radulov’s KHL rights have been traded to CSKA from Salavat.
Andrew Gross and Tom Gulitti of North Jersey: Ilya Kovalchuk confirmed that he played through a back injury.
“It was quite a bit under 100 percent,” DeBoer said when asked how healthy Kovalchuk was during the playoffs. “It’s a back injury. It’s not like a broken bone where you have a real handle on it, but it wasn’t close to 100 percent.”
Bryce Salvador didn’t sound convinced that he’ll be back with the Devils next year as they have Parise and Brodeur to take care of first. Lou Lamoriello confirmed that they will be keeping this years 1st round pick. They’ll have to surrender it in either 2013 and 2014 as punishment from their initial Ilya Kovalchuk contract.
Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News: If the Rangers don’t pursue Zach Parise, they may turn to Rick Nash again.
Jim Matheson via twitter: The Oilers needs to be pro-active in convincing Justin Schultz to sign with them without guaranteeing a roster spot, and also to not trade the 1st overall pick.
B.D. Gallof of CBS New York: Bob McKenzie thinks that Mikhail Grigorenko may fall out of the top 5, maybe even out of the top 10.
Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger: Zach Parise wouldn’t guarantee that he’d re-sign with the Devils, but when asked if he would play for the New York Rangers, Parise said “No.” When asked if he’s curious as to what kind of interest there would be for him if he becomes a UFA, Parise said:
“I don’t know. We’re 48 hours from a pretty devastating loss, so I haven’t had time really to sit back and think about that yet. That’s the truth. I’m not giving you lip service,” he said. “I know what’s ahead and the decision-making. I guess we’ll have to get the conversations going pretty soon.”
He added there have been no talks between GM Lou Lamoriello and his agent during the season. It’s unlikely that he re-signs before July 1st but said it’s possible.
“Everything is kind of happening so fast. I have a lot of things that I’ve kind of put on the back burner for a long time, a lot of things I need to take care of,” he said. “As far as a time line, I don’t know. I’ll talk to my agents and get everything figured out.”
On if he’ll push for quick negotiations, Parise said:
“I don’t know. I guess that’s why you have agents, because you respect their advice. And with their experience they’ve done this before. This is one point where you have to listen to them and take their advice. It’s my first time doing it, so I’ll see what they say.”
And if a deal could be completed by July 1st,
“Yeah, absolutely. For sure,” he said.
Tom Gulitti of the Bergon Record: Re-signing Parise is “a priority.”
“We’ve said that from Day 1 and he will remain a priority,” Lamoriello said. “But, other than that, I don’t have anything else to add.”
Devils coach Peter DeBoer,
“I play no role in that other than I’ve stated all year the importance of him to our room, to our team, our coaching staff,” DeBoer said. “He knows our feelings about him. You have to take the approach in this business that you coach the players that you have. Obviously, you hope and you want it to work out, but there’s a lot of other factors that go into that stuff. We’ll coach who’s here in September, October when we get started.”
Martin Brodeur wants to have his future decided by July 1st,
“For the sake of the organization, they need to make decisions by July 1, plain and simple,” Brodeur said.
“Regardless of what’s going to happen, I want to make it. If it’s me being here or me not playing or me doing anything else, July 1 is the date.”