Notebook Buzz
Draft day Chatter
*Winger Colby Armstrong appears headed to the free agent market. According to a league source, no talks are currently scheduled to take place in LA between Armstrong’s agent Don Meehan and Thrashers GM Rick Dudley.
The two sides have been far apart for some time as Armstrong is looking to land a multi-year deal worth upwards of $3 million per season.
Armstrong is looking for at least a Steve Ott type of contract, source in Atlanta tells me.
*Raffi Torres is another mid-tier winger who will hit the open market. Steve Reich the agent for Torres confirmed to Inside Pittsburgh Sports Thursday evening that Torres will become a free agent on July 1.
There has been no attempt from Buffalo to engage in talks.
*Serveral teams have made inquiries about Tampa Bay’s Ryan Malone. The Lightning are listening to inquiries but are not actively shopping Malone. Toronto is among the teams to have expressed interest.
*It has been no secret that Wade Arnott the agent for Dan Hamhuis is seeking close too or upwards of $5 million per season.
Bob McKenzie of TSN.CA, reports talks between the Flyers and Hamhuis are going nowhere and Hamhuis appears headed to the open market.
*The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly have four offers for Tomas Kaberle. There is some chatter that Rich Curran the agent for Tomas Kaberle will still end up dictating Kaberle’s destination despite not having a no trade clause.
Kaberle has made it known that he will only sign with a few select teams beyond this season.
Rangers, Kings, Sabres, Lightning among the teams believed to be in the mix. A few sleepers are out there.
*Agents are telling me there is going to be plenty of deals in the first round. “A ton of legitimate trade talk going around, ” an agent told me this afternoon.
*Los Angeles and Tampa Bay are monitoring the Sergei Gonchar situation very closely a league source told me. If both teams miss out on Kaberle, they are expected to target Gonchar in free agency, if he hits the market.
*Trade talks surrounding Ales Hemsky has quieted. However, there is believed to have been some discussions between the Panthers and Oilers regarding Hemsky.
more to come
