League sources told The Toronto Sun that the Oilers and Flyers have made calls to Devils GM Lou Lamoriello about acquiring the negotiating rights to center Scott Gomez. The New York Rangers might also be coming into play for Gomez, who has reportedly been skating with Brendan Shanahan, who has made it known to Blueshirts management he wants to return to the Big Apple. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Edmonton was trying to acquire the negotiating rights to Gomez before the market opens in the hope that the Oilers could then trade those rights to Philly for defenseman Joni Pitkanen. One dark horse could be the Hurricans making a run at Gomez
Potential Suitors: Flyers, Rangers, LA , EDM, CAR?
Chris Drury is good as gone in Buffalo. Drury is expected to land a 6 year 42 million deal when he enters free agency on July 1st. The San Jose Sharks have jumped out as the front runner in recent days. They cleared 4 million in cap room with the trade of Mark Bell and Vesa Toskala. The Sharks are now looking to trade Patrick Marleau to clear even more space. The Rangers and Avalanche are also expected to make major bids for Drury.
Potential Suitors: Rangers, Sharks, Flyers, Kings, Avalanche, Sabres? .
Multiple reports out of the NHL draft indicated that Philadelphia is putting out feelers for Michael Nylander as a contingency plan in case the Flyers can’t land Scott Gomez, Chris Drury or Daniel Briere. At the same time, the Rangers are reaching out to try and keep the forward in the Big Apple. The New York Daily News reported Saturday that Rangers coach Tom Renney may contact Nylander before July 1, while Nylander’s new agent, Mike Gillis, had brief talks with GM Glen Sather in Columbus.
Potential suitors: Washington, Flyers, Rangers, Thrashers, Stars,
With defenseman Kimmo Timonen, forward Scott Hartnell and goalie Tomas Vokoun now out of Nashville and with the Preds’ future up in the air, some wonder if more player exits are on the horizon. First up could be Paul Kariya, the team’s leading scorer last season with 24 goals and 52 assists in 82 games. Kariya enjoys both the playing atmosphere and the lifestyle in Nashville. But one of the reasons he surprised many by signing with the Preds after the lockout was he believed the team’s direction suggested a Stanley Cup championship. But after trading Vokoun on Friday, GM David Poile said Friday he believed that would be it for the deals and hopes some of the free cap space will help him sign Kariya. “It will be Kariya’s decision as to see how we’re going and how competitive we are,” Poile said. “So far talks have always been very positive. So I think by July 1 we’ll know whether Paul is coming back or not.”
Potential Suitors: Anaheim, Detroit, Vancouver, Nashville,
While much of the trade rumor talk at this weekend’s NHL draft centered around what other teams were interested in Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, the Sabres were mum on their talks with the star forwards. But sources told The Buffalo News that the team has yet to make an offer to either of its co-captains, who are both set to become unrestricted free agents July 1. It’s becoming evident Briere and Drury are not returning to Buffalo
Alexei Yashin is drawling considerble interest from up to 6 to 8 teams according to Yashin’s agent. Ottawa has been mentioned the past couple weeks but The Star Tribune reported that the Wild might be interested in the center and speculated that the team could swing a contract if it was in the one-year, $2M range.
Potential Suitors Canadiens, Oilers, Capitals, Flyers, Devils and Senators.
