Darling on multiple teams wishlist
The goaltending market is going to be flooded this summer with a ton of options for teams via free agency and trades with plenty of value type signings out there for clubs to make.
There’s going to be more goaltenders available than teams looking.
The goaltending market is not expected to start with Ben Bishop. It’s expected to start with Scott Darling. More and more teams are looking to find a No. 1 starter in the $3 million a year range, a ball park Darling is expected to command.
Pierre LeBrun reports Darling is expected to be the Cam Talbot of the summer.
Darling is said to be at the top of the Carolina Hurricanes wishlist and is also reportedly high on the Stars target list.
However, the scuttlebutt is the Vegas Golden Knights are likely to get the first crack at speaking with Darling during the expansion draft UFA window as they also have Darling very high on their goaltending wishlist. Vegas has scouted over 12 games of Darlings’ starts this season, per a league source, and are among the teams that view Darling as a legit No. 1 starter. They’ve been tracking him hard all season.
One team that’s not expected to be hot and heavy in the Darling market is the Calgary Flames. If the Flames go in a different direction from Brian Elliott, it’s expected they’ll be chasing an established No. 1 goaltender. That’s potentially good news for the Penguins.
Bonino Back out West?
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— If they want, NHL sources indicate the Penguins will have a ‘good’ opportunity to move Nick Bonino’s rights this summer for a 5th or 6th round pick before free agency. Lots of talk Arizona who intends to be proactive again in trading for negotiating rights, has already expressed interest to the Penguins for when the time comes. It sounds like Vegas will also take a good look at Bonino and he will get consideration from them to be selected as an UFA they may speak with.
— The looming expansion draft might have saved the Penguins from giving Trevor Daley an extension this past fall. The Penguins were so enamored with Daley’s play last season and the belief his skating ability would hold up for another couple years, not to mention how important Jim Rutherford felt Daley was in the room, a two year offer worth just over $6 million was nearly put on the table but the pending expansion draft held the Penguins back.
The Bylsma Talk Continues
The chatter continues surrounding Dan Bylsma and whether he’ll be back next season for Buffalo. The relationship is not good between Bylsma and Jack Eichel which is one of the driving forces that could lead to a change. Sources told TIOPS this week, Bylsma’s return is 50-50 at best.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie appearing on NBCSN tonight seems to think Bylsma will be back but is not 100% sure. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in a radio hit on Wednesday had a less optimistic view on Bylsma.
Here is what McKenzie had to say about Bylsma when appearing on NBCSN tonight:
[“Well, anytime you’ve got a non-playoff team there’s always an undercurrent of tension as the season comes to an end,” said McKenzie. “And there’s been, I would say, intangible talk that maybe some of the players aren’t feeling the love for head coach Dan Bylsma right now, and that gets talked about a lot on talk radio in Buffalo. They’re now envisioning, ‘hey, if Bylsma wasn’t back, who might be a good guy to take over. And I think you have to deal in the reality of the situation. The tangible, if you will. General manager Tim Murray of the Buffalo Sabres was on Buffalo radio yesterday and he said at the end of this season ownership is going to evaluate the job that I’ve done, and I’m going to evaluate the job that the head coach and the players on this team have done. So no vote of confidence, per se, for Dan Bylsma, but I think you’ve got to be careful you don’t read too much into that. Right now Tim Murray got a contract extension over the course of this season. I fully expect he’ll be back as general manager. I would also think, absent some sort of cataclysmic disaster in the final two weeks of the season, that Dan Bylsma will also be back as head coach of this team next year; although that review process, as Murray said, still has to take place at the end of this season. I don’t think the Pegula family is keen on paying both Rex Ryan and Dan Bylsma not to coach the Bills and the Sabres, and they obviously made that decision with Rex Ryan and the Bills. At this point in time, I would suggest that Bylsma will be back. But that’s not going to be carved in stone until after the season and the review process goes through the proper stages. — Bob McKenzie”]
Here’s Elliotte Friedman’s Take on Bylsma, via Chris Nichols of Fanrag Sports.
[“If I’m the owner here, I’m really wondering. He’s in Year Two of a five-year contract. Is it too soon? Is it really that bad?,” Friedman said. “In Bylsma’s previous job he did some butting heads and battling with the two superstar forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. To me, I think the biggest question I have is this repairable. Is this fixable. If I’m the owner, I’m not necessarily saying I’m so willing to get rid of a coach and pay him for three years to do nothing. I want to take him and my star player, who is Jack Eichel, and I want to sit them down and say, ‘Guys, is there a way that this is fixable. But there’s no question that the rumblings are out there. There’s no question there’s rumblings about the relationship between him and the general manager, Tim Murray. I’m surprised, but as you can see the story is growing and growing and growing. But if I’m the owner, I’m saying, ‘Alright, I’d rather sort this out than have to pay somebody for three years to go somewhere and do nothing.”]
The key line from Friedman that goes with the thinking around the league that Bylsma is on the hot seat……
“But this to me, when I read between the lines I don’t see a winning and losing problem as much as I see a philosophy issue. And that’s why I think you have to sit there as the owner and say, ‘Can I force these guys to get it fixed,” said Friedman.
The growing sense around Bylsma from NHL contacts is if he gets ousted in Buffalo this summer, he may have to wait a while, maybe a long-time for another NHL head coaching gig. His stock is crumbling. [/hide]
#FatLivesMatter
#1993
#1996
wait… what happened in 1996?
I believe thats when the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. Immediately becoming winners after leaving that fuckhoIe they call Quebec.
This much is true… so I am confused as to why sammich is referencing it lol. I guess there was a Canada/World Cup that year but the tourney is so spread out that its nonsensical to mention
http://m.imgur.com/rAE4w3u?r npl at school
TIOPS update: Mike Sullivan, aka “Scumbag Sully,” famous for protecting goaltender Matt Murray by starting him throughout the 2016 playoffs, joined Dan Bylsma on list of Stanley Cup Champion head coaches.
TIOPS Breaking News: Mike Johnston’s NHL coaching career (2014-15) has died. It was 1 and a half. We share our condolences with his one man fan club, Sam, who in a gramatically flawed post once wrote, “Johnston will be more successful than ‘Big D’ Bylsma.”
TIOPS not so daily, not so 5:
All indications point to Ivan Hlinka’s English still being more advanced than Sam’s. Sources who draw league circles tell me that they wouldnt be surprised if Hlinka extends his lead the longer he remains dead.
TIOPS Instant Buzz: Badger Bob Johnson non-committal on if today is a great day for hockey.
TIOPS exclusive: Herb Brooks on the hot seat? “No” says sources in God’s camp.
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/find-a-grave-prod/photos/2005/239/7753679_112529918784.jpg
Thanks for the update on Conor Sheary yesterday, D. Sam and I agree that hes the best player on the ice. Hed be a bargain at $4m per year. Do you think his leadership skill is close enough to Toews to get that additional $7 million per year?
So a man that thinks he is a woman wins a women’s weight lifting competition. Lolol
D don’t listen to them they are bunch of squared boxed minded bunch of bandwagon fans
Any malkin update is he back from vacation yet while sid is carrying the team on his back
Carrying the team on his back through?? Buffalo? Florida? lol
#FakeCanadian
#WannabeAmerican
BTW hope your happy with your liberals budget structure
zero is a fake Canadian because he bathes and uses deodorant.
“my liberals” – Do you ever get tired of projecting bullshit? I don’t claim an affiliation… I vote based on what I think makes sense at the time regardless of flag you fucken retard.
#SnowFrogfromFakeCanada
I do have one question for you sammich? While the budget was not exactly pleasing I do understand why we are spending in some ways… that noted the flag you fly took surpluses and turned them into massive deficits in 2 years when Harper was initially elected, then ran them for about 7 consecutive years, as high as 60 Billion, until they played with some math to show a surplus in time for the last election. Why was it okay for your team to do this but you wave your hands in the air when a government that you didnt… Read more »
you’re not your….get a clue
Malkin missed three games. Letang has missed three months.
No bro 3 years
This we can agree one sammich… it feels like Letang has missed 3 years!
Last 3 seasons… 181 games played vs 188 games played… guess who is who?
#FakePenguinsFan
You probably scraped the last time you were fellating him.
Can you speak English? Maybe construct a sentence to a 3rd grade level?
Ya D dont listen to them… just pander to the biggest fucken idiots on this page. All articles should be about Bylsma and Fleury to keep sam and yoda hard!
having a 6 million dollar backup who no GM will go near is a big story.
A 6 million dollar back up that has badly outplayed the starter over their past 5 or so games each… without that 6 million dollar back up the challenge the team puts up to potentially win the division is non-existent lol. I know you cannot wrap your small mind around the fact that Murray has been wildly inconsistent over the past while but MAFs play has kept this team in the hunt and has given Murray some time to rest and regain himself. Hopefully the W vs Buffalo was a return to form and not simply a win for Murray… Read more »
murray is 6th in save % and st.bleury is 30th. the pens win 68% of murray’s games and 58% of st.bleury’s games and st.bleury gets the easier of the games since he is the backup. for instance, murray gets a playoff team tonight and tomorrow st.bleury will play against the garbage team.
You think it’s because he’s exhausted from poking holes in you?
Matt Murrays last 5 starts were vs WPG, VAN, NJD, PHI, and BUF… guess what all 5 of those teams have in common you stupid fuckk?
MAFs last 5… CHI, BUF, CGY, EDM, and FLA… 3 of those teams are in the playoffs at this point and Chicago is a marquee team. Do you ever get tired of having massive holes poked the naunces in your hypotheses daily?
Oh and MAF… is tied with several others with the 17th SV% in the game right now… his has climbed a lot as of late while Murrays has retreated a bit
Scumbag sully likes protecting Murray
#SnowFrogfromFakeCanada #FakePenguinsFan Sullivan is a great coach, he has shown this time and again. Right now it’s a juggling act with the two tenders. One is hotter than the other but the other is the defacto starter and like it or not he is likely the better chance to win with. This is coming from a fan of MAF too. I wouldnt write off a Pens win overall with MAF in net by any stretch, if the team plays around him like they did Murray last year he can win but at the end of the day Murray is the… Read more »
look at the overall picture. murray gives the pens the best chance of winning. if you deny that you are dumb. the pens tried to move the saint and no other GM wanted him. that is a fact. dude, st.bleury poked checked the puck off of his own defenseman the last game he played. it occured with 16:05 left in the 3rd. that proves everything i’ve always said. st.pokecheck is clueless. i think it was the first time in hockey history where a goalie poked checked his own man of a clearing attempt. #magicalpokecheck
I have commented many times to how I feel about Murray vs MAF in fact I did exactly this 11 minutes before you posted this drivel. The difference is I see value in both while you are still upset over a pokecheck in a game that he earned a fucken shutout lol… and you cheered against the team!
true or false, a goaltender who poke checks his own d man of a clearing attempt is dumb? you aren’t allowed to answer with a paragraph, you are only allowed to say true or false. i bet you can’t do it.
This isn’t 8 mile fuckhead so your bullshitt won’t work! “you aren’t allowed to answer with a paragraph, you are only allowed to say true or false” HAHA eat shitt you dumbcunt lol. He had a shutout and next year when you look at his stats you will only see the goose egg. No asterisk stating he poke checked his own guy because no one else gives a fuckk.
On that note… which play are you specifically speaking on? It wasnt on Cole with about 5 minutes left was it? Reason I ask is because you are generally very bad at reading the details of plays so I am looking for the play in question right now…
Was it the puck bouncing in the crease that Dumo was trying to track?
That’s not the only thing he pokes yogurt! You cheeky bastage!
What is Murrays fielding percentage is it at the Pedro line yet.
But you went near him. Whilst naked. Which is an even bigger story.
Murray makes 6 million ?
whats Kevin Constantine up to these days?
Further proof that Depaoli is Sam.
#stbleurybuyout
You know he hasn’t coached for Pittsburgh for three years now right? Who gives a fuckk?
#TheInsiderOnBuffaloSports
#CopyAndPasteBuffaloSportsNewsAndUseForAnArticle
Thanks a lot for the Bylsma updates, D. Knock it off.
His stocks are crumbling? Hahaba this con artists knows the system gets longterm contract and does everything to get fired so he can sit home doing nothing and get paid for remaining of his contract. He did with pens and will do with sabres too. Typical liberal way always want to do little and have more then deserved. This fraud making more money as coach then he was a player.
There are rumors that sabres might Bring back Lindy Ruff if he gets available.
Most sabres fans feel DB is a Fraud .only job he has to do is be a commentator on NBC where he belongs in that circus and be the clown every time he talks
Once again same was right about DB once this clown exposed to other teams that are hockey markets he won’t last long and won’t have a job for a while I guess I was right only in Pittsburgh,city of bandwagons DB lasted long because half of them have no clue of hockey and their hockey only starts in April. He was also loved by droolers like stain, tbj and gaydogg
Why so many Bylsma write ups? Who cares other than the driver of the slow bus?