Dion Phaneuf's name is reportedly popping up in discussions about potential deals.
There is trade interest in the Ottawa Senators defenseman, but the club would likely have to take a contract or cash in return, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
Phaneuf has four years remaining at an annual cap hit of $7 million. The 32-year-old also has a modified no-movement clause, which allows him to provide a list of 12 teams to which he'll accept a trade.
Phaneuf has until today to give the Senators a new list of 12 teams where he can be dealt or last year's list stays in place. #Sens
The Senators reportedly asked Phaneuf to waive the clause earlier this week in anticipation of the upcoming expansion draft, but the veteran was apparently unwilling to do so.
Phaneuf ranked third on the club in ice time this past season, averaging over 23 minutes in both the regular season and the playoffs.
The Buffalo Sabres are reportedly on the verge of naming their next head coach.
A decision on Dan Bylsma's successor is expected before Monday, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
That slightly advances the timeline established by Sabres general manager Jason Botterill two days ago, when he told The Associated Press he hoped to decide by early next week.
The Sabres were reportedly waiting until the end of the Stanley Cup Final to interview Nashville Predators assistant coach Phil Housley for the head coaching position.
The Penguins' rise from bankruptcy to dynasty has been on the backs of forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The two cornerstones have remained elite anchors despite injuries to defenseman Kris Letang and turnover at nearly all other positions.
Just as goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury began to crumble in the 2017 postseason, Matt Murray returned from injury at precisely the right time to carry Pittsburgh past the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference finals and win his second Stanley Cup while still being considered an NHL rookie.
Young forwards Conor Sheary and Jake Guentzel did not look at all out of place on the wings of the top line beside Crosby. Defenseman Justin Schultz ensured he will no longer need to accept one-year contracts, as he emerged as one of the league's top defenders through the regular season and playoffs.
Free Agents
General manager Jim Rutherford heads into his fourth offseason in charge of retooling the Penguins' roster. The biggest key for Rutherford this offseason may be setting up his team for next summer, with just five forwards and two defensemen currently under contract for the 2018-19 season.
Letang's return from injury will serve as Pittsburgh's biggest offseason move, as they re-add one of the top defenders in the league.
Pittsburgh's perennial dominance has afforded the team the luxury of signing players at discounted prices in recent years, but the allegiances of Sheary and Schultz will be put to the test with big paydays ahead.
Player (Position)
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
2016-17 Points
Matt Cullen (F)
UFA
40
$1.0M
31
Nick Bonino (F)
UFA
29
$1.9M
37
Josh Archibald (F)
RFA
24
$659K
3
Chris Kunitz (F)
UFA
37
$3.85M
29
Conor Sheary (F)
RFA
25
$668K
53
Oskar Sundqvist (F)
RFA
23
$701K
0
Trevor Daley (D)
UFA
33
$3.3M
19
Ron Hainsey (D)
UFA
36
$2.83M
17
Brian Dumoulin (D)
RFA
25
$800K
15
Justin Schultz (D)
RFA
26
$1.4M
51
Mark Streit (D)
UFA
39
$5.25M
27
Chad Ruhwedel (D)
UFA
27
$575K
10
Matt Cullen's future remains undecided, but retirement seems the likely resolution. Veteran defenders Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit may also elect to call it a career and go out as champions.
The Penguins are projected to have nearly $13 million in cap space, with 16 players signed. Sheary, Guentzel, and Schultz are all due significant raises, while Nick Bonino could command more than a third-liner's salary. Look for Pittsburgh to fill any roster holes with a fresh crop of veterans looking to serve as complements to the championship roster.
2017 Draft Picks
The addition of the Vegas Golden Knights forces the Penguins into draft slot No. 31 to close the first round. They didn't have a first-round pick last year as a result of the Phil Kessel trade. It's safe to say Rutherford and Co. are more than happy with the results of that decision. They also went without a first-round pick in 2015 as a result of acquiring David Perron from the St. Louis Blues. They've made just two first-round selections since 2012, taking Olli Maatta and Kasperi Kapanen (who was part of the Kessel trade).
Maatta is the only first-round pick the Penguins have retained since taking Crosby No. 1 overall in the 2005 entry draft.
Round
Picks
1
1
2
0
3
1
4
0
5
2 (from OTT)
6
1
7
1
Pittsburgh is just one pick shy of a full assortment, as they recouped a bonus fifth-round pick by trading Mike Condon to the Senators.
Summer Priorities
1. Get rid of Fleury
Moving Fleury will allow Pittsburgh to save $5.75 million against the salary cap. He has already waived his no-movement clause, so protecting him won't be an issue, and no team needs $9.5 million invested in goaltending.
Tristan Jarry is already signed at a cap hit of $630,833 on the final year of his entry-level contract. He made just one NHL start in 2016-17, but he posted a .925 save percentage through 45 AHL games. He should be capable of handling backup duties. Should Murray get hurt or Jarry prove to not be ready, backup goalies are always available through trade.
2. Fill out the defense with multi-year contracts
Letang and Matta are both signed through the end of the 2021-22 NHL season, but 28-year-old Ian Cole is the only other defender signed for 2017-18. Both Brian Dumoulin and Schultz are set to enter restricted free agency and are due dramatic raises following excellent postseasons where they ranked first and fourth on the team in average ice time.
Both D-men could command cap hits of $6 million on multi-year deals, eating up most of the team's cap room, even with Fleury presumably coming off the books. Alongside Letang and Maatta, Dumoulin and Schultz would certainly give the Penguins one of the best defensive units for the next several seasons.
Pittsburgh is likely out of the realm of possibility for free-agent Kevin Shattenkirk, but the Pens could look to land the likes of Michael Del Zotto or Johnny Oduya on two-to-four-year deals.
3. Add center depth
Even if Cullen were to return for the 2017-18 season, it would be for nothing more than a penalty-killing role on the fourth line. Bonino is likely to seek a top-six role - and the accompanying paycheck - elsewhere.
The free-agent center market isn't overly appealing, but Martin Hanzal is coming off a very disappointing year and could be available for a short-term prove-it deal. If not, Pittsburgh could attempt to find this year's version of Bonino by trading for a young and struggling center with offensive potential.
2017-18 Outlook
It's a fool's errand to predict the downfall of Pittsburgh's dynasty. The team will always be competitive for as long as Crosby and Malkin remain paired together.
With Sheary and Guentzel helping to make the team a bit younger up front, they again have the luxury of adding a few Cup-chasing veterans. Full years will be needed from Murray and Letang, as defensive depth projects to be the biggest difference between next year's roster and this one.
Current team leader Mike Fisher is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and the 37-year-old isn't set on returning to the ice next season.
"Right now, I haven't really gotten to that place (to make a decision)," Fisher said, according to Brooks Bratten on the team's website. "I want to separate myself from the game, and honestly, the biggest factor is prayer and figuring out what's next and what God wants. So I'll just try to figure that out, and that's the biggest factor, really."
Coming oh so close to winning the Stanley Cup will certainly be a factor, as the Predators will likely be back in full force next season.
Greater than that, though, are the bonds formed along the way, and walking away from that would be a big deal to Fisher.
"I love playing the game, I love being around the guys; that to me is more important than winning a Cup," he said. "This year was the best year I've had as far as fun and being around just a great group of guys and a city that came together. There's so many positives."
According to Bratten, Predators general manager David Poile has stated he'll have Fisher on his team as long as the center wants to keep playing, meaning the ball is in the player's court.
Fisher recorded four assists and 34 shots in 20 games during Nashville's run to the Cup Final.
Had the Caps not made this trade, they would have had to expose two of Wilson, Eller and Beagle because of expansion draft rules.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 15, 2017
The 24-year-old split last season between the Wild and the American Hockey League. He posted seven goals and nine points in 52 games with the big club, while adding had 10 goals and 15 points in 26 games with Iowa.
"We have contracts to do," Poile said. "The most notable are Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. Both are restricted free agents (on July 1). We will meet with... both have the same agent. We'll meet with them in Chicago (at the 2017 NHL Draft) to start that process next week."
If Poile can't re-sign Johansen or Arvidsson by July 1, other teams can extend an offer sheet that Nashville will have the opportunity to match, but it is a very rare occurrence.
The trio of Johansen, Arvidsson, and Filip Forsberg found great chemistry as the team's top line - which was known as the "JOFA" line - this past season. Johansen and Arvidsson tied for the team lead in points with 61.
Considering both forwards are just 24 years old, it would make sense to lock them up to long-term deals. If that were the case, Nashville's core - comprised of the "JOFA" line, their big four on D, and Pekka Rinne in net - would all be under contract for at least the next two seasons, therefore extending the team's Stanley Cup window.
On Monday, reports surfaced that Fleury agreed to waive his no-movement clause back in February, which will allow the Pittsburgh Penguins to protect Matt Murray in the expansion draft. It's a bold move for Fleury, but, as he explains, it was the right thing to do for the team.
"The team came forward to me and asked ... it gave them more (flexibility) for the future, for the summer, so they weren't scrambling to trade me," he said, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"I thought it was the right thing to help the team, to stay with the team and finish the season here and have a chance to play for the Cup again."
That strategy certainly paid off for Fleury, as four months later he won his third career Stanley Cup, winning nine games en route.
With the business side of things in the rear-view mirror, the wait is now on to see where exactly Fleury ends up. While he could be in line to be selected by the Golden Knights, common wisdom would suggest the Penguins will do their best to trade him so they can recoup assets instead of losing him for nothing.
"I've heard my name out there, a lot," Fleury said. "But I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon."
Wherever he ends up, he's simply hoping he can start - an opportunity that was largely lost after Murray stole his job during last year's Cup run.
"I still love the game," he said. "I still love to play. Hopefully, if I can still do that ... it will be appreciated."
