David Backes appears headed for the open market.
The soon-to-be former St. Louis Blues captain is set to officially become an unrestricted free agent after a last-ditch attempt by the club to retain his services, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.
McKenzie adds the Boston Bruins have significant interest, while the Minnesota Wild are definitely still in the mix, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
Backes, 32, is coming off a five-year, $22.5-million contract with the Blues. He recorded 21 goals and 24 assists in 79 games this past season.
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The Detroit Red Wings have locked up one of their two restricted defensemen.
The team has re-signed Alexey Marchenko to a two-year contract worth $2.9 million, according to MLive.com's Ansar Kahn.
Marchenko is coming off his first full season with the Red Wings since being drafted in the seventh round in 2011. In 66 games, he managed two goals and nine assists.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are showing interest in free agent James Wisniewski, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.
Wisniewski is heading to unrestricted free agency after the Carolina Hurricanes bought out the final year of his contract Thursday.
The 32-year-old was limited to just one game last season due to injury, but would fit the need the Maple Leafs' need at defense. The club has also reportedly shown interest in Dallas Stars defenseman Kris Russell.
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Roberto Luongo stole the show on NHL free-agent day before the signing period even opened.
First, the Florida Panthers goalie made a suggestion to CapFriendly, a website that tracks NHL salary information.
Hey @CapFriendly would be pretty cool if you could post this 🚮 on your website next to some of the contracts today? #FreeAgentFrenzy
— Strombone (@strombone1) July 1, 2016
He then took the liberty of using his own 12-year, $64-million deal as an example.
👌🏼👍👏 pic.twitter.com/o0emo5BI0n
— Strombone (@strombone1) July 1, 2016
Hockey's social media king strikes again.
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Alexander Radulov's quest back to the NHL continues to be a wild ride.
After failing to find a team to meet his asking price, Radulov reportedly signed with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL, but, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, the Detroit Red Wings are interested in the Russian forward.
Radulov was seeking a two-year, $15-million deal, but LeBrun reported the Red Wings offered the 29-year-old a one-year deal worth $5 million.
Since his most recent stint with the Nashville Predators went sour in 2012, the 29-year-old has played in the KHL, scoring 238 points in 181 games.
There's also unconfirmed speculation that the Montreal Canadiens are bidding for Radulov's services.
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The St. Louis Blues might take a second chance on one of their former first-round picks.
The club is looking to bring back forward David Perron, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
Perron started last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he mustered just four goals and 16 points in 43 games before being dealt to the Anaheim Ducks, where he exploded for 20 points in 28 games.
The 28-year-old - who will become an unrestricted free agent at noon Friday - began his career with the Blues after being drafted 26th overall by the club in 2007. He amassed 84 goals and 198 points in 340 games during his tenure with the club.
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Brian Campbell is going back to Chicago.
As many have speculated, Brian Campbell has made his decision and it's going to be a return to Chicago. Likely a one-yr deal around $2M
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) July 1, 2016
More to come.
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Before dipping into the free-agent market, the Detroit Red Wings brought back one of the longest-tenured players on their roster, re-signing forward Darren Helm to a five-year extension with an AAV of $3.85 million, as first reported by Aaron Ward.
With $18 million in cap space, it's widely expected the Red Wings are willing to spend money on a top-six forward as well, but securing Helm solidifies a spot in the bottom portion of the lineup.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Helm had several interested suitors, but opted to stick with the team that drafted him back in 2005.
He took the discount. Dallas, Boston, Van, Calgary were all very interested. https://t.co/wp8hec2Ix2
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2016
Helm, 29, played in 77 games last season, collecting 13 goals and 13 assists.
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