Milan Lucic's prepared to make himself available on the open market.
In text messages to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, both Lucic and Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi confirmed the bruising power winger will test the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
This comes after the latest round of negotiations, believed to have occurred over the past few days, failed to yield an agreement.
According to LeBrun, Lombardi has since authorized all 29 other clubs to speak with Lucic, likely in an effort to gain compensation.
Lucic has previously expressed a desire to return to the Kings, and a scheme that suited his style so incredibly well, but at this time he's unwilling to accept the pay cut required to squeeze inside the club's tight salary parameters.
Now, he'll be one of the biggest names on the open market July 1, and will have no shortage of suitors. The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks are two teams that fit Lucic's desire to be on the West Coast, and have previously been rumored to be interested in him.
Lucic earned $6 million last season, and will likely pursue something similar as a free agent.
If Lombardi's unable to recoup a draft pick or prospect as compensation, the Kings will have nothing to show for their draft-day deal with the Boston Bruins, which saw them part with Martin Jones, Colin Miller, and the 13th overall pick used to select defenseman Jakub Zboril.
NHL general managers appear to be looking to take advantage of a brief window of time in which P.K. Subban may be available on the trade market.
The versatile defenseman has a no-move clause that kicks in July 1, and the volume of calls being fielded by the front office in regard to his availability has "increased significantly" over the past 48 hours, according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.
One Western Conference GM has reportedly been told flat out Subban won't be made available, which suggests the calls are coming in unsolicited.
Canadiens are not shopping Subban but other teams are indeed calling and more frequently as July 1 no-movement clause approaches...
Subban's no-move clause will remain in place through to the end of 2021-22, and his contract carries a salary cap hit of $9 million.
LeBrun adds some teams around the NHL are desperate for an elite-level defenseman, but GM Marc Bergevin would need to receive quite the offer to give up Subban.
With the NHL expected to announce plans to expand to Las Vegas, and existing franchises scrambling to determine exactly what it means for their puzzles, NHL draft weekend in Buffalo has taken on an added dynamic.
For this, and with the hustle and bustle in advance of the most anticipated weekend on the NHL calendar, pundits are calling for a flurry of activity on the draft floor, in hotel lobbies, and throughout one of the rare stretches of days when the NHL's decision-makers come together.
Here are nine bold predictions for draft weekend:
Red Wings find a home for Datsyuk's contract
Ken Holland may not be "overly optimistic" he can move Datsyuk's $7.5-million contract, but the opportunity for a non-contender to net assets for simply housing money is too good to pass up. The Red Wings are in a major jam, and thus without leverage. Because of this, a wise taker will swoop in, and benefit in the long run.
Blue Jackets balk at trade offers for No. 3
There's been speculation that Jarmo Kekalainen is drumming up interest in the No. 3 overall selection and the rights to Jesse Puljujarvi. His motivation, to an extent, may involve attaching an unwanted contract to the towering Finnish winger in a package deal. Does this sound nuts to anyone else? Kekalainen will ultimately realize there are other means to shed a body, and select Puljujarvi.
Someone steps in to save Chychrun
The consensus may be that Jakob Chychrun will fall from his preseason rank as the No. 2 overall rated prospect and out of the top 10. But all 30 teams aren't working off the same spreadsheet. There'll be an organization, one that hasn't deviated far from its initial evaluation, that will trade up to stop the Florida-born defenseman's slide so it can nab a player who'll contribute in a top four.
Blues make out well on Shattenkirk deal
As Alex Goligoski and Keith Yandle's traded negotiation rights proved, transition defenders are now at a premium. So, sitting pretty are the Blues who, in apparently being willing to move Kevin Shattenkirk, can sit back and let the offers flow in. Doug Armstrong apparently already has one on the table involving a first-round pick, which in itself would be a coup with Shattenkirk scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.
Flames don't solve goaltending woes
There are more teams at risk of losing a quality netminder in expansion than there are teams - or a team - without a single viable option. So in theory, the situation presents itself well for the Flames, right? Well, with teams still making decisions on working protection parameters, and information still to gain before making a call, it's on Brad Treliving - who needs a goaltender in camp - to act first. A trade this weekend would likely be an overpay.
Oilers can't resist Tkachuk
Desperate for a top-end blue-liner who can contribute right now - rather than aiding a penniless prospect system - Edmonton will pass on its pick of the 2016 defensive class and choose a winger who possesses the traits required to flank Connor McDavid for the better part of the next decade.
Islanders replace Okposo
Back to the scene of some of his greatest successes, Garth Snow will be a draft-night darling again. The Islanders architect will find a top-flight winger to replace Kyle Okposo on the draft floor and serve as a capable linemate for John Tavares without overspending on the open market.
Leafs load up on netminders
In trading for, and promptly agreeing to a lucrative long-term contract with Frederik Andersen, Toronto's need for goaltending was magnified. At their price points, Jonathan Bernier doesn't fit in tandem with Andersen, while the other prominent goalies in the system - Garret Sparks and Antoine Bibeau - haven't shown they're poised to make contributions at the next level. The Maple Leafs will inject multiple goaltending prospects into the system in an effort to push Andersen down the road.
Duchene is dealt
All signs indicate the Avalanche are looking to make a major amendment to their roster this summer. At the same time, however, Joe Sakic has secured the futures of Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie, only recently extended Erik Johnson, and doesn't appear to be wavering on Gabriel Landeskog. This leaves Duchene, who endures as the whipping boy, as the only trade piece who could fulfill such promise.
On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. With the NHL Awards set to be handed out Wednesday night, we're predicting who will take home some hardware.
Hart Trophy
Nominees: Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane
Ian McLaren: With all due respect to Kane's 106 points (17 more than second-place Benn), the distinction of Most Valuable Player isn't reserved exclusively for the league's highest scorer. So while the Chicago Blackhawks winger celebrates his Art Ross Trophy win on awards night, the Hart Trophy should go to Crosby.
Like his team, the Pittsburgh Penguins center got off to a slow start, but amid suggestions his game was in decline, Crosby recorded 66 points in 52 games following the hiring of Mike Sullivan as head coach. Crosby led the NHL with 58 points after Jan. 1, and played a large role in lifting the team from outside the playoff picture to second place in the Metropolitan Division by season's end. He accomplished all this with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury sidelined due to injury at various points throughout the season.
Crosby has already won two Hart Trophies (2007, 2014) and, based on his performance and impact on the Penguins' fortunes this season, should leave Las Vegas with a third.
Vezina Trophy
Nominees: Ben Bishop, Braden Holtby, Jonathan Quick
Ben Whyte: After tying an NHL single-season record with 48 wins and guiding the Washington Capitals to their second Presidents' Trophy, Holtby should win the Vezina Trophy for the first time in his career.
The 26-year-old finished in the top 10 in goals-against average (fifth) and save percentage (eighth), and led the league in both categories during the playoffs despite his team bowing out in Round 2.
Holtby's season was highlighted by a 22-game streak without a regulation loss from November to January, when he went 20-0-2 with two shutouts.
His incredible play also earned him a nomination for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given to the league's most outstanding player as judged by the players.
Bishop will be Holtby's biggest competition after pacing an injury-plagued Tampa Bay Lightning team to the postseason with a 35-win campaign, while finishing among the leaders in all major goaltending categories.
Norris Trophy
Nominees: Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson
Sean O'Leary: Karlsson is an easy choice for the Norris Trophy.
No disrespect to Doughty or Burns - who are both more than worthy finalists - but Karlsson deserves to be this year's winner. Few players make the game look so effortless, and his impact on a middling Ottawa Senators team is unprecedented.
Karlsson recorded a career-high 82 points, which was more than everybody except Kane, Benn, and Crosby.
He takes risks - some of which are ill-advised - but his skill set is so unique, it's futile to compare him to his peers and better to simply appreciate everything he brings to the sport.
For the defensive-zone pundits, Karlsson finished 11th in the league with 175 blocked shots - more than Doughty and Burns, for what it's worth.
Karlsson's will likely win his third Norris Trophy - and he's only 26.
Navin Vaswani: In a simple world, the Calder Trophy would always be awarded to the rookie with the most points to his name in his first NHL season, which would make Panarin a lock to win the award. But it's not that simple.
While Panarin's absolutely right in saying he didn't pen the rules, and while his his 77 points playing shotgun alongside Kane are damn impressive, McDavid averaged 1.07 points per game as a 19-year-old among the world's finest hockey players. That matters.
The argument against McDavid is he only played 45 games, and it's a valid one. There's a difference, however, between playing 45 games and dominating while playing the toughest position in the game as a teenager. The Edmonton Oilers phenom failed to record a point in only 15 games.
Only Kane (1.29) and Benn (1.09) averaged more points per game than McDavid in the NHL this past season. Panarin finished 10th.
McDavid may not have played the most games among rookies, but he's the cream of the crop.
Selke Trophy
Nominees: Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Kesler, Anze Kopitar
Justin Cuthbert: Bergeron isn't ready to relinquish his title as the NHL's best defensive forward.
He made gains on his Selke Trophy campaign from a year ago as the Boston Bruins' fulcrum, being on the ice for a considerably greater amount of goals for than he was against despite taking on an enhanced defensive role.
Bergeron took and won more faceoffs than any other player, which includes more than a third in his own end. He was also a top-15 forward in shot-based possession, and began more shifts in the defensive zone than any player in that elite class.
On top of that, and enduring as a commanding penalty killer, he enjoyed his best offensive season in almost a decade, scoring a career-high 32 goals and totaling 68 points.
Jack Adams Award
Nominees: Gerard Gallant, Lindy Ruff, Barry Trotz
Cuthbert: Let's change this up a bit; it's time to honor excellence with the Jack Adams Trophy.
With 58 wins under Trotz, Washington turned out the best year in franchise history, and also one of the greatest in the post-lockout era. The Capitals boasted both the second-ranked offense and defense, scoring 59 goals more than they allowed. They went on to win the conference by 16 points and the Presidents' Trophy by 11. They also won more games on the road than all but two postseason entries, and owned the league's second-best combined special teams.
This was the greatest season for one of the league's greatest modern-day coaches. And certainly no one-off.
Lady Byng Trophy
Nominees: Aleksander Barkov, Loui Eriksson, Anze Kopitar
Vaswani: A perennial Lady Byng candidate, Kopitar is a gentle giant who should win the award for the first time Wednesday night.
The Slovenian had his best offensive season since 2011-12, shaking off a slow start that saw him finish October with only three goals in 10 games. He exploded in the second half and had 21 points in the Los Angeles Kings' final 20 games.
Always in the lineup, Kopitar's the No. 1 center on a forever-competitive team in the mighty Western Conference. He took only 16 minutes in penalties - none in October or March, which amounted to a 25-game stretch.
They don't come much more gentlemanly or skilled than Mr. Kopitar.
With six of the first 10 picks, Canadian teams will be front and centre at this weekend's NHL draft in Buffalo.
But it won't be Canadian players heading the group of top prospects in Friday's first round. Instead, those from the United States...
"We might have to make a decision at some point," Rutherford said Tuesday, according to Jonathan Bombulie of Trib Live. "(But) I'm not aggressively doing anything."
"I met with Fleury," Rutherford added. "He's handled himself so well. When you talk about 50-50 split, I think guys can buy into that, but if you get into the season and one guy takes over the other, does that work for both guys? I don't know, so there's a lot of things to think about right now."
Rutherford is also waiting for official news in regards to expansion draft guidelines before making a firm decision on how to proceed. If only one goalie can be protected, the Penguins would likely defer to 22-year-old Murray, expediting the need to trade Fleury before next summer at the latest.
"We might have to make a decision at some point," Rutherford said Tuesday, according to Jonathan Bombulie of Trib Live. "(But) I'm not aggressively doing anything."
"I met with Fleury," Rutherford added. "He's handled himself so well. When you talk about 50-50 split, I think guys can buy into that, but if you get into the season and one guy takes over the other, does that work for both guys? I don't know, so there's a lot of things to think about right now."
Rutherford is also waiting for official news in regards to expansion draft guidelines before making a firm decision on how to proceed. If only one goalie can be protected, the Penguins would likely defer to 22-year-old Murray, expediting the need to trade Fleury before next summer at the latest.
The St. Louis Blues have signed depth forward Scottie Upshall to a one-year contract worth a reported $900,000, Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Upshall appeared in 70 games last season, scoring six goals and racking up 14 points after signing late last summer as an unrestricted free agent.
He also appeared in 17 postseason contests, contributing three points.
Upshall will earn a decent raise from the $700,000 contract he signed after making the team on a pro tryout.
The 30-year-old defenseman has signed a five-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes worth a reported $27.375 million. The deal carries an average annual valuation of $5.475 million, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.
"I am very happy to join the Coyotes," Goligoski said. "Arizona is a great place to live and play and I'm excited to join an up-and-coming team that has a ton of talent and a very bright future."
The Coyotes acquired Goligoski's rights from the Dallas Stars, and have apparently wooed the impending unrestricted free agent during a two-day team tour.
"We are thrilled to sign Alex to a long-term contract," said general manager John Chayka. "Alex is a great skater and a smart, efficient defenseman who moves the puck well and makes his teammates better. He will help solidify our defense and support the growth of our young players. He will be a great addition to our team and we welcome him and his wife Amanda to the pack."
Over the course of his career split between Dallas and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Goligoski has averaged 0.49 points per game and has been a positive possession player in five-on-five play, according to Corsica Hockey.
The Coyotes had approximately $38 million in available cap space prior to this signing, and still need to spend over $14 million in order to reach the salary floor.
Ahead of the NHL draft and free agency - which opens July 1 - we're looking at three teams from each division facing integral summers. Next up, the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division.
New York Rangers (101 Points)
Needs: Revamp blue line, extend RFA forwards
The Rangers could - and should - look very different next season.
Their first-round playoff exit was predictable, given their heavy reliance on Henrik Lundqvist and their putrid possession numbers. One reason they ranked 26th in even-strength Corsi For percentage was their overmatched defense corps, and that group needs to be improved upon this summer.
The trading of Keith Yandle's rights to the Florida Panthers was likely the first domino in what needs to be an overhaul of the blue line by general manager Jeff Gorton.
Dan Boyle is leaning toward retirement, and he's not making any friends on the local beat, so it's time to cut bait with the 39-year-old one way or another. The Rangers reportedly don't plan on buying out Dan Girardi, but they should either do that or try to trade him, although his declining skill set and unfavorable contract won't make that easy.
Girardi and Marc Staal are on the books for a combined $11.2-million per season until 2019-20, and Staal's deal runs until 2021. Those deals essentially cost them the flexibility to re-sign Anton Stralman and Yandle.
They do have a solid group of talented, relatively young forwards. Gorton needs to lock up restricted free agents Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, and Kevin Hayes, all of whom have shown promise and should improve next season.
New York Islanders (100 Points)
Needs: Replace Kyle Okposo, be selective with their own free agents
The Islanders won their first playoff series in 23 years, but they were dismantled by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round and will no doubt look to retool this summer with the goal of a deeper postseason run.
Brayden Schenn is a pending restricted free agent coming off a career year with 26 goals and 59 points, and his production has improved every season, so Hextall will likely have to give him a big raise.
The Flyers don't have a ton of cap space, with about $10.5 million and eight pending free agents, but they need scoring depth more than anything else.
As long as a potential Schenn extension doesn't prevent Hextall from adding further offense, he'll be expected to take care of both items on the agenda.
