Monday Morning Wrap-Up
By JV
As we move towards the end of July, NHL news is becoming scarce. Blockbuster trades involving power forward Rick Nash and goaltender Roberto Luongo remain in a holding pattern, and the free agent pool is greatly diminished – though enigmatic star Alexander Semin is still on the market, and 35-year-old winger Shane Doan is generating plenty of interest as well. There’s still plenty of action due over the course of the next few weeks, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take a look back at the week that was.
JETS NEWS
-The Jets are in contract talk with restricted free agent Evander Kane. The deal being discussed will reportedly be structured like those of John Tavares and Phil Kessel. Other than UFA Alexander Semin, Kane is the best goal scorer in the NHL without a contract and this makes him a prime target for an offer sheet.
–Ondrej Pavelec owned up to the DUI charge he received in his native Czech Republic on May 26th. The Jets were unaware of the arrest when they signed the goalie to a 5-year $19.5M deal a full month after the incident. While MADD is calling for Pavs’ head, the Jets are likely eager to move on and forget about the incident.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
–Shea Weber signed an offer sheet worth $110M over 14 years from the Philadelphia Flyers. The offer sheet was signed in the early hours of Wednesday morning and the Nashville Predators have one week to match the deal, work out a trade with the Flyers, or let the defenseman walk. The saga will come to a conclusion before Tuesday night.
–T.J. Oshie signed a 5-year $20.8M deal to stay with St Louis Blues. The star in training has been an integral part of an improved Blues team, and though Oshie is not a yet a household name, fantasy hockey players should familiarize themselves with the young center.
–Sam Gagner signed a 1-year $3.2M to stay with the Edmonton Oilers. The diminutive Gagner is often involved in trade rumours and this cap friendly deal will likely result in the center being moved if the Oilers again miss out on the playoff hunt.
–Nikolai Kulemmin signed a 2-year $5.6M extension to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The winger scored 30 goals in ’10-’11, but followed up with a meager 7 goals last season.