Scouting the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers
Adam Kimelman: Scouts listed to attend last night’s Sabres-Flyers game include the Chicago Blackhawks (2), Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Detroit Red Wings.
Comparable for Darnell Nurse
Jim Matheson: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey is a perfect comparable for Edmonton Oilers pending RFA defenseman Darnell Nurse. Morrissey carries a $6.16 million salary cap hit. They play close to the same amount of minutes and are close in points. Nurse’s agent could be looking at Jacob Trouba‘s $8 million per season deal.
$4 million a year for Kassian?
Jim Matheson: A four-year, $4 million per season deal for Edmonton Oilers pending UFA Zack Kassion could be a good number. Tom Wilson signed a long-term deal at $5.16 million per. Kassian is older at 28-years old but his even-strength goals and points show that he is a good five-on-five player.
All safe in Vancouver
TSN: The Vancouver Canucks are on a slide but Bob McKenzie said that Travis Green is not on the hot seat. The Canucks didn’t have anything on the front burner leading up to the NHL roster freeze.
Plenty of defensemen available
TSN: Bob McKenzie said that it’s a good time to be looking for a defenseman as there seems to be a number of them available. The teams that have defensemen available are looking for forward help.
“Well, you know a lot of GMs say it’s a great time if you’re looking for a defenceman. Because there are a lot of teams who are ready to shed defencemen and looking for scoring help. The Buffalo Sabres, for example. Colin Miller, Zach Bogosian, Marco Scandella are three names, amongst others, that have been out there for quite some time for the Sabres. For the Carolina Hurricanes, Jake Gardiner, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Joel Edmundson, take your pick. And more perhaps. Those teams are looking for forward help. They’re peddling out those names on defence. But quite frankly, they haven’t been able to pull anything off with regard to that and right now the market seems to be soft, at least for those defencemen that are available.”