Off-Season Watch: Necas trade talks expected to heat up
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While the Stanley Cup Final continues, the NHL's off-season is rapidly approaching with the NHL Draft starting on June 28 and Free Agent Frenzy on July 1. TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.
Necas talks to heat up
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes have received concrete trade offers for Martin Necas, but nothing that met their asking price as of yet.
LeBrun expects talks on the pending restricted free agent to continue and heat up ahead of next week's NHL Draft.
Necas is reportedly seeking a move from Carolina, but after posting 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games this season, he is also seeking a significant raise from his current $3 million cap hit. Selected 12th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, he has topped the 20-goal mark in each of the past two seasons and recorded a career-high 71 points in 82 games last season.
LeBrun reported last week that Necas was drawing interest from many clubs, with the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens among those to check in.
"Well, they’ve heard from basically every team in the league, and what they’ve tried to do is narrow down the realistic possibilities for a potential trade," LeBrun explained on Insider Trading. "I’m told five to seven teams invite intriguing possibilities for the Hurricanes, but no one’s gone up to the price that they’d like to see. Winnipeg, you mentioned, Chicago, Boston, and Montreal among the teams that have inquired."
Bridge deal for Pinto?
Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports the Ottawa Senators are studying options for a two-year bridge contract with centre Shane Pinto after being scared off on his asking price on a long-term deal.
Garrioch writes that the Senators would prefer to get Pinto signed to a five- or six-year deal, but Pinto's ask for a $5 million salary has pushed the two sides to work on a shorter-term deal with a lower cap hit. He adds that it's shaping up to be a difficult negotiation and could once again drag into training camp.
Pinto remained unsigned as a restricted free agent into the season last fall before he was handed a 41-game suspension for violating the NHL's gambling policy. He signed a one-year, $775,000 deal to resume playing as soon as the suspension ended, finishing the season with nine goals and 27 points in 41 games.
The 23-year-old centre broke out in 2022-23, his first full season in the league, with 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games. He has 30 goals and 70 points in 140 career games with Ottawa.
The Franklin Square, NY native was selected 32nd overall by the Senators in the 2019 draft.
Free Agent Frenzy Nears
While the Stanley Cup Final will continue until at least Friday night, the opening of the free-agent market is less than two weeks away.
The Vancouver Canucks handled a key order of business on Tuesday, locking up pending restricted free agent Filip Hronek on an eight-year, $58 million contract.
The Canucks still have key players slated to hit the open market on July 1, including defencemen Nikita Zadorov and Tyler Myers, as well as in-season addition Elias Lindholm.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined SC with Jay Onrait on Tuesday and noted that Hronek's new cap hit of $7.25 million came in slightly below expected and could help the Canucks in their push to retain other players.
Dreger also weighed on the latest news around Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators blueliner Jakob Chychrun, Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner and whether the Montreal Canadiens will look to make a splash this summer.