Welcome to our daily rumors article brought to you by Betway Sports
Left wing options for the Winnipeg Jets
Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet: The Winnipeg Jets will likely use an internal option for their third-line left winger spot – Jansen Harkins or Morgan Barron.
Unrestricted free agent winger Sonny Milano would make some sense. He would give them a more offensive option. The Jets have the salary cap space – around $5 million. They could look at the trade market, maybe Lawson Crouse (Coyotes) or Jesse Puljujarvi (Oilers).
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said at the start of free agency that improving their forwards was a priority. They lost out on Calle Jarnkrok and Danton Heinen.
The Jets also have too many NHL-caliber defensemen and need to move at least one of them.
Jimmy Vesey could be returning to the New York Rangers
The New York Rangers appear to be getting close to signing free agent Jimmy Vesey.
UFA Tyler Motte appears to have priced himself out of New York.
Vesey could be brought in at around the league minimum of $750,000. If sent to the AHL, he wouldn’t count against the salary cap.
Nazem Kadri looking for $9 million or more, and replacement options for the Colorado Avalanche
Larry Brooks of the New York Post: It sounds like Nazem Kadri is still looking to get a deal at $9 million or more. It’s not a surprise then that he’s still not signed. He turns 32 years old just before the start of the season.
Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post: The Colorado Avalanche can’t afford to bring back Nazem Kadri at a salary close to $8 million a year. You can’t blame Kadri for trying to get a seven-year deal, but anything over four years is risky given his age.
For the Avalanche, a Kadri salary would come in between Valeri Nichushkin’s $6.125 million and Gabriel Landeskog’s $7 million. Having to trade JT Compher or Sam Girard to sign Kadri to a big, long-term deal doesn’t make sense.
Is Alex Newhook ready to step up as their No. 2 center? Could they look to sign Paul Stastny to a one-year deal between $1 million and $2 million? Could they get the Chicago Blackhawks to retain 50 percent of Jonathan Toews salary at some point before the NHL trade deadline?