NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed this Oilers now with Bob Stauffer Those things will continue on Tuesday, despite the Winter Olympics freeze in competition. Friedman even said he received a message from a general manager when he was at the Olympics, warning him not to take his eye off the ball. Managers do their homework before the trade deadline, including working on key contracts for key players.
In other words, Friedman was warned that business could be handled by a few teams while he and everyone else was busy watching Olympic events.
“One thing I was reminded of today is that you can still sign extensions. By the time the freeze is over, teams are going to want to know if the guys are going to come with us or go somewhere else. Are they going to say no, or are we going to send them somewhere else?”
As for names teams might want to know more about, there are a few players we could potentially keep an eye on. Alex Tuch in Buffalo is probably at the top of the list. Meanwhile, Darren Raddysh is being discussed in Tampa Bay and could be on the radar of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Will Evgeni Malkin sign a new short-term deal now that the Penguins are playing as well as they are? Bobby McMann is popular, but the Leafs must decide whether to sign or trade him. The Columbus Blue Jackets are leaning toward signing Boone Jenner, but what if he ends up being put on the trading block?
What about the Edmonton Oilers?
When it came to the Edmonton Oilers, which Stauffer asked about, Friedman didn’t assume anything would happen right away with the freeze, but he did think the team would look different. “I think [the Oilers] will look different before the trade deadline. I just don’t know if it will happen that quickly.”
This also included rumors that Paul Coffey would join the coaching staff. Friedman was still not entirely convinced of the idea, but seemed a little more aware that there might be something to the rumors. Jason Gregor commented on Sports 1440: “Paul Coffey probably won’t come back, but if he does, you should probably change the head coach. I think he’s more of a GM than a coach”.
Next: To act or not to act: that is the question for the Canadiens
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