Ducks Trevor Zegras remains unsigned
NHL Network: Elliotte Friedman on NHL Tonight on Anaheim Ducks RFA forward Trevor Zegras.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Tony Luftman: “Brings to mind there are several restricted free agents other than Pinto waiting on contracts around the league. Most notably, Trevor Zegras, still unsigned. What have you been hearing on him?”
Friedman: “Well, first we should mention one did sign , Morgan Frost. And I think Morgan Frost was a player who simply said, ‘Look, I want to be Philadelphia at the start of camp. I want to get off.’ He had a big finish to last year but he’s still establishing himself as a player.
NHL Rumors: Shane Pinto, Boston Bruins, and the Montreal Canadiens
And I think, he didn’t want to tempt the John Tortorella Gods, he didn’t want to be late. So he wanted to get that deal done and get there.
Zegras, like I told you earlier in the week, the talk is it’s going to be a bridge deal. Not a long-term deal. I do think we’re going to see something done.
At this point in time I have no reason to believe that Zegras won’t be ready for the start of the season but I’m under the impression it’s going to be a bridge and not a long-term deal.
Interest in Phil Kessel has grown
NHL Network: Elliotte Friedman when asked about what teams, if any, are interested in Phil Kessel.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Tony Luftman: “I had the privilege of talking with three-time Stanley Cup Champion Phil Kessel in the moments immediately following Vegas’ Cup win.
What teams, if any, are showing interest in continuing his career?”
Friedman: “I think we’re going to have a better idea of that this week. I think that, I had heard that there were teams that talked to Kessel in the offseason but one team actually told me after I wrote about him last week, is that they didn’t really realize, at the time, he was prepared to give up the streak.
Because look, those are really challenging things to deal with for teams. If you want to take a player out and he’s not on board, it’s led to some big internal blowups. So teams weren’t crazy about that.
NHL Rumors: New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens
I think now that he’s let it be known that he’s willing, I think interest grew. I think the other to here Tony is, are teams going to want Kessel to say, come in on a PTO because I think what Kessel’s hope is to come in on a one-year deal with bonuses. Cause now that he’s eligible for an over 35 contract, his bonuses can kick into next year, which is important at a time when teams are really cap strapped.
So I think now over the next week or so we’re gonna find out who’s serious about signing him and who would rather it be a PTO and what does Kessel think about all of this.
