NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, and the Calgary Flames

Dubas on what he’s looking for in players

Pittsburgh Penguins: President of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas, on what he’s looking in players: “Sully and I had a very brief discussion on this. The top end of the forward group is very, very good…

Do we need another piece there to put us over the top? Then it’s what types of players do we want in the bottom half of our lineup that can deliver the game to those top players in the way that we want? And then on defense, it’s going to be going through and seeing what we need and if some of the younger players can step up. That’s how I see it over the next couple weeks.”

The Canucks and Elias Pettersson‘s camp will meet in the next few months

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The Vancouver Canucks and Elias Pettersson, one-year left on his contract, will meet in the next few months to discuss a contract extension according to his agent JP Barry. He’s eligible for a contract extension after July 1st.

“I think we’re going to watch that market for (RFA) players who are already out there a little bit this summer. But I think in the talks that we’ve had (with the Canucks), they do want to get together sometime this summer or early fall at least — in the next few months — to try and talk about the future.

“We’ve stayed in contact. Elias is thinking about it. I think it’s going to happen, we’re going to sit down this summer. We’re going to talk about staying there long term. That is the plan right now.”

Flames GM will meet with Mikael Backlund before he heads back to Sweden

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: JP Barry, the agent for Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund said that new GM Craig Conroy has already reached out to . Backlund has a year left on his contract. Barry said that Backlund will talk to Conroy before he heads back to Sweden.

“He’s been a Calgary Flame his whole life, but he needs to hear from the GM about what the future is. There’s a shorter window now. Like any player, he wants to win, and he has not gone really deep in the playoffs or challenged for a Stanley Cup.

It is really is something he wants to do, so they’re going to have to have a really good talk.”