Capitals GM on Ovechkin extension talks
Sportsnet: Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan when asked where contract extension talks stand with Alex Ovechkin, who has one year left on his deal.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“I think it’s status quo. Once we get to camp hopefully we have time or space to get together and we’ll go from there. I mean, we want Alex coming back. We said all along we’d talk at the beginning of the year and hopefully we get a chance to do that during camp.
Oilers may have contacted Hamonic’s camp
Tyler Yaremchuk: Frank Seravalli on TSN 1260 on Travis Hamonic: “I do believe the Oilers have been one of the teams that have contacted Travis Hamonic and his camp.”
On Granlund returning to Nashville, and Kunin talks continue
Adam Vingan of The Athletic: It came as a surprise the Mikael Granlund re-signed with the Nashville Predators earlier this week – one-year at $3.75 million.
Back in October, Predators GM David Poile said that Granlund wouldn’t be back with the team. Granlund didn’t seem like a good fit with the Predators during his time with the Predators over the past two seasons. During the offseason though, the Predators stayed in contact with his camp.
“Looking through the options that we had, the 56-game schedule, having to rush back into town, I think familiarity is an important issue not only for the player but for the family,” Diamond said Tuesday night. “Between the interest that the Predators continued to show and the comfort that the family (felt), I recognized that it would be better for them. That’s what kind of led us all to this reunion.
“Everyone’s on the same page. Everyone was disappointed in the team result and thinks they can do better. These are uncharted times. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen tomorrow, let alone next week. A lot of times, absence makes the heart grow fonder, so that’s kind of the way things came full circle.”
Granlund did lead the Predators in goals scored (11) after John Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette behind the bench.
Agent Diamond said they were dealing with five or six teams. Talks with the Predators had been up and down, but the Predators were consistent all offseason.
The Predators continue to talk with restricted free agent Luke Kunin.
