Defenseman Slava Voynov remains interested in trying to return to the NHL. Speaking with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged that Voynov’s representation “is interested in understanding the parameters under which he’d be allowed to rejoin the league” but that since the NHL is of the belief that there are still some legal hurdles to be cleared before he could do so, they would have no further comment on his situation.
Voynov has spent the past three seasons with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL after his contract with the Kings was terminated following him pleading no contest to a charge stemming from a domestic dispute. His KHL deal is now up and his court-ordered probation expires in July so it appears that the 28-year-old will attempt to try to latch on with another NHL team for next season.
More from around the hockey world:
- The Blues are expected to add Mike Van Ryn to their coaching staff, reports Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). He has spent the last two seasons with the Coyotes, serving as a development coach in 2016-17 and head coach of their AHL affiliate in Tucson this past season. The 39-year-old is no stranger to the St. Louis organization as he spent parts of three years with the team at the start of his career, playing in 69 total games with the Blues.
- A trio of teams have expressed an interest in Swedish coach Rikard Gronborg, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The Rangers are among those squads but Brooks suggests his addition to their staff is a long-shot. The Sabres and Hurricanes are the others with interest. The 49-year-old Gronborg has been involved with Sweden’s national team programs at the junior and senior levels since 2006 and served as the bench boss for their entries into the Olympics and World Championships this year.
- While Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli suggested following the season that they could move their first-round pick (tenth overall), Oilers radio analyst and team employee Bob Stauffer suggested via Twitter that moving that selection for short-term help isn’t a likely outcome. David Staples of the Edmonton Journal adds that it’s becoming more and more apparent that Chiarelli isn’t willing to move that pick. He noted at the end of the season that there are several defensemen that he likes and there’s a good chance a quality defender will be available if they stand pat.