While Ottawa’s priority at this time is to lock up winger Mark Stone, they have also recently tendered a contract offer to fellow UFA winger Ryan Dzingel, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. However, the fact that a deal isn’t done yet is a sign that there is still some work to be done. One league executive hypothesized that the 26-year-old may be waiting to see if Stone and center Matt Duchene are dealt in the hopes that it could help him land more money from the Senators. That doesn’t seem to be a likely outcome even if the others are moved so, at this point, it looks like Dzingel could have a new home in the coming days.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Although the Red Wings recently asked Gustav Nyquist for a list of teams he’d be willing to be traded to, they haven’t given up just yet on signing the winger to an extension either. The 29-year-old told reporters, including Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News, that his agent has held preliminary extension discussions with GM Ken Holland but evidently, nothing has been worked out just yet. Nyquist is on pace to set a career high in points and would normally command a first-round pick on the trade market but with so few teams willing to deal those and other prominent rentals available, it may be tough for Holland to get that type of return.
- The Devils have received considerable interest in pending UFA winger Marcus Johansson, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic noted in an appearance on TSN 1040 (audio link). After being injured early on in the season, he has been particularly productive over the past month, notching six goals and six assists in just 13 games while playing nearly 19 minutes per night. As teams start to turn to the secondary market, the interest in the 28-year-old should pick. LeBrun adds that New Jersey has interest in keeping him beyond this season so if they don’t get fair value for Johansson’s services, it’s likely that they’ll hold off on moving him and presumably would then look at working on a contract extension.
Trading Stone and Duchene but signing Dzingel would be a huge mistake. He’s a streaky piece who is invisible when he’s not scoring, not a building block.