The Colorado Avalanche have several key free agents to sign this offseason, including captain Gabriel Landeskog. While it has been expected for some time that Landeskog would return to Colorado one way or another, it doesn’t mean teams aren’t preparing for the alternative. Lou Korac of NHL.com reports that the St. Louis Blues will apply a “full pitch effort” should Landeskog reach unrestricted free agency, suggesting that he would move onto a line with Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron.
Landeskog, 28, is coming off another outstanding season with 52 points in 54 games, and will be a highly sought-after commodity should he hit the open market. It’s not often you have a chance to add a still-young-enough star offensive player that adds physicality and leadership for nothing but money through free agency, meaning the Blues certainly wouldn’t be the only team going hard after Landeskog if the Avalanche failed to lock him up.
- The Minnesota Wild are working to try and bring Brennan Menell back to North America, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. The 24-year-old remains on the team’s reserve list after playing in the KHL this season, where he finished second in scoring among defensemen with 38 points in 47 games. The last time Mennell was on this side of the ocean, he scored 47 points in 57 games with the Iowa Wild and received his first NHL opportunity, suiting up five times with Minnesota. An undrafted free agent signing, the Wild will continue to hold his exclusive NHL rights through his 27th birthday.
- The New York Rangers are still expected to buy out defenseman Tony DeAngelo, but Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that they will not do so until after the expansion draft. DeAngelo currently fills an exposure requirement for the draft, though so does Anthony Bitetto even if the team exercised the buyout now. The first window to buy out a player is open until July 27, meaning there is no rush for the Rangers at this point.
I think Seattle would benefit from having DeAngelo’s services but I can’t expect them to claim him in the draft. though DeAngelo not that long ago showed he’s worth $4.5 million his lay off and the bs surrounding him in the news makes him a bit of a risk and let’s face it the Rangers already showed their hand. Why would Seattle draft a guy at $4.5 million instead of signing him to a prove it contract for cheaper after the buyout? It’s nonsensical. I look forward to DeAngelo improving his reputation elsewhere as I enjoyed his time with the Rangers; he’s still a capable offensive defenseman and power play quarterback
And who else can destroy a locker room and punch your starting goalie like him? He has 90+ ratings in both on NHL22!
Yessir. He just needs to change his attitude and learn to be a teammate. But the talent is most certainly there. I too would enjoy a rebound from him.
He a right wing nut job. The Seattle people would be all over him like white on rice
Oh, so now one’s politics have to match the city they play in? So much for tolerence and diversity.
Come off it, Gbear. This isn’t a matter of politics matching the city in which they play. This is a matter of not spitting in the faces of the city in which they play.
And y’know, in any normal country, you’d think that there’d be NO city that’d have any tolerance for a punk like DeAngelo representing them on the ice.
If DeAngelo could reform his character, and that is a big “if”, he would certainly prolong his stay in the NHL, even though there are many who will never forgive his “stupidity of youth.” Some guys have been banished to Devil’s Island, but others are still in the NHL, so the standard is about as loose as DoPS’ so-called guidelines for administering punishment.
Has he displayed any remorse or acknowledgement that he had been acting like an ahole? If not, don’t hold your breathe on it just being “stupidity of youth.”
@The Mistake of Giving Eugene Melnyk a Liver Transplant – Hence the qualification of “big if.” I’m not sure if he has the strength of character to reform, and it definitely appears he might have the last 1/8″ of fingernails on the ledge, hoping for that “one last chance.”
Yeah, I was half asking if had because I had not heard anything. Not even the standard non-apology of I am sorry if you… Anyway, I agree with you 100%
@The Mistake of Giving Eugene Melnyk a Liver Transplant – Hey, I agree with you. If he hasn’t recognized that this may very well be his last chance, it’ll be “Hello, European Tour!” Occasionally, guys get it and do the right thing, but I don’t know about him. I guess we’ll find out if he does get bought out and no other NHL team will touch him.
He doesn’t seem like the “turn over a new leaf” type but more crash and burn. Pride is an ugly thing.
Why keep posting the same news about DeAngelo? Everyday there is a new post involving him just saying the same thing. “He will be bought out, but hasn’t been yet”
Let his story die. Tell us when he is bought out, and then tell us when he signs in the KHL.
DeAngelo has been in trouble many times, been a headache for team management, everywhere he’s gone. The only place he’d fit in is the LNAH, and he’s not eligible to play there. (That, or the KHL, where no doubt malcontents like DeAngelo aren’t given stern talkings-to. They’re given beatings in the alley by the owners’ thugs.)
As far as Landeskog goes, it sure won’t be St. Louis. They’ve got only eight forwards under contract, and $17 million to sign more. He’s the giant prize of the UFAs this year: the guy isn’t signing for less than $8 million outside a hometown discount, it wouldn’t surprise me if he signed for $9, and there are teams out there with the flexibility to offer him $10. Because imagine this scary scenario: if they buy out DeBrusk, BOSTON could afford Landeskog. AND keep Hall. AND keep Rask. AND keep Krejci and Reilly.