Metropolitan Notes: Provorov, Devils, Michkov, Capitals

While there’s believed to be mutual interest in a contract extension between the Blue Jackets and pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov, there hasn’t been much traction in discussions, reports Pierre LeBrun in a recent piece for The Athletic (subscription link).  He adds that Columbus and Provorov’s camp exchanged offers back in January but they were not close to an agreement while it’s believed that they haven’t circled back on talks since then.  Provorov was widely viewed as a prominent trade candidate heading into the season but with the Blue Jackets continuing to be in the mix for a playoff spot, it would be risky for them to move him now, even though they’d be running the risk of losing him for nothing this summer in free agency.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides at least have a follow-up discussion about a possible new deal in the days leading up to Friday’s trade deadline.

More from the Metropolitan:

• While the Devils have been known to be looking for centers for most of the season, Gabriel Trevino of NJ Advance Media relays that they’re also looking to add scoring help although a move is unlikely to come until right before the deadline. He adds that New Jersey is in a spot where they’re open to accepting rentals or longer-term fits.  However, while the latter would cost more to acquire, defenseman Simon Nemec is not someone the team intends to move despite the fact he has spent the bulk of the year in the minors, something he hasn’t been happy  They’re projected to have less than $1.7MM in cap room available on deadline day, per PuckPedia, so they’ll need to get creative if they’re going to add an impact player to their roster.
• The NHL announced that Flyers winger Matvei Michkov has been named Rookie of the Month for February. He’s the first rookie this season to get the nod twice after also winning in October.  Michkov had ten points in seven games last month while he’s the rookie leader in goals (19) league-wide while being tied for the lead in points with 44.
• The Capitals are looking to add depth both up front and on the back end before Friday’s trade deadline, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). With Washington leading the way in the Eastern Conference, it’s understandable that their preference would be to avoid doing anything to shake up the core of their group.  They have $3.65MM remaining in their LTIR pool, per PuckPedia, meaning that if they want to make a couple of additions while still leaving room for injury replacements, they’re going to be primarily looking at low-cost pickups.