So we are almost one week into free agency and their are still a couple of gems out there. Now that the 4th of July long weekend has passed, expect things to start picking up today.
I'll start with Ilya Kovalchuk, who according to various reports has signed a seven year, $60 million dollar deal with the Devils. This isn't confirmed and the longer this goes without being confirmed, the less likely it is to happen. One source told me the Devils are working on a trade to clear some cap room before announcing the trade, while another source tells me Kovalchuk is the one holding off on the deal, hoping something else comes in. Time will tell but regardless I think we'll know by tomorrow.
What about the Leafs, who have signed just one free agent of note so far: Colby Armstrong. Look for the Leafs to lock up a d-man over the next few days, with WIllie Mitchell being my guess. Other d-men the team has looked at include Andy Sutton, M-A Bergeron and Shoane Morrison. Once the d-man is signed, the Kaberle sweeps will pick up. One team who has recently joined them? Colorado. Speaking of the Leafs, I just realized they re-signed John Mitchell, where have I been? One year, 725,000. Finally, several sources have told me that the Leafs have a small interest in Mike Comrie and could go to him if all else fails on the trade market.
What about Evgeni Nabokov? He's still being linked to the Flyers, but cap concerns there make it almost impossible. It looks as though Simon Gagne will be the odd man out in Philly, but where he ends up is anyones guess right now. Two teams to keep your eye on here are the Islanders and Columbus.
There has been very little interest in Alex Frolov, who had a rough season last year. The Habs and Bruins have both kicked tires, while the Panthers have interest but it doesn't appear mutual. At this point, he could be KHL bound.
Finally, word out of San Jose last night has the team close to dealing Ryan Clowe to the Eastern Conference. I'll currently digging for details.
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