from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- There’s definitely some momentum with Rick Tocchet and Seattle, but no indication a final decision’s been made. Had to wonder if Francis would want to talk to old friend Paul Maurice, but the Jets indicated their coach is returning. I was one of those people who thought, before this season, that maybe Joel Quenneville would end up in the Emerald City, but no idea how that could be possible after the terrific season Florida had. And, if something was going on there, we’d probably be hearing about people interviewing with the Panthers.

- No vacation for the Avalanche, with plenty of decisions to make. There’s a lengthy list of unrestricteds (including captain Gabriel Landeskog and Vezina Trophy finalist Philipp Grubauer), Nazem Kadri’s future to figure out, and planning for Nathan MacKinnon’s massive payday — two years from now. The linchpin to everything is Cale Makar’s next contract. There’s some evidence the two sides are going to try for term. That could be a massive number for the Norris finalist — and the only defenceman to average a point per game.

- I did ask around to see if the Sabres gave anyone permission to talk to Jack Eichel, but don’t believe that’s the case. Everyone’s gone into the cone of silence. From what I can tell, the team and its captain are negotiating the next steps of his recovery. Multiple sources indicate that if there’s any deal involving either Eichel or Sam Reinhart, do not be surprised if the Sabres end up with a second high first-round selection in July’s draft.

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