from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,

• Whoever takes over as GM of the Montreal Canadiens — assuming Pierre Gauthier’s reign is nearing an end — has the difficult task of signing RFA goalie Carey Price. He is making $3 million this season, but is going to be earning in the $5.5-million to $6-million range once the dust settles.

Price has the right to arbitration so he could be a difficult target, but there are a lot of teams with cap space looking for goaltending, including the Maple Leafs and Lightning. It’s a situation worth watching….

• Some NHL observers have suggested Devils C Zach Parise could land with the Kings as a UFA on July 1. The Kings were viewed as a nice fit because Parise trains in the Los Angeles area during the off-season and GM Dean Lombardi needed scoring. Many wonder if the panic move by Lombardi to acquire C Jeff Carter from the Jackets for D Jack Johnson before the deadline is going to lessen the chances of Parise going to the Kings. L.A. will likely still make a pitch, but the Minnesota Wild has emerged as the favourite to sign Parise.

• Just wondering if the Leafs have a shot at Vancouver G Roberto Luongo in the summer. If the Canucks fall apart in the playoffs and Luongo doesn’t get the job done, anything is possible.

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