from Elliotte Freidman of Sportsnet,

- Nashville is looking for a forward. Maybe a centre, maybe a scorer. Here’s the hitch: The Predators prefer not to take away from their NHL roster. They are all-in. Wonder how many teams will ask about Eeli Tolvanen, their 2017 first-rounder who is lighting up the KHL for Jokerit.

- We’re always watching countdowns to free agency, with John Tavares being the No. 1 storyline among those players as the 2017-18 season begins. As for those with term, one that stands out to me is Claude Giroux. Flyers GM Ron Hextall laughed off rumours about his availability at the draft. Occasionally, his name pops up again. Hextall declined to comment this time, and a couple of GMs I asked said they hadn’t heard Philadelphia bring him up. The captain has five more years on his contract at an $8.275-million cap hit and a no-movement clause. As one player said, “He loves it there.” There’s curiosity over the winger experiment, but from personal experience I do recognize one thing: sometimes you get stale. Philly is trying to make him a little uncomfortable, force Giroux into an “I’ll show you” mentality. If it works, everyone benefits.

many more topics...