NHL teams seeking a center are in luck [url=http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/jarvis-landry-jersey]Jarvis Landry Jersey Youth[/url] , especially the ones that can get an audience with John Tavares.
It’s no secret that Tavares is where free agency begins. He and his representatives have already met with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks and are set to speak with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday to court the 27-year-old superstar.
”We’ve had a discussion on that front,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Saturday at the NHL draft . ”I think that’s still a bit to be determined.”
As the No. 1 pending free agent, Tavares not only gets to hand out his rose like hockey’s version of ”The Bachelor,” he can set the tone for the rest of the players available.
Only the Islanders can offer an eight-year contract – unless they execute a sign-and-trade to recoup some value – and he could very well become the league’s second-highest-paid player behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who makes an average of $12.5 million a season.
”I think that (at)91Tavares should join the Sharks!” San Jose captain Joe Pavelski’s grandmother Mary Ann tweeted .
As soon as Tavares decides to stay with the Islanders or sign elsewhere, the movement will begin.
Paul Stastny should be the next-best center available after putting up 15 points in 17 playoff games with Winnipeg. Another 32-year-old, Toronto’s Tyler Bozak, could be a fallback plan for teams that don’t sign Tavares, and Buffalo will continue to get calls about two-way star Ryan O’Reilly as the push from contenders to add talent heats up.
The Sharks are right in the middle of a lot of those conversations. Owner Hasso Plattner, GM Doug Wilson and coach Peter DeBoer made their pitch to Tavares at Creative Artists Agency’s Los Angeles office Tuesday.
”We explore everything, every opportunity,” Wilson said Saturday after Ilya Kovalchuk chose to sign with Los Angeles. ”It’s a good thing that I think players look at our place as a place they want to consider to play.”
The Lightning, who re-signed J.T. Miller to a $26.25 million [url=http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/brian-urlacher-jersey]Brian Urlacher Bears Jersey[/url] , five-year deal, provide an attractive destination for Tavares and others after reaching the Eastern Conference final with a young core, but Tampa Bay’s salary cap space is tight.
”We would have to make room,” GM Steve Yzerman said. ”We would have to make room if we brought in a significant salary.”
Dallas could soon agree with center Tyler Seguin on a long-term contract, but has much more free cap space than Tampa Bay to use this summer. Expect GM Jim Nill to be active.
”We’ll be getting a lot of calls from players,” Nill said. ”It’s exciting just to see what’s out there.”
Tavares’ hometown Maple Leafs are the most intriguing destination because they’re a playoff team with a Stanley Cup-winning coach in Mike Babcock and young talent everywhere, from forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander to defenseman Morgan Rielly. They also have almost $25 million in salary-cap space, and GM Kyle Dubas hopes Toronto can add a substantial player in free agency.
”We’ll try to figure that out if the opportunity presents itself,” Dubas said. ”We’re confident right now with our cap situation that we can do really whatever we want to do at this point. Nothing is going to stop us or hold us back and that’s how we’ll proceed here through the entire summer.”
Here are some things to watch in free agency beyond Tavares:
WINGING IT WITH JVR
Only two unrestricted free agents scored 30 goals this past season: Tavares and Maple Leafs left wing James van Riemsdyk, who had 36 a year after recording a career-high 62 points in 2016-17. Teams don’t ordinarily let a 6-foot-3, 217-pounder such as van Riemsdyk get to July 1, but the Maple Leafs are in on Tavares, will need to give Nylander a raise as a restricted free agent and can talk extensions for Matthews and Marner this summer.
With that in mind [url=http://www.saintscheapstore.com/marcus-davenport-jersey-cheap]Cheap Marcus Davenport Jersey[/url] , van Riemsdyk could easily get a maximum-length, seven-year deal in free agency – perhaps from the New York Rangers he grew up rooting for, or the nearby Islanders or Devils. New Jersey trade acquisition Patrick Maroon and veteran Rick Nash also fit the bill for teams looking for big forwards who can fill the net.
”We’ve had great communication with Rick and his representatives,” Sweeney said of Nash, whom the Bruins traded for in February. ”The time is in his court and stage to initiate whatever talks he wants wherever he wants to go. I think he strongly indicated that Boston is a place that he would consider and as would we.”
FLAWED GOALTENDERS
The crop of available puck-stoppers has a shortage of sure-thing starters. Veterans Jaroslav Halak, Kari Lehtonen and Cam Ward have done it before, but may be at the stage of their careers that they’ll have to split time.
Late-blooming 32-year-old Carter Hutton hasn’t been a No. 1 in the NHL, but looks to have that potential after his .931 save percentage last season was the best among goalies who appeared in at least 20 games.
Teams could also take a shot on goalies who were not tendered contract offers as restricted free agents and are now to open to sign anywhere: Robin Lehner and Petr Mrazek.
DEPTH DEFENSEMEN
After John Carlson, who re-signed with the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals at $64 million over eight years, there’s a significant drop-off to rest of the available defensemen and not many out there who are particularly product
The Latest on the NFL playoffs on wild-card weekend (all times EST):
7:10 p.m.
A 14-yard touchdown pass from Carolina quarterback Cam Newton to tight end Greg Olsen has cut the Saints’ lead to 24-19 early in the fourth quarter.
It was the first Panthers TD of the game on their fifth trip inside the Saints 22-yard line.
The other four drives deep into Saints territory ended with field-goal attempts, one of which missed.
The Saints led 21-6 in the final minute of the first half, but the Panthers have since rallied to pull within less than a touchdown with more than 12 minutes to go.
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6:45 p.m.
Wil Lutz’s 57-yard field goal has given New Orleans a 24-12 lead in its NFC wild-card game against Carolina.
The Saints were threatening for more when the Panthers’ pass rush forced Saints quarterback Drew Brees to throw the ball away on third-and-5 from the Carolina 22.
Brees was called for intentional grounding, resulting in a 17-yard loss to the Carolina 39.
But Saints coach Sean Payton made the aggressive decision to try the field goal when a miss would have given the Panthers the ball near midfield with 6:05 to go in the third quarter.
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6:35 p.m.
Graham Gano’s 29-yard field goal has trimmed New Orleans’ lead over the Panthers to 21-12 early in the third quarter.
However, the possession also marked the fourth time in the game Carolina drove as far as the Saints 21-yard line [url=http://www.packerscheapstore.com/josh-jackson-jersey-cheap]Josh Jackson Youth Jersey[/url] , only to settle for a field goal attempt.
The Panthers do not have a touchdown in the game, despite gaining 254 yards.
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6:20 p.m.
The New Orleans Saints’ ability to convert in the red zone has given them a 21-9 halftime lead over the Carolina Panthers in their NFC wild-card matchup.
But the Panthers, who’ll receive the kickoff to open the second half, took some momentum into the locker room after Graham Gano narrowly made a 58-yard field-goal attempt as time expired in the second quarter.
Brees went 13 of 18 for 230 yards and two touchdowns in the half, including an 80-yard pass to Ted Ginn for the first points of the game late in the first quarter.
Brees’ other scoring pass went to tight end Josh Hill from 9 yards.
Fullback Zach Line scored on a 1-yard run in the final minute of the half, but Carolina QB Cam Newton was able to drive the Panthers to the New Orleans 40 in about 40 seconds, setting up Gano’s long field goal, which grazed the left upright.
Newton drove the Panthers inside the Saints 25 three times, but Gano pushed his first attempt wide from only 25 yards. It was an unusual miss for Gano, who went 29 of 30 during the regular season with his only miss from beyond 50 yards.
He made his next three attempts, including from 27 and 39 yards.
The Saints were unable to convert both of their third downs in the half, but had first down gains on eight straight second down plays, including four times from 10 yards.
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5:55 p.m.
Graham Gano’s 39-yard field goal has cut the Saints’ lead over the Panthers to 14-6 late in the second quarter of their NFC wild-card game.
Gano’s kick capped a 12-play 54-yard drive that included quarterback Cam Newton’s fourth-and-1 conversion on a keeper near midfield. The Panthers also converted on third-and-8 with a pass over the middle to Brenton Bersin before the drive stalled on the New Orleans 21-yard line.
The Panthers have been moving the ball, but struggling in the red zone [url=http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/baker-mayfield-jersey]Baker Mayfield Jersey[/url] , settling three times for Gano field goal attempts, the first of which sailed wide.
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5:45 p.m.
Drew Brees’ 9-yard pass to wide open tight end Josh Hill has given the New Orleans Saints a 14-3 lead in the second quarter of their NFC wild-card game against the Carolina Panthers.
Brees completed all seven of his passes on the 75-yard drive, highlighted by a 19-yard completion to Michael Thomas, who also made a sudden move after a catch along the left sideline for a 13-yard gain to set up the score.
Brees is 9 of 12 for 163 yards and two touchdowns, nearly half of that coming on an 80-yard scoring pass to Ted Ginn on the previous drive.
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5:35 p.m.
The Saints appear to have lost starting left guard Andrus Peat to a lower left leg injury.
Peat went down while blocking on a short run by Alvin Kamara with 12:38 left in the second quarter.
Saints medical staff brought out a cart to take Peat off of the field as teammates gathered around him to show their support.
The 6-foot-7, 316-pound Peat was the Saints’ first-round draft pick in 2015 out of Stanford, where he played left tackle. He has played both at guard and tackle as needed during his three-year NFL career.
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5:30 p.m.
Graham Gano’s 27-yard field goal has given the Carolina Panthers their first points of their NFC wild-card game in New Orleans.
The kick, which trimmed the Saints’ lead to 7-3 early in the second quarter, came after Carolina quarterback Cam Newton overthrew Greg Olsen near the right sideline on third down.
The Panthers got within striking distance thanks to Ken Crawley’s 39-yard pass interference penalty on Kaelin Clay, giving Carolina a first down on the Saints 13-yard line.
New Orleans’ defense held from there, however.
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5:15 p.m.
Two plays after Graham Gano surprisingly missed a 25-yard field-goal attempt for only his second miss this season, the Saints used a big play to take a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter of New Orleans’ playoff matchup with Carolina..