Rumor mill: Vladimir Tarasenko likely to sign one-year contract

Even if there aren’t many autonomous players left on the market, there are still a few good picks to be made. Of the lot, Vladimir Tarasenko is probably the most interesting, as he’s still relatively young (31) and still has some good field hockey in him.

However, the file seems rather nebulous. There were rumours that he was headed for Carolina… but in the end, he changed agents. The whole thing seems… peculiar.

And today, according to Elliotte Friedman, we can expect to see the Russian sign a one-year contract for next season. He could then gamble on himself and sign a bigger contract next summer, when the salary cap is expected to rise.

It reminds me a little of John Klingberg’s situation last year, which didn’t end well for the defenseman.

Among the teams interested, Friedman mentions the classic Senators and Hurricanes, but the Sharks would also be very interested. The Panthers and Predators are also in the mix.

Sebastian Aho is expected to sign a new contract (but when?)

Getting back to Tarasenko, the fact that the Hurricanes are on the case means they’re somewhat forced to wait for the Russian to make his decision. Once the Hurricanes know whether the forward will join them, they’ll have a better picture of their salary situation.

Among the issues still lingering is that of a contract extension for Sebastian Aho, who will be an independent player in a year’s time. According to Elliotte Friedman, it’s likely to happen (probably an eight-year pact at $9.5 million a year), but there’s no telling when.

Once again, it comes back to the Tarasenko expectation.

That said, the Erik Karlsson file (in which the Hurricanes also have their noses) isn’t helping either. The Sharks seem to be in waiting mode to see if the Hurricanes or the Penguins will finally crack and offer more.

In short, Aho’s case is being slowed down by two big NHL issues right now. Can’t wait to see if it all comes together.

William Nylander won’t sign on the cheap if he’s the only one to do so

In Toronto, there’s been a lot of talk about William Nylander and Auston Matthews since the beginning of the summer. Both will be free as a bird next summer, and the Maple Leafs clearly don’t want to lose them for nothing.

But while optimism seems high for Matthews(at $14 million a year), it’s not the case for Nylander. The player would like to be paid $10 million a year, which the Maple Leafs are unwilling to grant him.

And while rumours of this have been circulating for some time, Elliotte Friedman also reported that Nylander doesn’t want to be the only Maple Leafs player who decides to sign on the cheap. And with Mitch Marner and John Tavares already being paid handsomely and Matthews likely to join them, the Swede (who is already underpaid) is understandable.

In short, there seems to be some water in the wine in the negotiations between the Leafs and Nylander. I really wonder if the two parties can come to an agreement…

In gusto

– Tim Tebow will become co-owner of a third ECHL team.

– Great Dennis Rodman.

– Summary (in two texts) of the first round of the MLB circuit contest.