—Every day Canucks star Elias Pettersson goes without re-signing adds another layer of anxiety to fans on the west coast. Some suggest to me the latest offer on the table could fetch the 25-year-old as high as $96 million (U.S.) on an eight-year deal.
—With Dallas acquiring defenceman Chris Tanev from Calgary on Wednesday and only retaining 50 per cent of his salary, look for the Stars to aggressively pursue another defenceman before the March 8 deadline.
—
Meanwhile, Boston seems to be pushing hard for another Flames defenceman: Noah Hanifin. He is far and away the most natural fit as a Massachusetts native and former Boston College star. Calgary is looking for three significant pieces from the Bruins for the pending UFA defenceman. It’s highly unlikely the Bruins will even need to pay the $7.5-million annual salary he turned down from the Flames to extend him.
—Is the goalie market shrinking? The short answer is yes. With the New Jersey Devils well out of a playoff spot and talk that Marc-Andre Fleury, John Gibson and Juuse Saros are unlikely to be moved by the deadline, it seems a team such as the Kings is less willing to blow the doors off Calgary to pay for Jacob Markström.