Connor Bedard on Contract Talks
Chicago Blackhawks pending RFA Connor Bedard has stated that he hasn’t given his contract negotiations any thought this season. He expressed his desire to remain with the Blackhawks and is confident that an agreement will be reached soon, without any cause for concern if it takes another month.
Minnesota Wild Goaltender Could Be on the Move
The Minnesota Wild have permitted AHL goaltender Samuel Hlavaj to return to Slovakia to join his National Team. Hlavaj, a pending RFA, reportedly has a feeling he might be playing for a different organization next season.
Auston Matthews Likely to Stay in Toronto, Pending Organizational Plan
Chris Johnston of TSN believes that Auston Matthews desires to continue his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, viewing the past season as an anomaly and anticipating the team’s competitiveness next year. However, while Matthews hasn’t explicitly committed to staying in Toronto indefinitely, he is expected to take his time to assess the organization’s front office, new hires, and overall strategy. There are suggestions that his intentions might have been misinterpreted elsewhere. Matthews is currently rehabbing his knee injury in Arizona after undergoing surgery.
Darren Dreger adds that a core group of Maple Leafs players are confident in the team’s ability to rebound quickly. They believe that acquiring a few forwards with grit and intensity, along with two puck-moving defensemen, could make them highly competitive next season. However, it will also be crucial for top players like Matthews and William Nylander to perform at a higher level than they did this past season.
English Translation:
Connor Bedard on Contract Talks
Chicago Blackhawks pending RFA Connor Bedard stated, “Honestly, I haven’t thought about it once this year. I know I want to be here. We’ll get it done soon. I don’t think, if it’s not done in a month, there’s any worry.”
One Minnesota Wild Organization Goaltender Could Be on the Move
The Minnesota Wild allowed AHL goaltender Samuel Hlavaj to return to Slovakia to join their National Team. Hlavaj is a pending RFA, and he has a feeling that he’ll be joining another organization next year.
Auston Matthews Most Likely Wants to Stay in Toronto, but He’ll Want to Know What the Plan Is
Chris Johnston believes that Auston Matthews wants to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, viewing the past season as an anomaly and anticipating the team’s competitiveness next year. Johnston stated, “Of course, he didn’t come out and say outright, ‘I will be a Leaf, I want to be a Leaf, I’ll be here forever no matter what.’ I think Matthews, rightfully, is going to take his time to basically evaluate and see what happens at the top of the organization with the front office, what hirings are made, and what the plan is. But I do think it’s been maybe taken and twisted a little bit too much elsewhere in terms of his intentions, because at this point, he’s headed back to Arizona. He’s rehabbing his knee injury after that hit from Radko Gudas and the subsequent surgery.”
Darren Dreger adds that the nucleus of the Leafs players believe that they can quickly turn things around. He said, “They think with the addition of a couple of forwards, guys with bite, some dogs who are willing to drag the group into the fight, and more importantly, some puck-moving defencemen – two would be great – added to the blue line that they can get real competitive real fast in time for next season. But they’re also going to need Matthews, William Nylander, and their top players to be better, obviously, than they were this season.”
