NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2022

by | Oct 1, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2022

Notable highlights from Friday’s preseason play, Canadiens’ rookie Juraj Slafkovsky’s underwhelming preseason play, Flyers goaltender Carter Hart says he’ll be ready for his club’s season-opener, plus the latest injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Matt Duchene scored twice in a five-point performance to lead the Nashville Predators to a 7-1 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Lightning in preseason action on Friday. Tanner Jeannot had four points (including two goals) while Filip Forsberg collected three assists.

Nashville Predators center Matt Duchene (NHL Images).

San Jose Sharks hopeful Danil Gushchin tallied a hat trick in a 7-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Jack Eichel scored two goals for the Golden Knights. Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen was stretchered from the ice after crashing into the end boards. He was taken to a hospital for observation and was said to have full movement of his extremities and was fully conscious and alert.

Speaking of the Ducks, sophomore center Trevor Zegras will undergo more medical tests after suffering an upper-body injury in a preseason game on Wednesday.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson scored twice and added an assist as his club downed the Ottawa Senators 6-3.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes called Juraj Slafkovsky’s performance in his first two NHL preseason contests “a little underwhelming”. Hughes said the club would do what was best to help the 2022 first-overall pick to improve. He didn’t rule out having the 18-year-old winger start the season with their AHL affiliate in Laval.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Internet trolls and panicky Canadiens fans are already calling Slafkovsky a bust. Sensible hockey fans understand it’s far too early for that kind of assessment.

The young Slovak is trying to adjust to a different style of game on a smaller ice surface. Some players can adjust quickly while others need more time.

The worst thing the Canadiens can do is try to push Slafkovsky into their lineup before he’s ready. If he needs a season in the AHL to adjust to the North American game then so be it. If he’s not NHL-ready yet he shouldn’t be on their roster this season simply because he’s a first-overall draft pick.

Slafkovsky could become a superstar. He could become a bust. He could become something in-between. It’s ridiculous to write him off after just two meaningless preseason contests.

Speaking of the Canadiens, winger Josh Anderson explained the upper-body injury that sidelined him since the start of training camp was a spider bite on his hand that got infected.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wasn’t a radioactive spider so he won’t turn into the NHL’s version of Spiderman. Anderson is expected to return to their lineup before the end of their preseason schedule.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Carter Hart will miss the Flyers’ first four preseason games. However, the 24-year-old goaltender said he expected to be ready for the club’s season opener on Oct. 13 against the New Jersey Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers will need a healthy Hart at his best if they hope to reach the playoffs this season. They’re already missing Ryan Ellis from their blueline for the season while center Sean Couturier will miss the start of the schedule with an upper-body injury.

THE DETROIT NEWS: Andrew Copp hopes to make his debut with the Red Wings in their season-opener on Oct. 14. The versatile 28-year-old forward signed with the Wings as a free agent but is still recovering from offseason abdominal surgery.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs defenseman Carl Dahlstrom requires shoulder surgery that will sideline him for six months. Blueliner Jordie Benn will be out for three weeks with a groin strain.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars forward Ty Dellandrea will miss the next two-three weeks with a broken finger.

SPORTSNET: Los Angeles Kings forward Jacob Doty received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for interference on Sharks forward Jeffrey Viel in a recent preseason game.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed Scott Harrington to a one-year, two-way contract. The 29-year-old defenseman earned the job while on a professional tryout offer.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes claimed goaltender Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2022

by | Sep 30, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2022

Several clubs are reportedly interested in Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, the Panthers goalie situation could be worth monitoring plus the latest on the Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST CHYCHRUN SPECULATION

TSN: Darren Dreger reports interest in Jakob Chychrun by several clubs is growing as the regular season approaches. The 24-year-old defenseman recently confirmed he requested a trade from the Arizona Coyotes.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

Dreger said the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets are among the interested parties. However, there are salary-cap hurdles for some of those clubs to overcome.

The Coyotes have reportedly softened their asking price a bit but they still want a first-round pick and a prospect involved in all this. They still intend to be patient.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs and Oilers are currently sitting above the $82.5 million salary cap for the coming season. Meanwhile, the Kings and Blues have less than $1 million in cap room and the Blues Jackets less than $1.5 million.

Those clubs cannot afford Chychrun’s $4.6 million salary-cap hit unless it’s a one-for-one swap, a three-team trade to spread the cap hit around or those clubs make a cost-cutting deal to create cap space for him.

The Senators are the only team who can comfortably absorb Chychrun’s contract. They were reportedly interested in him during the offseason but nothing came of it due to the Coyotes’ high asking price. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently observed, Chychrun’s injury history could also be an issue as clubs could be unwilling to part with too much only to discover he could be damaged goods.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford included acquiring Chychrun among the Blues’ defensive options to address their already injury-depleted blueline. He observed the Blues are monitoring the situation but wondered if they can find a way to fit Chychrun within their limited cap constraints.

BALLY SPORTS MIDWEST’s Andy Strickland recently tweeted that there hasn’t been any serious dialogue between the Blues and Coyotes regarding Chychrun.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t rule out the possibility of Blues general manager Doug Armstrong swinging a deal for Chychrun. However, that move could come much later in the season depending on whether he can free up sufficient cap space.

MORE TIDBITS FROM TSN’S “INSIDER TRADING.”

Asked if a goaltender could become available in Florida, Pierre LeBrun doubts it’ll happen this season. However, their recent re-signing of Spencer Knight combined with Sergei Bobrovsky’s $10 million annual cap hit gives them the NHL’s highest-paid goalie tandem at $14.5 million.

One reason the Panthers signed Knight to a three-year extension now is they were concerned about losing him next summer to an offer sheet. LeBrun also pointed out that big contracts for veteran goalies like Bobrovsky rarely age well. He believes it’ll be interesting to see how this situation unfolds over the next two or three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knight is the Panthers’ goalie of the future unless his career is adversely affected by injury or loss of confidence. That could set the stage for a Bobrovsky trade down the road.

Moving Bobrovsky won’t be easy. In addition to that hefty cap hit, he’s got a full no-movement clause through 2023-24 followed by a 16-team no-trade list after that for the final two years of his deal. The Panthers could be stuck with him unless they retain half of his cap hit or he ends up on permanent long-term injury reserve.

Dreger reports the Toronto Maple Leafs were calling around inquiring with other teams about defensemen in training camp on professional tryout offers. He believes they’re still trying to upgrade their blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There might not be as much concern on the Leafs’ part now that Rasmus Sandin is under contract. Still, they could keep an eye on defensemen released from their PTOs or monitor the waiver wire to see who becomes available.

Fitting in another one on an affordable deal could be tough. They’re already sitting over the cap and will have to get creative to get under the $82.5 million ceiling by the start of the upcoming season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 30, 2022

by | Sep 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 30, 2022

The Leafs sign Rasmus Sandin and could try Mitch Marner on defense, Devils captain Nico Hischier suffers a hamstring injury, an update on MacKenzie Weegar’s contract talks with the Flames, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs signed Rasmus Sandin to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.4 million. His deal is similar to that of teammate Timothy Liljegren. The 22-year-old defenseman missed the start of training camp due to his contract negotiations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sandin camp reportedly reached out to Leafs management to expedite this situation as injuries have already sidelined blueliners Liljegren, Jake Muzzin, Jordie Benn and Carl Dahlstrom.

Cap Friendly indicates this signing puts the Leafs over the $82.5 million salary cap by $2.89 million but they can garner some temporary relief by placing Liljegren on long-term injury reserve and demoting another player. Sooner or later, however, they could be forced to make a cost-cutting trade.

SPORTSNET: With their defense corps already depleted by injuries, the Leafs are considering having All-Star winger Mitch Marner take some shifts on the blue line. The 25-year-old right winger is among the NHL’s best defensive forwards.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall-of-Fame forwards Bob Gainey and Sergei Fedorov also used to sometimes play defense in certain circumstances. It might not be a bad idea to experiment with Marner on defense during preseason play to see how he fares in that role until their blueline is healthy again.

NJ.COM: New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier suffered a hamstring injury in preseason play and will be re-evaluated in 10 days.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hischier has been hampered by injuries for most of his young NHL career. The 23-year-old center is coming off a career-best 60-point performance in 70 games last season.

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reports MacKenzie Weegar and his agent are pushing to get a contract extension done with the Calgary Flames before the start of the upcoming regular season. Acquired from the Florida Panthers in July, the 28-year-old defenseman netted a career-best 44 points last season and is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francis expects Weegar could earn more than $6.5 million annually if he hits the open market on July 1. Both sides reportedly remain optimistic so there’s a chance an agreement could be hammered out before the Flames open their season on Oct. 13.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks are still awaiting word as to the severity of Trevor Zegras’ upper-body injury. The 21-year-old sophomore center left Wednesday’s preseason game against the Arizona Coyotes after receiving a thunderous bodycheck by Jan Jenik.

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reports Minnesota Wild forward Tyson Jost admitted he found it difficult watching the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup this year. Jost, 24, spent nearly six seasons with the Avs until he was traded to the Wild before last season’s trade deadline.

“It was just tough to watch, and now you’ve got to live with that,” he said, crediting his mother for helping him through that emotional time. He also deleted his Instagram account for a time after several Avs fans trolled him by leaving him messages saying their club wouldn’t have won the Cup if he’d still been with them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’re so used to players saying how happy they are for their former teammates when they win the Cup. That feeling may be sincere but some of it could also be for public consumption. Privately, it has to affect them in some way to have missed out on winning hockey’s holy grail.

Jost doesn’t have any ill will toward the Avalanche. He’s also in a good position to play a larger role with a promising team in Minnesota than he did in Colorado. Maybe he’ll get his opportunity to win the Cup with the Wild.

TSN: Los Angeles Kings forward Jacob Doty will have a hearing on Friday with the NHL department of player safety for interference on San Jose Sharks forward Jeffrey Viel. The incident occurred during a preseason game on Wednesday.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars forward Ty Dellandrea broke a bone at the tip of one of his fingers after blocking a shot during Thursday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild. He’s expected to be sidelined for two-three weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 29, 2022

by | Sep 29, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 29, 2022

A look at some notable news from Wednesday’s preseason games, the Czechia government will allow Russian players on the Sharks and Predators into the country, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: New Calgary Flames Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar each had points in a 4-0 blanking of the Edmonton Oilers in preseason competition.

Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras (NHL Images).

Anaheim Ducks young star Trevor Zegras suffered an upper-body injury in a 3-1 preseason win over the Arizona Coyotes. The 21-year-old sophomore center was hit by Coyotes forward Jan Jenik during the second period. New Ducks defenseman John Klingberg also left the game but head coach Dallas Eakin said it wasn’t injury-related.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No update on Zegras’ condition following the game. Hopefully, there will be more details today.

Matt Murray turned in a 16-save shutout for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they blanked the Montreal Canadiens 3-0. It was a costly win for the Leafs as defensemen Jordie Benn and Carl Dahlstrom left the game with injuries. In a pre-game ceremony, the Leafs and Canadiens honored members of the 1972 Team Canada squad on the 50th anniversary of its thrilling Summit Series win over the Soviet Union.

Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev gave up six goals on 18 shots as the Colorado Avalanche were thumped by the Vegas Golden Knights 7-1. Georgiev was acquired by the Avs during the offseason.

Washington Capitals forward Dylan Strome scored twice in a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Strome signed with the Capitals as a free agent this summer.

THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline tweeted that Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger skated yesterday in a no-contact jersey during practice. It’s his first time on the ice since suffering an upper-body injury on the first day of training camp. 

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jack Studnicka faces a now-or-never scenario to become a Bruins’ regular. Chosen by the Bruins in the second round of the 2017 draft, the 23-year-old center has spent the past three seasons bouncing between the big club and their AHL affiliate in Providence.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The government of Czechia will allow the Sharks and Nashville Predators to bring their Russian players to Prague to participate in the two-game NHL Global Series on Oct. 7 and 8. Czechia has banned Russian athletics in a show of solidarity with Ukraine. The players will be allowed to participate on short-term visas.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Before going on to a career in hockey, Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft was a child actor who appeared in the Canadian TV show The Littlest Hobo and had a bit part in the movie Separate Vacations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Woodcroft was also named the NHL’s most handsome coach. Perhaps Hollywood or a career as a male model beckons if this coaching gig doesn’t pan out…










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2022

by | Sep 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2022

Kyle Dubas faces an uncertain future as Leafs GM plus the latest on Auston Matthews David Pastrnak, Jason Robertson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas will not be receiving a contract extension this season. Michael Traikos speculates the decision could be a wait-and-see approach by his bosses after the Leafs failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs. He also suggested it could be because Dubas didn’t bring in a true No.1 goaltender or upgrade the defense during the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas downplayed the notion that this could be a make-or-break season for him, but there’s really no other way to look at it. For most of the past four seasons, the Leafs were among the top teams during the regular season but never staged a deep playoff run. Another early playoff exit (or worse) probably spells the end of Dubas’ tenure as Leafs general manager.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas (NHL.com)

Speaking of the Leafs, Auston Matthews has two years remaining on his contract but that’s already sparking concern that he might depart Toronto as a free agent. Matthews told reporters he loves the city and considers it like home but won’t be entertaining any further questions about his contract. “There’s nothing that can be done for two more years,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: His critics will likely take him to task for not saying he would look forward to opening contract talks as soon as possible. However, he’s absolutely right that they can’t do anything about it now. The earliest Matthews and the Leafs can start contract extension discussions is July 1, 2023, so it’s pointless to badger him or Dubas about it during this season.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins GM Don Sweeney said he will continue to hold discussions with David Pastrnak’s representatives in hope of reaching an agreement on a contract extension. The 26-year-old right winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Pastrnak could start the coming season without an extension in place.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney was asked if Pastrnak might sign a team-friendly deal as some claim Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci did at Pastrnak’s age. He indicated that those players signed for what was market value at the time. Rising salaries during the course of their contracts made them seem like bargains over time.

In other words, Pastrnak’s camp will seek market value that could exceed $9.5 million annually based on his performance in the upcoming season. That could explain why the two sides haven’t reached an agreement on an extension yet.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Jason Robertson is expected to miss the start of the Stars’ training camp today. The 23-year-old winger was their leading goal scorer last season but remains an unsigned restricted free agent. GM Jim Nill said negotiations have been ongoing and he’s hoping an agreement can be reached as soon as possible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Stars have $6.3 million in cap space and could reportedly have $7-$8 million in salary-cap space for this season depending on their roster makeup. The Robertson camp could be angling for an expensive new deal but their client is coming off his entry-level contract.

Robertson’s only leverage is to refuse to report to training camp (and perhaps miss the start of the season) but that won’t do either side any good. The sooner Robertson’s in camp, the more effective he’ll be to their roster. The longer he holds out, the longer it’ll take for him to regain his form and that could hurt their production this season.

Speaking of the Stars, Ben Bishop’s front-office role will have to wait until next season. His career was ended by chronic knee injuries but he didn’t retire as he had a year remaining on his contract. The Stars traded that contract to the Buffalo Sabres in June to remove it from their books for this season. However, the league has informed the Stars it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to work for them while he’s still being paid by Buffalo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers raised the point that the NHL had no issue with permanently sidelined Chris Pronger working for their department of player safety while he was still under contract with the Arizona Coyotes.

Maybe the league realized its mistake with Pronger and didn’t want the Stars to repeat it with Bishop. Perhaps it’s a different story if a player is working for the department of player safety while still under contract with another club despite the potential for a conflict of interest.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres announced general manager Kevyn Adams has agreed to a multi-year contract extension. In a statement, team owner Terry Pegula praised Adams’ work over the past two seasons and believes the club is heading in the right direction.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams’ lack of management experience raised questions over his suitability for the job when he was hired two years ago. Over that time, however, he’s made some good selections in the draft (including promising defenseman Owen Power) and got a solid return from the Vegas Golden Knights (including Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs) in the Jack Eichel trade. The Sabres also showed promising signs of improvement last season.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning center Brayden Point is “fully healthy” after recovering from a torn quad muscle suffered during the opening round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Copp is still recovering from off-season abdominal surgery and won’t be available until the start of the regular season. The versatile 28-year-old forward signed a five-year contract with the Red Wings in July.

THE ATHLETIC: Nicolas Hague isn’t expected to join his Vegas Golden Knights teammates when training camp opens for them today. The 23-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. His agent, Murray Koontz, remains hopeful of getting a deal done with the Golden Knights but they’re not at that point yet.

CALGARY SUN: Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington (personal matter) and winger Andrew Mangiapane (undisclosed injury) will miss the start of training camp today.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed Adam Ruzicka to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $762K. It’s a two-way deal for this season and a one-way for 2023-24. Meanwhile, Brett Ritchie inked a one-year, $750K deal.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers restricted free agent Ryan McLeod remains without a contract but is expected to join his teammates for the start of training camp today. Management hopes to trade away some salary to clear up cap space to sign McLeod to a new deal.

The Oilers also announced defenseman Slater Koekkoek remains at home as he continues to work on improving his mental health.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Islanders signed UFAs Cory Schneider and Nikita Soshnikov and RFA Parker Wotherspoon to one-year contracts.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 21, 2022

by | Sep 21, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 21, 2022

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the latest Oilers speculation, the Canucks could be in the market for a defenseman, and the latest on Jakob Chychrun.

OILERS

OILERS NOW: (stick tap to “Editor in J”), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported there’s no shortage of teams who have reached out to the Chicago Blackhawks about Patrick Kane. Those clubs include the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t doubt that there are teams curious about Kane’s future. The 33-year-old right winger remains among the NHL’s elite scorers. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July and might not be keen to stick around for a long rebuilding process.

Kane’s contract, however, remains a serious stumbling block toward any potential trade. He’s got a full no-movement clause giving him complete control over whether he’ll accept a trade and potential destinations.

The other issue is Kane’s average annual salary. His cap hit is $10.5 million but he earns $6.9 million in actual salary, of which $4 million was paid as a signing bonus in July. Nevertheless, that cap hit will be difficult to move unless the Blackhawks retain half of it. For cap-strapped teams like the Oilers and Leafs, that could also mean getting a third team involved to make the cap hit more palatable.

Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (NHL Images).

In other words, the Oilers can inquire about Kane but it will take quite an effort on their part to acquire him, assuming he’ll accept a trade to Edmonton.

Seravalli also said he wouldn’t close the door on the Oilers trading Jesse Puljujarvi before the regular season opens next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers need to clear cap space to sign restricted free agent forward Ryan McLeod. If the Oilers sign McLeod now, they are allowed to be over the cap during training camp but must become cap compliant when the season opens next month.

That’s made Puljujarvi fodder for trade speculation. The 24-year-old winger agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract in July.

There is no indication from any insiders if he’s drawn much interest in the trade market. That could change as teams evaluate their roster needs during training camp.

JAKOB CHYCHRUN

GOPHNX.COM: “How will the (Arizona) Coyotes manage the Jakob Chychrun situation?” is among 10 questions Craig Morgan believes the club faces entering training camp. The 24-year-old defenseman made clear his displeasure over the club’s ongoing rebuild at the end of last season, fueling speculation of an offseason trade. However, he remains a Coyote.

Chychrun is expected to speak to the media on Wednesday. He’s still rehabbing a wrist injury and isn’t ready yet to return to the ice. Head coach Andre Tourigny said he has a really good relationship with Chychrun and looks forward to working and talking with him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun was the subject of trade speculation since last December. It shows no sign of abating. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch claims the Coyotes blueliner remains on the Senators’ radar.

As always, the sticking point is the Coyotes’ asking price. Speculation has varied depending on the reporter but it’s believed they want a return heavy on futures including at least a first-round pick and a top prospect or good young player.

There’s no indication that Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong intends to reduce his price. He’s not in any rush to move Chychrun, who’s signed through 2024-25.

CANUCKS

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance recently reported Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin believes his team has sufficient cap space, roster spots and contract slots to add a player to add to their current group of players.

SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre reported Allvin indicated nothing really materialized over the summer regarding a trade to bolster the Canucks blueline. If something comes along that makes the team better, he’d be open to that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks invited former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser to training camp on a professional tryout offer on Sept. 9. Perhaps he’d earn a roster spot.

Veteran blueliner Anton Stralman remains in the unrestricted free agent market. Allvin could also keep an eye on the preseason waiver wire.