Off-Season Countdown: Bolts still pushing to retain Palat

With the NHL Draft in the rear view mirror and free agency just around the corner on July 13, TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

Not going down without a fight?

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported Friday night that it appeared forward Ondrej Palat was headed to the open market next week.

But it also appears the Tampa Bay Lightning haven't given up hope.

LeBrun tweeted Saturday the Bolts are trying to keep the 31-year-old winger and are expected to extend him another offer.

A steady point producer who has spent his entire 10-year career in Tampa, Palat just finished up a five-year, $26.5 million deal and is currently scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent as of Wednesday.

Palat had 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points in 77 games for the Lightning during the regular season and added 11 goals and 21 points in 23 postseason games.

Impasse in the Steel City?

Stalled negotiations between Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins have cast doubt on a return to the Pens in the 35-year-old Russian's mind, according to The Athletic's Rob Rossi.

“Do they want me?” Malkin, a pending unrestricted free agent, wrote in a text to The Athletic.

Rossi reports Penguins general manager Ron Hextall is hoping to make a trade to clear out cap room to be able to more comfortably negotiate with Malkin, who has spent his entire 16-year NHL career in the Steel City. Rossi adds the two sides remain far apart, though they did plan to re-engage following the NHL Draft, which concluded Friday in Montreal.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun weighed in on Malkin's situation in Friday's edition of Insider Trading.

"All things being equal, he wants to stay a Penguin. We saw his tweet to Kris Letang when he signed his six-year extension here during the draft. And it sounds like there's been at least some modest progress towards the deal, but they're not there yet. And really, it comes down to term. I think if the Penguins go to four years, and something in the neighbourhood of $7 million a year that gets his deal done. (I) think they've been stuck at three to this point in time. But you know, with a couple of days out until free agency, there's at least a small glimmer of hope on the horizon that there's a path or contract to be done," LeBrun said. 

The 35-year-old sustained the second major knee injury of his career of his career in 2021 and played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the advice of those closest to him. The Penguins were defeated in six games by the New York Islanders and Malkin spent the summer recovering. His rehab took him into January and Malkin finished the season with 20 goals and 22 assists in 41 games, though Pittsburgh was unable to advance past the first round for the fourth consecutive season.

Rossi reports Malkin believes the next deal he signs will be his last NHL contract. Malkin is coming off an eight-year, $76 million extension he signed with the club in July of 2013.

Sticking around?

The Colorado Avalanche and forward Valeri Nichushkin are getting close to reaching an extension, according to Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now.

Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest also reported a new pact between the two sides was close.

Dater adds he believes it will be a long-term deal for the 27-year-old, who is in the final year of a two-year, $5 million contract and can become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday if no extension is reached.

A native of Chelyabinsk, Russia, Nichushkin broke out in a big way for the Stanley Cup-winning Avs last season, recording a career-best 25 goals and 27 assists during the regular season. He continued his elite play in the postseason, tallying nine goals and six assists for 15 points in 20 games.