Ahead of free agency on Friday, TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

9:55pm et - The expectation is that the Blackhawks will sign Malcolm Subban over the next few days after not qualifying him, according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.

 

8:50pm et - Zemgus Girgensons signs a three-year, $6.6 million contract with the Buffalo Sabers.

6:27pm et - The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Sam Lafferty to a two-year contract.

4:00pm et - Justin Williams announced his retirement , bringing a near 20-year NHL career to an end.

 

3:46pm et - The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired right winger Cliff Pu from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenceman Markus Nutivaara.

1:04pm et - Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman announced Thursday the team will not re-sign goaltender Corey Crawford.

 

12:16pm et- The Dallas Stars could be without Tyler Seguin to start next season with the centre exploring options for possible surgery on a torn labrum in his hip.

Stars GM Jim Nill said Thursday Seguin sustained the injury during the postseason and could need four months to recover from surgery.

The Stars also removed the interim tag from Rick Bowness' title on Thursday, naming him head coach after helping the team to the Stanley Cup Final.

As for goaltender Anton Khudobin, Nill said he is expected to test the open market on Friday.

 

12:08pm et - With one day left to trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson before his self-imposed deadline, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports the Arizona Coyotes are waiting for the Boston Bruins to make their move.

Dreger adds, however, that the Bruins don't like the asking price set by the Coyotes. He notes that Vancouver also still remains an option before the Friday deadline.

Ekman-Larsson, who has a full no-move clause as part of the eight-year, $66 million extension he signed in 2018, has told the Coyotes he would only waive for one of those two teams.

 

12pm et - Alex Wennberg and Cory Schneider were both officially placed on unconditional waivers.

11:48am et -  The New Jersey Devils will place goaltender Cory Schneider on waivers Thursday for purposes of a buyout. 

The 34-year-old has two seasons remaining on his contract at a $6 million cap hit. The buyout will save the Devils $4 million in each of the next two seasons, but add a $2 million cap charge in the following two years. 

Schneider said in May he hadn't "entertained thoughts of retirement at all" and remained focused on playing out his contract and contributing to the Devils. He split time this past season between the Devils and their AHL affiliate in Binghamton. In 13 NHL games, he had a 3-6-2 record with a .887 save percentage and a 3.53 goals-against average. 

 

11:26am et - Aaron Portzline of the Athletic reports the Columbus Blue Jackets will waive Alex Wennberg for purposes of a buyout at Noon et. today.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun notes the team has been linked to Taylor Hall and could be moving out to pursue the free-agent winger.

TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Frank Seravalli reported earlier this week the Blue Jackets were heading towards a buyout for Wennberg with no takers on the trade front.

Wennberg, 26, is signed through the 2022-23 season at a $4.9 million cap hit. A buyout would save Columbus $10.7 million in real cash and result in clearing $4.46 million in cap space in each of the next three seasons. A buyout would, however, add a cap charge of $891,661 to the Blue Jackets cap in the following three years.

Wennberg had five goals and 22 points in 57 games this past season, adding three goals and five points in 10 games during the Return to Play.

 

10:48am et - Michael Russo of The Athletic reports the Minnesota Wild are close to signing Matt Bartkowski to a contract to keep him from hitting the open market on Friday.

 

10:33am et - The Detroit Red Wings reached one-year extensions for two of their restricted free agents on Thursday in Adam Erne and Taro Hirose.

Financial terms were not disclosed for either deal.

10:05am et - The Montreal Canadiens signed defenceman Noah Juulsen to a one-year, two-way contract extension on Thursday. 

Juulsen will earn $700,000 in the NHL under the new deal and $125,000 in the AHL.

 

Morning Roundup

Going to Market?

Anton Khudobin was the star of the playoffs for the Dallas Stars, but it appears he could be available on the market come Noon et on Friday.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports there has been back and forth between the Stars and Khudobin, but it sounds like the goaltender is planning to test the open market after the Stars' latest offer. He adds, however, that the door is not yet closed on a deal.

The 34-year-old recorded a .930 save percentage and 2.22 GAA in 30 appearances this past season with the Stars. With Ben Bishop injured, he made 24 starts during the Return to Play, backstopping the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final. He posted a 14-10 record with a .917 save percentage and a 2.69 GAA in the Edmonton bubble.

A seventh-round (206th overall) pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2004, Khudobin has had stints with several NHL teams, including the Wild, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks and Stars.

He is coming off a two-year, $5 million contract.


No Bad Deals

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said Wednesday that while he would like to add cap space ahead of Friday, he doesn't believe the team has any contracts they must move off their books.

"I'm not sure we would be able do that without making a poor trade," Dubas said. "We don't really have any contracts we look at and say, 'We need to get rid of this player.'"

Last year, the Maple Leafs traded a first-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes to shed Patrick Marleau's $6.25 million contract to clear space. This year, the Maple Leafs have a projected $5.41 million in cap space with restricted free agents Ilya Mikheyev and Travis Dermott in need of new deals.

As far as the team's plans for upgrading this off-season, Dubas said he entered the week with two goals.

"We're looking to become a harder group to play against particularly in the lower end of our forward group and we're looking to improve ourselves on defence," Dubas said Wednesday.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun noted earlier this week the Maple Leafs may have interest in free agent winger Wayne Simmonds.


Latest on Markstrom

LeBrun joined 7-Eleven That's Hockey on Wednesday to update the Vancouver Canucks' situation with starter Jacob Markstrom. He reports the Canucks are still working to get a deal done, but will face competition from the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames if Markstrom hits the open market on Friday.

LeBrun also weighed in on the Oilers' interest in Tyson Barrie as his deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs expires and the Nashville Predators plans for Taylor Hall.