The hockey world can collectively exhale now that The Decision Pt. 2: Johnny Oduya Edition is over.
With Oduya headed to the Dallas Stars, the top free agent defensemen on the market become Cody Franson and Christian Ehrhoff. Both have their respective question marks, but could still serve as reliable second pairing defensemen on good teams. Keep an eye on the Blue Jackets, Bruins and Sabres who remain keen to add a blueliner or two. Edmonton would like to add another top defensemen but would have to trade or buy out at least one of their current ones, such as Nikita Nikitin or Andrew Ference. The Penguins are a team that would like to fill the void left by the departures of Martin and Ehrhoff.
QUICK HITS
- Jiri Tlusty remains one of the top free agent forwards on the market. Carolina, Winnipeg, Florida, Montreal and Toronto have kicked tires.
- The Washington Capitals and Braden Holtby continue to close in on a contract extension. It's believed the two sides are around a million dollars apart. It looks as though they'll settle around 6 million per or slightly less on a long term contract. Should get done within a week.
- The LA Kings are hoping to trade depth goalie JF Berube before training camp.
- Don't forget that a decent offensive defenseman is still out there on the market: 39 year old Marek Zidlicky. Despite his senior status, Zidlicky would be a solid backup option for teams that strike out on Franson and Ehrhoff.
RUMOUR BOARD
Lots of new teams added as contenders for the top remaining UFAs.
A few new names have landed on the Rumour Board, some of which may surprise you. Andrew Shaw surprising enough?
If you enjoyed this post, follow @NHLRumourReport on Twitter and like us on Facebook for more NHL rumour updates!