Dan’s Daily Links: Latest on Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, and Arbitration Players

Hopefully, you enjoyed the Fourth of July. The hockey world is winding down, free agency is wrapping up, and teams are gearing up for arbitration battles later this month. The Ottawa Senators are not repeating the mistakes of the New York Islanders and will get something for their franchise cornerstone, Erik Karlsson. Senators GM Pierre Dorion has given other teams permission to negotiate a contract with Karlsson in hopes of increasing his return.

But…the Bobby Ryan rider.

Here is the latest on the Karlsson situation (TSN).

Dallas is chasing Karlsson, but the price is going to hurt (Dallas News).

The Lightning could also be in the mix (The Athletic. Subscription required).

Something is afoot in Montreal but it may not be a trade. Multiple stories appeared in the Montreal media advocating a contract extension for Max Pacioretty, instead of a trade. Including from Pat Hickey (Montreal Gazette).

Sportsnet looks at the great free agency shuffle and how big names will fit with their new teams. Included in the analysis are the St. Louis Blues who are all in with Ryan O’Reilly and Tyler Bozak (Sportsnet).

Penguins defenseman Jamie Oleksiak is eligible for arbitration. The Penguins like many teams around the league will be, if they have not already, turning their attention to their RFAs. The Hockey News examines the top 10 arbitration eligible players. If there are more trades to come, teams which are too far apart with their RFA or fear they could be hit with a large salary are the most likely to shuffle the deck.

Here are the top 10 arbitration players (The Hockey News).

If you missed it before the holiday, PHN did a point-counterpoint about the Penguins offseason. Matt Gajtka thinks the Pens are treading water, while I think the Penguins are a better team.