NHL Rumor Update: June 30th, 2011

NHL Rumor Update: June 30th, 2011

Erik Cole Headed To Free Agency
According to Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford, Erik Cole's negotiations with Carolina are not going well. It looks as though Cole will become a free agent tomorrow. He will be an attractive option for NHL teams looking for a veteran top-six forward. 


Jaime Langenbrunner Also Headed To Free Agency
Similar to Cole's situation, negotiations between Jaime Langenbrunner and the Dallas Stars seemed to have hit a wall. It looks as though he will be a free agent tomorrow as well. 


Booth On The Block?
There have been rumors running rampant for weeks surrounding the Florida Panthers. Today, the talk is surrounding the Panthers forward, David Booth, who is supposedly being shopped. He is receiving a lot of interest. 


Max Talbot Getting A Lot Of Interest
Max Talbot is garnering a ton of interest and according to Nick Kypreos there are three teams who seem to be the most hard after him. The Leafs, who are rumored to be the most interested, the Blackhawks, and the Sharks are the three, and most likely they will have a bit of a bidding war over him. Talbot is asking for a long-term deal, something around 4 years or so. Money-wise, he is rumored to want $2 Million per season which would be almost double his current salary. 


Blackhawks Will Be Active
The Blackhawks are looking to fill some needs tomorrow and going forward in free agency. According to various sources, they are very interested in adding Jan Hejda to their back-end and are willing to give him a big raise from the $2 Million the Blue Jackets were paying him. Along with Hejda, they also have a handful of players that they are going to target. Two players that are very high on their list are Mike Rupp and Matt Bradley. They have decided that its imperative for them to add a bottom-six forward with some grit and toughness. They are also looking to add some size. 


Jason Arnott Will Be A Free-Agent
Jason Arnott is most likely headed to free agency. It will be very interesting to see what type of offers he gets as he is starting to get up there in age. I wouldn't be against the Islanders taking him on as a top-six, veteran type forward. 


Bergenheim Not Returning To Tampa
Sean Bergenheim's agent recently said in an interview that he "doesn't see it happening", referring to his client playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning next season. He will be a UFA tomorrow and he should receive a decent amount of interest, but I don't think teams will be beating down his door.