Sports

There was a report that Bryzgalov's agent, Ritch Winter, had been told by the Flyers that the Russian goalie would not be bought out by the team, but that appears to be false. GM Paul Holmgren told CSN: "I didn't assure Ritch Winter of anything. When the time comes to do our business we will do whatever is best for our hockey team." Philadelphia is currently in the hunt for another goaltender and if they manage to bring in someone else then Bryzgalov will probably be bought out. However, it's also possible that he will share the crease with Steve Mason in 2013-14.

If he agrees to taking an annual salary of around $6 million with a limited-movement clause then it's reasonable to believe that he will stay in Pittsburgh. However, it is being speculated that Letang is seeking around $7 million per season and a no-movement clause, which could land him elsewhere. It didn't take Penguins GM Ray Shero long to deal Jordan Staal after he rejected the club's 10-year contract and Letang might receive similar treatment. Pittsburgh also has a handful of blueline prospects who aren't far away from being NHLers, so that could soften the blow of losing Letang. Trade talks for Letang could heat up a the general managers' meeting on Wednesday.

The news is a bit surprising considering all indications were pointing towards both Daniel Briere and Bryz being bought out. The Flyers followed through with their decision on Briere, but apparently are leaning towards keeping their much-maligned goaltender. However, there is some reason to be skeptical, as Holmgren also assured Jeff Carter's agent back in 2011 that he wouldn't be traded, only to find Carter on a plane to L.A. a week later. Moreover, with news today that the Flyers are targeting Jonathan Bernier in a trade, Bryz's future in Philly is still up in the air.

"If we do pick first, we're leaning more toward one of those three forwards," Sakic said. ""We feel those three forwards are just too good to pass up." This comes as a huge shock, as most had pegged Jones to the Avs with the top selection for a number of reasons, including his prior relationship with Sakic and the Avs organization. Whether Sakic is setting up a smokescreen is unclear, but if the Avs do decide to pass on Jones, they will select either Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, or Alexander Barkov, with MacKinnon the likely pick despite already holding a surplus of talent at the center position.

Couture and the Sharks announced the agreement early Tuesday morning. The contract, which starts with the 2014-15 season, can't be officially signed until free agency opens July 5. It's a well-deserved raise for the 24-year-old Couture, who scored 21 goals and 37 points in 48 regular-season games and then added five goals and 11 points in 11 postseason contests.

According to Datsyuk's agent, Gary Greenstein, the deal is worth $22.5 million and the annual average cap hit will be $7.5 million. Datsyuk will get $10 million in 2014-15, $7.5 million in 2015-16 and $5.5 million in 2016-17. The agreement follows a report from FOX Sports Detroit on Monday night that the two sides were close to a deal pending a meeting between Greenstein and GM Ken Holland on Tuesday. The contract will carry Datsyuk until he is nearly 39 years old and essentially means Datsyuk will retire as a Red Wing.

The Kings drafted Bernier in the first round in 2006 with the intention of making him their franchise goalie, but the development of Jonathan Quick has made Bernier, a pending RFA, expendable. The Flyers have been linked to Bernier before and are currently in the midst of another goalie crisis. As of now, the team plans to have Ilya Bryzgalov and Steve Mason battle for the job, but Bryzgalov appears destined for a buyout. In that scenario, acquiring Bernier and having him battle Mason would make a lot of sense. The Kings have reportedly mentioned young forwards Sean Couturier and Matt Read in talks with the Flyers, which could be a hefty price for Philly to pay.