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Sens inquired about Coyotes’ third overall selection

Bryan Murray

Bryan Murray

AP

With the NHL Draft just days away now trade talk between teams is picking up.

Arizona Coyotes’ GM Don Maloney holds the third overall pick at Friday’s draft and hasn’t closed the door on dealing the selection for the right price.

Bryan Murray told reporters in Vegas on Tuesday that he had conversations with Maloney about the pick.

“I always ask the question, but I don’t think that pick in particular is in play at this point for us,” Murray said. “I think where we’re picking back at 18, that would be hard for him to move that far no matter what price I paid, but we have to ask the question anyway.”

Murray is currently in the process of trying to unload either Craig Anderson or Robin Lehner. The Sens’ general manager said Lehner is getting the most attention at this point.

“People look at the price and maybe look at other things, but Robin Lehner is a hell of a goaltender,” said Murray. “He’s going to perform given a chance, whether it be him getting the chance right away either with us or another team, he’s going to be a good goaltender.”

Lehner is considered to be more attractive than Anderson based on cap hit. The 23-year-old has two years remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $2.225 million while Anderson has three years remaining at a cap it of $4.2 million.

“There’s going to be a couple moves. I think there’s three goaltenders really in play at the moment and there are a couple teams that are looking so what will happen based on that, I don’t know,” Murray said. “I think we should be the first choice.

“I think we’ve got the best guy. That’s my feeling and I’m very strong about that, but maybe not everybody looks at it that way.”

Zibanejad & Stone update

Murray met with Craig Oster the agent for restricted free agents Mika Zibanejad and Mark Stone on Tuesday in Vegas.

“We’ve made proposals once again and waiting on a reply I think they were going to talk to the players and see what happens,” said Murray.

Murray joked about Sens’ captain Erik Karlsson signing his seven-year, $45.5 million extension the night before the NHL Awards in Vegas back in June 2012 and the luck it brought him on awards night (he won the Norris Trophy).

“Well if Mark Stone is smart, he signs and he might win the award cause that’s what happened with Erik,” Murray said. “Maybe that’ll be the case.”

Stone is a finalist for the Calder Trophy, which goes to the league’s top rookie along with Aaron Ekblad and Johnny Gaudreau.

Arbitration for Hoffman & Chiasson

While Murray is making progress with Zibanejad and Stone, the same can’t be said for restricted free agents Mike Hoffman and Alex Chiasson.

“We talk to them all the time, but they’re arbitration guys that, at the moment, want to go that direction,” Murray said. “If we’re not going to negotiate, then we have to prepare for that.”

Follow @dcmahiban