From ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, the latest on pending unrestricted free agent Paul Stastny and the Colorado Avalanche:
As soon as Wednesday, other teams are allowed as per the new CBA to reach out to Stastny’s agent, Matt Keator.
“Paul has been open about the fact he wants to stay in Denver,” Keator said Friday. “We will keep talking with Joe throughout the process and give them every chance to retain Paul. We will meet next week and see where things go.”
The plan is for Keator and Sakic to speak in Las Vegas during the NHL awards.
The Avs want to keep both Stastny and pending RFA Ryan O’Reilly, but it’s not clear whether the club’s salary “structure” will allow that. It depends on the players’ contract expectations, and how strongly they feel about those expectations.
“I’m going to touch base and see Matt next week,” Sakic told ESPN.com. “But I also understand Paul has the right to listen to other teams. We hope we can keep Paul, but he’s in that situation where it’s his choice. I don’t blame him if they choose to see what’s out there.”