With two days to go before the NHL free agency market opens, teams are preparing to welcome new players into their lineups. It would not be surprising, in the next few days, to see the league's GMs active to free up contracts and make room under the salary cap.
So we could see, in the next few hours, more trades from Hughes. These will only occur, however, if the offers are great, as there is no press to move on the Hughes side.
In the Jeff Petry file, Dreger mentions that the defenseman is a good option to free up salary, but it seems that the offers offered were not good enough to make a deal. The journalist mentions that patience can pay off. According to him, a team that is looking for an experienced defenseman and can't get him on the free-agent market could very well up their offer for Petry.
As for Jake Allen, there is some curious speculation about him. Due to the thin goaltending market this year, several teams have reportedly contacted Hughes for the services of his goaltender. He could be a good 1-A goalie elsewhere in the NHL, but the CH needs Jake Allen because of the uncertainty surrounding Carey Price. It would be surprising to see him leave in the next few days, unless an exceptional offer is made.
