NHL News: Shayne Gostisbehere expletive filled truth on Flyers play, Patrik Laine big pay day, and Eric Staal to Montreal close
Anthony Scultore
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The Flyers are spiraling and the losses are getting out of hand. Since the calendar changed from February to March Philadelphia has been awful. They are 4-9-1 this month and winless in their last four games. Defensively, they’ve given up 65 goals. It was enough for one of their defenseman to finally speak out.
Shayne Gostisbehere calls out team
“We are letting guys just [expletive] absolutely beat us up in front of the net,” Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostibehere said after the Rangers destroyed them 8-3 at home. “It makes our goaltenders look like absolute [expletive]. It’s not fair.”
The Flyers need to turn it around quick. Unfortunately they have to face the Rangers again on Saturday. Maybe a small victory is to limit Mika Zibanejad to just five points this time out.
Eric Staal close to being traded to Montreal
Rumors are surfacing that the Montreal Canadiens are close to completing a trade for Eric Staal from the Sabres. Apparently details are being finalized and Sabres players are aware. The 36 year-old was not on practice today with Kyle Okposo telling reporters he wished him well.
Patrik Laine in for a pay day
In a recent mailbag for The Athletic, Aaron Portzline was asked about Patrik Laine and his pending RFA status.
He has 40-goal seasons on his resume, and the Blue Jackets are in a desperate state to make sure they don’t lose the player who was the centerpiece in the Dubois trade. You can safely assume he’s going to make well over $9 million, right? And I’m adjusting there for COVID, which owners will try to use as a negotiating tool against the players. It might hit eight digits. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see the two sides do a one-year deal that so that Laine is an RFA again the following summer.
The Athletic
Let’s be honest, there’s no way Jarmo Kekalainen was going to trade and not sign Laine. He wanted to draft him over Pierre-Luc Dubois in the first place, so he’s staying in Columbus.