SIZEABLE GAP IN DUCKS, MCTAVISH NEGOTIATIONS

TORONTO, ON — There are four remaining restricted free agents in the NHL negotiating new contracts and there still remains quite a bit of work to be done before they lock into new deals with their respective clubs.

Luke Evangelist, Alexander Holtz, Luke Hughes and Mason McTavish are all in need of new contracts.

Rasmus Kupari is also technically an RFA, but he signed two-year contract with HC Lugano in Switzerland and is taking his game overseas for the time being.

Among the four remaining, only Holtz is attending training camp after signing a PTO with the Vegas Golden Knights as the two sides hammer out a new contract.

Hughes and McTavish are not with their respective clubs, while Evangelista is currently in Nashville, but I suspect he will head home if a deal with the Predators is not completed in the coming days.

While there seems to be more optimism surrounding Hughes and the New Jersey Devils – both sides appear to be focused on an eight-year extension and are working around the dollars – the same cannot be said for McTavish and the Anaheim Ducks.

McTavish left Anaheim this week and went home to Ottawa, where he first skated with the OHL’s Ottawa 67s. I’m told he plans on continuing his on-ice training in Smith Falls as his agent Pat Morris and Ducks GM Pat Verbeek try to bridge the sizeable gap in negotiations.

According to league sources, McTavish is willing to sign a long-term deal, in the seven-to-eight-year range worth in the neighbourhood of $7 million to $8 million per season. The Ducks, however, have pitched a five-year contract worth around $5.5 million per season.

For now, McTavish will stay at home. No trade requests have been made, and the Ducks aren’t entertaining trade inquiries. I don’t get the sense there is any hostility right now, but the longer this drags out, the harder it is to keep emotions out of the equation.

“Talks are ongoing, and we’ve made a lot of progress over the summer, but we’re not there yet. So, until we get there, he won’t be here,” Verbeek told local reporters on Thursday.

Two days into training camp, nobody wants to overreact, either. Yes, the Ducks have a new head coach in Joel Quenneville and Anaheim’s system is changing, but the regular-season doesn’t start for two and a half weeks.

“It’s disappointing that he’s not here, obviously,” Verbeek added. “Virtually a whole new coaching staff, and the group’s really excited like I’ve never seen before. There’s a new system that’s getting implemented. There’s a lot of things to learn and it takes a lot of reps to get it under each player’s belt. When Mason gets here, he’s got a lot of catching up to do.”

HERE AND THERE

• With Michael McLeod expected to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes once October hits, as I reported on Thursday, Carter Hart has not yet made a decision on where he will end up. Multi teams are still in the fold, I’m told, and he has options. Some teams that have reached out in some form but are not currently in the mix have either denied it publicly or used the power of the English language to throw the scent off. I did confirm that one club that I wondered about, the San Jose Sharks, has not inquired.

• The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of bodies in camp and could look to move or waive some by the start of the season, but they are giving Calle Jarnkrok every opportunity to claim a regular bottom-six slot on the roster. He is fully healthy coming into camp and told us today that he is excited to get to work without any injury concerns, something Leafs coach Craig Berube also acknowledged, as well.

• It was interesting hearing Evgeni Malkin today talk about the uncertainty surrounding his future. He didn’t rule out playing next season, nor did he brush off the possibility of being traded later this season. He did, however, reaffirm his desire to stay in Pittsburgh (“Penguins forever,” he said). Never say never, but something to keep an eye on after the Olympic break.

• Kirill Kaprizov’s agent Paul Theofanous attended Minnesota’s camp on Thursday and chatted with management for a lengthy period. A good sign, perhaps, as contract negotiations were expected to resume going into the weekend.

• Contract talks between the Winnipeg Jets and sniper Kyle Connor are also ongoing and there was word once camp opened that some progress on a long-term deal has been made. Clearly, there’s still work to be done, but it seems like there is a pathway to a big extension that could see him earn somewhere in the $11 million to $12 million, per year, range.

• Status quo, as of now, between the Los Angeles Kings and Adrian Kempe. The two sides continue to negotiation and remain hopeful they can finalize a long-term extension by the start of the regular-season.