By Pierre LeBrun SPORTSNET.CA It appears both goalie Cristobal Huet and forward Brian Rolston are headed to free agency later today.
"Yes it looks that way right now,” Stephen Bartlett, the agent for both players, told Sportsnet.ca on Tuesday morning.
Huet was acquired by the Washington Capitals from the Montreal Canadiens at the Feb. 26 trade deadline and it was assumed by many he would stay on. But despite constructive contract talks, the French goalie will likely dip his toe into free agency.
"The Capitals certainly remain high on our list and they are not out of the picture but we have indicated we will likely see what’s there (on the open market),” Bartlett said .
Rolston’s rights were acquired by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday and despite the NHL club’s aggressive efforts Monday, the 35-year-old forward will likely try out free agency starting at noon ET.
Bartlett said it was the same with both Huet and Rolston, good talks but free agency is so close why not try it.
"Both teams negotiated in good faith,” Bartlett said . "They both made very strong arguments on behalf of their teams. But when the ship pulls into port it’s hard to turn around. So we’ll see what happens.”
