Stanley Cup Champion has received “multiple calls” from rival teams.

It sounds like the Stanley Cup Champions are about to lose one of their most experienced veteran players. 

According to a report from TSN National Hockey League insider Pierre LeBrun it now appears that multiple teams have made calls to soon to be unrestricted free agent defenseman Carl Gunnarsson. Gunnarsson of course is coming off his career highlight after capturing the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship with his St. Louis Blues, defeating the Bruins in Boston in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. As a result there seems little doubt that his value will be at an all time high.

It is worth noting that LeBrun has also reported that Gunnarsson remains in negotiations with the St. Louis Blues, but if there is genuinely this much interest in the veteran defenseman during free agency, you would have to imagine that there is now a good chance that the Blues could be priced out of these negotiations. Additionally you have to imagine that there will be some concern regarding how much term Gunnarsson might get on a free agent deal when you consider that he is already 32 years of age. 

The other concern of course is that Gunnarsson struggled badly with injuries this season and was in fact severely limited as a result. His playoff performance however seems to have rehabilitated him in the eyes of many, especially his performance in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. That being said, a serious injury and a player in the late stages of his NHL career is often times not a player you want to get into a bidding war over.