Rumor: Mikael Granlund Close to Signing New Deal

To say the pandemic has had an effect on NHL free agents this offseason would be a drastic understatement. Prime example - Mikael Granlund.

The 28-year-old Finnish forward spent last season with the Nashville Predators, collecting 30 points in 63 games while making $5.75 million on the cap. While the Preds appear interested in a potential reunion at a lower cap hit, the team appears to be more interested in free-agent Mike Hoffman at this point.

Granlund has drawn interest from several teams and it's sounding more and more like the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes will end up winning the sweepstakes.

Carolina and CBJ (among other teams) remain two potential landing spots for Mikael Granlund. #Preds also interested in both him and Hoffman but have much better chance of landing Hoffman than they do Granlund. #Canes #CBJ
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) December 1, 2020

Elliotte Friedman on NHL Tonight speculated the Blue Jackets have tried to move Brandon Dubinsky’s contract.

Adds they “could” be a team that has looked at Mike Hoffman or Mikael Granlund. H/t NBC Sports #CBJ
— CBJ Coverage (@CBJcoverage) November 24, 2020

Look for Granlund's next contract to be around $4-5 million per season depending on the length of the contract. And as of now, Granlund's next stop will likely be Columbus or Carolina.