Hejda, Campbell, and Avery

Tom Reed of The Columbus Dispatch reports that Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson may initiate negotiations on a contract extension with pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Jan Hejda before season’s end.

And that appears to be just fine with Hejda, who tells Derek Van Diest he’d very much like to remain with the Blue Jackets.

“I would like to stay here. I don’t like moving. My family is here, my daughter’s in school. I don’t like to move around.”

It’s expected that the Czech blueliner will receive a pretty good raise on the $1 million he earned this season.

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Should San Jose Sharks pending UFA defenseman Brian Campbell become available on the open market, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests the Ottawa Senators will try to sign him. Especially if the club decides not to re-new defenseman’s Wade Redden contract, who is also set to become an UFA July 1st.

Word is that the Senators tried to acquire Campbell from the Buffalo Sabres before the trade deadline, but the Sabres had no desire of dealing him to an Eastern Conference rival.

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Scott Morrison of the Toronto Sun reports that New York Rangers pending UFA forward Sean Avery is looking for an average salary of $3.5 million on his next contract.