Report: Stastny's agent working to shorten list of suitors

Colorado Avalanche center Paul Stastny, clearly the best available unrestricted free agent this summer, has reportedly drawn interest from half of the NHL's member teams during the free agent interview period. With the market set to open at noon ET on Tuesday, Stastny and agent Matt Keator of Olympic Sports Management are working to cut the list of suitors down to a more manageable level reports ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.

LeBrun expects that the St. Louis Blues will remain on Stastny's list. The Blues have been looking to upgrade down the middle and have reportedly been involved in the bidding for Ryan Kesler and Jason Spezza on the trade market this offseason. 

Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests that, for now, the Blues are focusing their attention on Stastny. Any potential deal between the Blues and the Senators will likely have to wait until after Stastny signs.

The Avalanche, who have employed Stastny for the entirety of his NHL career, are still in on Stastny, who all along has indicated that his preference is to remain in Denver. It's going down to the wire between the Avalanche and Stastny reports Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, and the sticking point remains the dollar figure. If Stastny is to remain with the Avalanche, he's not going to be maximizing his income, LeBrun reports.

It's been reported that 15 teams have reached out to Stastny and Keator during the free agent interview period. Among the leading contenders for Stastny's services, it's thought that the Blues, the New York Rangers, the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets are among the clubs keen to open the vault in order to acquire the skilled two-way pivot. Sportsnet's Mark Spector adds that the Edmonton Oilers are in "hot pursuit" as well.