Columbus Dispatch (Aaron Portzline):

Malone To Market

Ryan Malone has told The Dispatch tonight that he plans to test the free agent market on July 1, that he’s not going to negotiate with any club — Blue Jackets, Wild, anybody — before free agency.

Here’s his explanation: “I don’t want any team I go to to give up a possible teammate. So we will wait till the first.”

Make sense to me.

In case you’ve missed the last couple of days, the Blue Jackets and Penguins have preliminarily discussed a trade that would sent Malone’s negotiating rights to the Blue Jackets in exchange for a draft pick or a player. The Pens may have been talking with other clubs as well.

Malone put the kabosh on all of it. Sounds to me like he’s pretty peeved with the Penguins for the way they’ve handled his situation. The last thing he wants to do is help them on his way out the door.

I asked Malone point-blank if he would consider the Blue Jackets on July 1: “Yes. Yes I would. I am considering other teams as well.”

The Penguins better hope they get right winger Marian Hossa signed now. Otherwise, GM Ray Shero might come crawling back to Malone with a sweeter offer. Very interesting.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Pens’ Malone to test free agency