I spoke with Brent Cullaton, the assistant general manager and director of hockey operations for the CHL's expansion Denver Cutthroats, and he said no one with the team has spoken with Komets goalie Nick Boucher about playing there next season.

Boucher had been sort of vague about this when I asked him Monday -- click here -- so it wouldn't shock me if it was a ploy. Boucher knows how this offseason game is played.

The Cutthroats are trying to work out an affiliation with an NHL club that would, hopefully, provide them with some goaltending.

However, Cullaton said the Cutthroats do have interest in Komets center Brett Smith and have reached out to him.

I doubt the Komets would let either Boucher or Smith go, but a lot of players from the championship team are going to command big paydays. Smith would seem a particularly good fit for an expansion team, given his leadership playing for the last two Cup winners (Bossier-Shreveport and Fort Wayne).

• Check out who the Allen Americans hired as coach: Click here. How long until Robin Big Snake makes an appearance?