- Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun: It looks like the Senators will be keeping defenseman Filip Kuba, GM Bryan Murray:
“He’s played penalty-killing, power play, been Erik Karlsson’s partner. (He) plays a lot of minutes, has great respect on the team. I’m not sure why his name has ever come up, but at this point in time, unless I got something awfully, awfully good, it wouldn’t do us any service to not keep him here.”
Murray wouldn’t say much regarding re-signing Kuba:
“I’m not trying to do anything with anybody at this point,” he said. “I’d have to talk to his agent. I don’t think I want to give them that kind of answer at this point.”
- Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun: The Senators haven’t had talks with Erik Karlsson, who’ll be a RFA at the end of the season. GM Murray on the deadline:
“I expect to talk to teams, which I’ve been doing, a fair amount,” Murray said when asked for an update on his pursuit of making the team better before Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. “I don’t know that we’re doing anything. A lot of managers seem to be like me, in that they’re not sure what they want to do. They’re in the race, but they’re not convinced if they’re going to be in or out. So I think we’re all trying to be somewhat cautious.
“I don’t know that there’s going to be a lot of trades. The price they’d have to pay to finish ninth … that’s what we all worry about.”
- Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen: Senators GM Bryan Murray made several points clear:
1. He might have made his biggest deal already, bringing in centre Kyle Turris from Phoenix in a trade for defenceman David Rundblad.
2. With any depth additions for a playoff run, he’d rather acquire a younger player with upside than a veteran spring rental.
3. Murray respects the chemistry and rejuvenated atmosphere of the Senators dressing room, and will only add a player he knows will mesh with the group he has.
4. Murray won’t part with pending unrestricted free agent defenceman Filip Kuba unless some GM makes a very enticing offer.
