Boston Bruins search for second-line center hits a snag
Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey NOW: The trade market often goes stale this far into the free agency period. With the second week of August upon us, things often go quiet.
It is why when Don Sweeney went looking for options to replace David Krejci, there were none. Even any Christian Dvorak talks went nowhere fast. For now, Bruce Cassidy has a plan.
“I think the obvious choice is Charlie Coyle,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy told the media on Thursday. “He’s familiar with our guys and I’m familiar with him. That’s the way we’re leaning and we’ll see how the other pieces shake out.”
Coyle made sense from the beginning of all of this. Arizona parted with enough already and was not going to just give Christian Dvorak away. Even with Jake DeBrusk and Jakub Zboril being dangled, that was not enough. Stalemate is being kind. This proposed idea feels almost dead.
Phil Kessel wants out but where could he go?
Craig Morgan: Again and again, the Arizona Coyotes seem to just want to dump veteran players everywhere but one problem may be Phil Kessel. Kessel wants out and it is not a secret. His agents requested as such.
There is one big problem. Little interest seems expressed for the 33-year old winger.
With a new coach and the exodus, it makes sense for Kessel and his agents to make such a request. Again, this may have to wait a good while. It might not even be until the trade deadline.
Can Kessel wait that long as his skills continue to erode? That may be even more of a burning question. Vegas has been long declared dead as an option but would Kessel consider maybe another contender? That remains possible but again who? Again, interest in August is not there.
