On the Boston Bruins …
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: The Bruins are still interested in adding a top-four, puck-moving defenseman. They have the salary cap space to add one.
The Bruins have depth at center that they could use as trade bait – possibly David Krejci or Ryan Spooner.
There has been some disappointment that they haven’t been able to bring in Kevin Shattenkirk or Jacob Trouba.
“I know basically from April to now everybody is talking about our back end, and not being able to land a top-four defenseman. We still have an opportunity as far as cap space goes if something shakes free, and I know Don has been working hard trying to do something,” Bruins President Cam Neely said on CSN’s Great American Hockey Show podcast last week. “But I feel like as a group we can do better than we did last year.
“You always have your wish list, but it takes somebody else to dance with you. Ultimately, if we felt something was going to work or be right, we would have jumped on it. Other teams are looking at what’s going to help them. I think Don said something about us sprinkling our talent around the rest of the league…I think we’ve done our share of that .”
On the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray …
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 690 radio yesterday talking about Matt Murray, and if his play for Team North America at the World Cup could strengthen his chances as the Penguins No. 1 goalie this season.
“Well, he could just reinforce what’s obvious, and that is that he a No. 1 NHL goaltender on a team that’s already got Marc-Andre Fleury,” replied McKenzie. “But Marc-Andre Fleury has got a no-move clause. And, on top of that, as much as Pittsburgh has cap issues and what have you – as much as they might look at it objectively and say, ‘We really can’t afford to keep Fleury and Murray in the fold. One of them has got to go. It probably makes more sense to get rid of the older guy than the younger guy.’
“But again, it comes back to the no-move clause. But also they want a little more time for this thing to shake out. As good as he was in the playoffs, as good as he might be in the World Cup, I still think they like the insurance of having two goaltenders that they can count on. But sometime between now and the trade deadline – depending on injuries, performance, and all of those things that have yet to come – that’s when they could say, ‘Okay, we do have an embarrassment of riches at the position. It really behooves us to move one guy.’”
Fleury at some point may say he wants a new challenge and wants an opportunity somewhere else. McKenzie doesn’t think the Penguins would be ready just yet to put Fleury on the market. McKenzie added that he thinks the Penguins will let things play out for a couple months to see how both Murray and Fleury play. If Murray takes the reins, Fleury may be more inclined to move on. Fleury could also take back the No. 1 role.