On the Boston Bruins …
- Craig Custance: Think that Loui Eriksson may be the only rental forward that could get a first round pick back.
- Fluto Shinzawa: Eriksson by himself wouldn’t bring back a top-four defenseman.
- Joe Haggerty: Would expect the Kings, Ducks, and Blues to be among the teams interested in Eriksson. Teams looking to make a splash after the Blackhawks traded for Andrew Ladd.
- Luke Fox of Sportsnet: Eriksson’s agent on Hockey Central at Noon yesterday.
“We’re not quite there on term and dollars,” Eriksson’s agent, J.P. Barry, told Hockey Central at Noon. Barry will speak with the Bruins brass again Friday. “We have some work to do. I’m not sure if they’re not able to get a contract done if they’re going to keep him or trade him.”
- Jimmy Murphy: Greater sentiment around the NHL is that Eriksson and the Bruins will get an extension done.
- Craig Custance of ESPN: The Bruins finally moved off three years for Eriksson, moving up to four. Eriksson wants six. He might come down to five, but four is pushing it … and then there is the money side of things. One Western Conference GM.
“I don’t think they move him,” he said. “You’re winning, you’re in the playoffs. It’s too important. You can look at it and say they get a first-round pick and a prospect — what if the first-round pick never pans out? I think it’s important to be in the playoffs. You get in there. Tuukka Rask gets hot. Anything can happen.”
If they do trade Eriksson, they would like to make a hockey deal. Predators Colin Wison for Eriksson could make sense. The Bruins could look to maximize the deal for Eriksson, then make another to get the pieces they need. An Eastern executive did note that it’s hard to make one deal, nevermind two.
- DJ Bean: Unless a trade comes up, the Bruins and Eriksson’s camp will talk again today. If he’s not signed by the deadline, it doesn’t mean they’ll trade him.
- DJ Bean: The Bruins are at four years, and Eriksson wants longer.
- John Shannon: Bruins GM Don Sweeney will talk to Loui Eriksson’s agent today to try and find common ground.