- Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: There have been several reports that the Bruins have talked to the Sabres about Chris Stewart, but didn’t like the asking price of two of their top prospects or two prime draft picks, or a combination of both. The Sabres make like the Flyers second round pick the Bruins received from the Johnny Boychuk trade. Bruins prospects the Sabres may like include: Ryan Spooner, David Pastrnak, Malcolm Subban, Joe Morrow and Alex Khokhlachev. GM Peter Chiarelli said last week that they may not need to bring in a right wing replacement for Jarome Iginla.
“I’ve actually been happy with us up front lately,” said Chiarelli when asked if he was looking to “bolster” his forward group. “So not really . . . no.”
Haggerty thinks the Bruins should move on from Stewart and look for a long-term solution and not a rental. It may not be a Jordan Eberle or Evander Kane, especially with the cost to acquire players like that, but other options could be out there.
- Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk: Islanders GM Garth Snow on SNY TV via Islanders Point Blank, about newly acquired, pending UFA Johnny Boychuk.
“We wouldn’t move two second-round picks — that’s pretty significant — if we didn’t want to have him here long term,” Snow explained, per SNY TV. “We’re not going to talk publicly, I never have regarding contract negotiations, but I think the telltale sign is when you give up what we gave up to get , he would obviously fit into our long-term plans.”
- Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News: Daniel Alfredsson still hasn’t decided what he’s going to do and the Red Wings are still willing to wait.
“Nothing has changed from my perspective,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “We’re not putting any timetable on it. Daniel said he was feeling good but is not to the point where he can talk to me about what would be his next move.
“I haven’t heard from Daniel (since). We’re giving him time. Nothing has changed.”
The Wings would want to see Alfredsson practice consecutively for a couple weeks with the team before they would re-sign him for the remainder of the season.
