Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: On the Bruins …
- The Bruins may be looking at contingency plans if they don’t turn things around in the next few weeks.Separate sources had said that there has been some trade talks involving defenseman Zdeno Chara and winger Brad Marchand. Talks have been more exploratory as teams are looking at the market to see what higher-priced veterans could become available.It’s not something that might happen in the next week or so, but suspicion is the Bruins are looking at options if things bottom out.
“We’ve tracked in the past and by Thanksgiving, if you’re in the playoff picture, generally by the end of the year you’re still going to be in the playoff picture,” he said then. “This year we have a lot of younger players that I think will develop over the course of the year, and I think the coaching staff’s going to do a really good job in helping these players develop. I think we’ll see the team improve over the course of the season.
“But having said that, we still have enough players that have been around the game long enough and are good NHL players . . . really good NHL players that I think can help bring those guys along at a quicker pace. I feel like we can have a strong start because of that.”
To go along with Marchand and Chara, David Krejci and Loui Eriksson could bring back some draft picks, prospects and building blocks. There are no-trade clauses and other road blocks that could come into play.
Randy Miller of NJ.com: On Jaromir Jagr …
- The 43-year old Jagr has been saying for years that he wants to play until he’s 50-years old.
“Well, I know I’m gonna play ’til 50,” he said following the Panthers’ morning skate. “I know that … if I don’t get injured. (But) I never said I’m gonna play here (in the NHL) ’til 50. That’s a different story. You can always play ’til 50. There’s a lot of guys who play until 60 … just beer hockey games.”
Jagr has planned for years to play as long as he can in the NHL, then return to the Czech Republic to play for the Kladno Knights, a team that he owns. He figures that he can remain in the NHL as long as he puts up decent numbers.
“I always wanted to have one-year contracts so it’s kind of pushing me, motivating me,” he said. “But I know, one bad year and I’m done. It’s living on the edge, i would say. … When you’re a young guy and you sign for three years, (if) your first year’s bad, what are they gonna do? They still have to play you.”