Boston Bruins: Loui Eriksson Contract Talks Progressing Well As the Team Tries to Lock-Up the Veteran Winger Ahead of July 1st
The biggest question that Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins are facing going into the 2016 off-season is whether or not Loui Eriksson will re-sign with the club. The veteran winger has been front-and-center in Boston news for the entire season due to his pending-UFA status, although the questions at the time were related to whether or not he would be traded.
As of now, the word out of the Bruins’ Brass seems to be positive on the “re-signing Loui Eriksson” front.
“I met with J.P. and his group this week, and we’ve continued to have discussions to see if we can find common ground. We’re getting closer to July 1. Does he feel the itch (to test free agency)? Maybe. But I’ve said all along I respect what Loui brings to our hockey club,” said Sweeney, who said Eriksson’s camp hasn’t given the Bruins indication they are automatically determined to hit the open market on July 1. “If we don’t find common ground with Loui then we’re going to have to replace him.”
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Don Sweeney knows that there is a market full of NHL franchises that would gladly appease Eriksson’s desire of roughly five to six years at $6,000,000 per season, and that the Bruins’ will need to show just how determined they are to re-sign him.
“There have been some good discussions. The onus is on us to display what level we’re willing to commit to Loui, and as he knows on the door to free agency that is important to him. It comes down to how far we want to stretch.”
The delay on signing Eriksson to a long-term extension is clearly motivated by the fact that he will be 31 years old at the start of next season and has a history of concussions that occurred in his first season in Boston. If the Bruins do let Eriksson walk, replacing him in the lineup will be very difficult as the team does not currently have anyone who can instantly fill-in for all that the winger does.
If his 30 goals and 63 points aren’t enough to merit him a big contract this off-season, his two-way ability, leadership, willingness to go to the front of the net and silky-smooth hands should be.
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As Joe Haggerty of Comcast Sporstnet New England mentioned, if the Bruins don’t re-sign Eriksson, they would need to make a huge push for Jimmy Vesey this off-season as a result of the contract demands that some of the other UFAs will command. Haggerty mentions Steven Stamkos, Kyle Okposo, and Milan Lucic specifically, but the implication is that they will raise the price of the remaining free agents left in the “second-tier”.