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Even in defeat, Boston Bruins winger
Loui Eriksson remained excellent in Monday’s 6-4 final against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 30-year-old connected for two goals, the 22nd and 23rd of his season, and extended his impressive run to eight goals and nine points in his last nine games. And still, the pending unrestricted free agent remains pressed about his future in the Hub of Hockey.
“I haven’t really focused on everything around – the things that are going around right now with the team and the trade deadline and everything,” Eriksson said. “I’m just trying to focus on my game and try to play good. Yeah, goals have been coming lately here the last games. You just have to keep doing the same thing – all I can do is just try to play my game and help this team as much as I can.”
Eriksson, in line for a massive pay-day this summer, has never been in this situation before, and admits that while he hasn’t let him distract him (his production backs that up), it’s definitely different.
“[It’s] a little bit challenging,” admitted Eriksson. “But like I said, I’m just trying to play my game and not worry that much about what’s going on around on the outside. So all I can do is just play.”
Currently paced for his first 30-goal season since 2008-09, the negotiation between the Bruins and Eriksson has been met with varying responses from those involved.
Some have indicated that the parties are ‘not even close’, while others have commented that there’s something to be worked out from either side if one party is willing to sacrifice a little something. (That is, by definition, how a negotiation seems to go, I know.) The obvious truth is that Eriksson would like a long-term contract -- from five-to-six seasons -- that comes with the $12-15 more million in guaranteed money that you’d lose out on with a three-to-four year deal. While a preference for any player, you’d think, it makes even more sense given the fact that Eriksson turns 31 this summer.
With less than a week to go before the league’s trade deadline, and with the Bruins having the simple-but-not-so-simple task of trading or re-signing him (you can’t let this player leave for nothing), Eriksson has done his best to remain as diplomatic as possible when it comes to his Boston future.
“We like it here in Boston -- my family and everything,” Eriksson, now in his third (and best) season with the Bruins, noted. “We’ll see what happens here in the future and like I said, I like it here.”
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.
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