Dan Boyle has heard all the trade rumors, and he wants to make one thing clear -- he wants to stay in San Jose.
“This is where I want to be,” the veteran defenseman said today, per CSNBayArea.com. “I don’t want to be anywhere else. You guys have been with me for five years and you know what I bring to the table. I don’t want to be anywhere else. It’s not fun to hear that.
“The only other time my name was involved was five years ago. Sometimes where there’s smoke there’s fire, and I hope in this case, it’s not the case. It’s hard not to pay attention to that stuff.”
Boyle is signed through the end of next season to a contract with a cap hit and salary of $6.67 million. The 36-year-old has four goals and eight assists in 26 games this season while averaging 23:21 of ice time.
Even with his offensive numbers in decline, Boyle would still garner good interest on the trade market. And given the Sharks’ play the last month and a half -- San Jose’s record is an awful 5-10-6 since a perfect 7-0-0 start -- at least one prominent member of the media believes they could use a “fresh coat of paint.”
Writes ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun of Boyle: “He’d be a valuable addition to a contender, that’s for sure. And while I’m not sure people still consider the New York Rangers contenders or not, he’s that top-four, right-handed D-man the Blueshirts could sure use.”