The Boston Bruins decided not to trade Loui Eriksson at the deadline. Now, after missing the playoffs, it’s very possible they’ll have to watch him walk away for nothing.
Eriksson, 30, is a pending unrestricted free agent who’s coming off a 30-goal season. There’s already speculation that a team like Vancouver could be interested.
“I feel good about where I am in my game,” Eriksson told CSN New England. “It’s a big decision, where I end up. So, we’ll see what’s going to happen this summer. I had three great years [in Boston], and we’ll see what’s going to happen here this summer. That’s all I can say.”
Because he’s now on the wrong side of 30, a major factor in whatever deal Eriksson signs will be term.
From the Boston Herald:
It’s not impossible that some team might go to five years and $30 million — which would likely be too much for the Bruins’ taste. But it does seem probable that general manager Don Sweeney will make a serious offer. It’ll then be up to Eriksson whether he wants to stay, or chase the bigger bucks of the open market.
If Eriksson leaves, it could make it very important that the B’s sign Harvard free-agent winger Jimmy Vesey — who conceivably could step into Eriksson’s role.
There are a handful of other pending UFA wingers that may -- repeat: may -- be available this summer, including 26-year-old Mikkel Boedker and 27-year-olds Milan Lucic and Kyle Okposo.
Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer, both the same age as Eriksson, could also end up hitting the market.
Related: Salary cap estimate for next season falls to $74 million, with one notable assumption