Community Picks: Carolina Hurricanes 0% vs New Jersey Devils 0%

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney saw winger Loui Eriksson as too vital a player to deal. The NHL’s 2015-16 trading deadline came and went with Eriksson still a member of the Bruins. And Sweeney defended his decision to not trade the 30-year-old pending unrestricted free agent. Eriksson has 48 points, tied for second on Boston in scoring. With 74 points, Boston is in third-place in the Atlantic Division, one year after missing the playoffs.  “I don’t think any team in a playoff position traded a player of Loui’s magnitude,” Sweeney said. “The deal had to be right and be right for this organization for me to do that. I’ve been entrusted to do that. For me, Loui Eriksson is an important part of what we’re doing now." Eriksson is in the final season of a six-year $25.5 million contract. On Sunday, Sweeney said “a gap” remained on a deal between the two parties.  According to CSN New England , the Bruins were looking to lock up Eriksson to a contract in the four-year range at $20-24 million. Eriksson was looking for something closer to five or six years. The Bruins currently have $47,266,667 tied into their roster next season with six restricted free agents the team needs to re-sign.  “I don’t know if we spent a lot of time trying to close the gap as of today,” Sweeney said. “I think I knew their position. They certainly know where ours had been. It was about whether or not something might present itself, but I indicated our preference all along was to remain the type of team that’s competitive in a playoff run and Loui’s a big part of that.”  Instead of trading off assets, Sweeney looked to add players, bringing in defenseman John-Michael Liles from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Anthony Camara, a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He also picked up forward Lee Stempniak from the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-round pick in 2016 Draft and second-round pick in 2017 Draft. The 35-year-old Liles had 15 points in 64 games for the Hurricanes this season, while averaging 20:34 of ice-time. The 33-year-old Stempniak was having a renaissance year for the Devils with 41 points in 63 games. “The type of year (Stempniak’s) having I think will complement our group very well,” Sweeney said. “John-Michael Liles is another player that brings a lot of versatility to our group. We’ll have the ability to have a guy with experience to move the puck and complement, again, some of the hard and heavy guys we have and go in and play an important role.” As for Eriksson and the Bruins, it punts their negotiation further down the line towards the offseason. There was a question in the news conference asking Sweeney if this hurts the Bruins’ leverage with Eriksson. But Sweeney noted this could help the Bruins in showing Eriksson their faith in the player.  Said Sweeney, “I think it does indicate to Loui how much we value him.” MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY - - - - - - - Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper     Continue to Article

February 29, 2016 7:59:pm EST

The Boston Bruins were a popular trade deadline team to watch because of the contract situation with Loui Eriksson. They ended up not moving Loui, and in turn, added two rental pieces for draft picks. Up first, they added defenseman John-Michael Liles from the Carolina Hurricanes. The 35-year-old is in the final year of his contract with a $3.875-million cap hit. Boston sent prospect Anthony Camara and two picks to Carolina: a third rounder in 2016 and a fifth rounder in 2017.  Liles is clearly in the twilight of his career. He has 16 points in 62 games with the Hurricanes. The defenseman was famously traded from Toronto to Carolina the day of the Winter Classic in 2014. HBO had the honor of catching it all on film.  As far as the prospect, Anthony Camara, he's in the final year of an RFA contract, and was with the Providence Bruins at the time of the trade. As for the Milbury scale on this trade : Continue to Article

February 29, 2016 4:43:pm EST

Eric Gelinas has spent more time in the doghouse for the New Jersey Devils than on the blueline. And now he’s a member of the Colorado Avalanche.   The Avs traded a 2017 third-round pick for Gelinas, a 24-year-old defenseman with a booming shot but some defensive deficiencies. His high-water mark was in 2013-14, when Gelinas tallied 29 points in 60 games, with 17 of them coming on the power play. This season, he’s played in just 34 games, and sounded off about it last week. Like Pete DeBoer before him, John Hynes was down on him.  Gelinas signed a 2-year deal last summer for $3.15 million, and suddenly found himself buried on the depth chart. Can he help the Avalanche? Sure. While Tyson Barrie has 19 points on (3 goals, 16 assists) on the power play, the next highest scorer on defense with the man advantage is Francois Beachemin (2 goals, 8 assists). Gelinas might be a one-trick pony, but that trick is having a cannon from the blueline. So, with all of that, how does this rank on the Milbury Scale? Continue to Article

February 29, 2016 2:17:pm EST