Bruins Trade Rumors

Schneider a remote possibility for Sens
"Yesterday morning, Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray acknowledged frustration at not being able to acquire a star, skilled defenceman to run the power play. The words were barely out of his mouth when the Anaheim Ducks placed veteran Mathieu Schneider on waivers in an attempt to unload his hefty $5.625-million U.S. salary. Schneider, 39, has 212 goals and 490 assists in 1,197 career games, and would be an obvious answer to the apparent vacancy on the Senators' blue-line. The issue, of course, is money, but if Murray was interested in picking up Schneider, he didn't have to look far yesterday to find team owner Eugene Melnyk to talk about adding the salary. Melnyk was in Ottawa ..."
After Tortorella, Islanders to interview Gordon and Sullivan
"Mike Sullivan and Scott Gordon aren't exactly marquee names in the NHL, but the next two candidates scheduled to interview for the Islanders' head-coaching vacancy this week might be the best fit for general manager Garth Snow's long-term plan to build with youthful prospects and the draft. Sullivan sits down today with Snow, who spent yesterday interviewing former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella, who had Sullivan as an assistant coach last season. In keeping with the "small world" theme, Gordon, who was Sullivan's assistant with AHL Providence and replaced him as head coach at the end of the 2002-03 season, will meet with Snow on Wednesday. Candidates on Snow's list who have not yet ..."
Maurice to interview first for Islanders job
"Former Toronto coach Paul Maurice has the pole position in the interview process to determine the successor to Ted Nolan as coach of the Islanders. According to an NHL source, Maurice is expected to meet with general manager Garth Snow Monday. The list of confirmed Islanders coaching candidates now numbers seven. Besides Maurice, the list includes former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella and his assistant, Mike Sullivan, both of whom have received permission from the Lightning to interview. Snow still is waiting for approval to interview former Atlanta coach Bob Hartley and current Providence Bruins coach Scott Gordon in Boston's organization. Former Colorado coach Joel Quenneville is a free ..."
Jacobs: For sale sign not up on Bruins
"While the Bruins' prospects twirled around the Ristuccia Arena ice last week, rumors once again swirled around the Hub that Jeremy Jacobs, chairman of the Black and Gold, had his hockey club up for sale. "He's shopping it to his billionaire buddies," said one non-team source who deals on a regular basis with members of the Bruins' front office. Not true. At least according to Charlie Jacobs, the family's point man on Causeway Street, and according to his father. "I can say with great confidence that it's not on the market," said the junior Jacobs. "My dad enjoys operating the team and having a say in what happens here, as do I.""
Bruins unlikely to make splash
"Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said yesterday a broad range of options is conceivable, and there is a good chance the B’s will bag at least one free agent today. But he indicated it’s unlikely the team will make a “huge splash” in the market. “I’d say it’s better than 50 percent that we’ll sign someone (today),” Chiarelli said. “We have a lot of flexibility. (Today) we’re out to buttress our scoring. We’re going to look at all options that are out there.” But a reliable source said, barring any surprises, the B’s will be shopping in the second rank of free agent forwards. The deadline for NHL buyouts passed last night, but the opportunity to clear more space by buying out a veteran ..."
Bruins Expected To Make Big Pitch To Hossa
"While the Rangers will check in on Marian Hossa, The Post has been told that the Bruins are preparing to present the 29-year-old winger with an offer in the neighborhood of $100M over 12 years. Hossa has previously rejected a six-year offer of $7.5M per from the Penguins. The Bruins would be able to accommodate the contract by waiving Glen Murray and Manny Fernandez. While the 2008-09 cap is $56.7M, the summer cap is $63.37M. The Rangers, who will also check in on Brian Rolston, have approximately $24M to spend under next season's cap, and $5.67M more if necessary prior to training camp cutbacks."
NHL Free-agent shopping list
"The opening bell will sound on Canada Day Tuesday, marking the start of the NHL's free-agent season. Here's a look at some of the players who will be most coveted by NHL general managers."
Roster renovation project barrels forward
"Among his free-agent pursuits on July 1, Fletcher will need to find a backup to replace Raycroft should the team buy him out. Alex Auld of the Boston Bruins or Wade Dubielewicz of the New York Islanders are possibilities. Scott Clemmensen won't be offered a contract."
GM plans to be ready for big move
"With the NHL free agency period set to open in less than a week, Peter Chiarelli is still entertaining the option of going after a big name free agent on July 1. But with just $7 million or so to play with under the expected salary cap of $57 million, the Bruins general manager will have to do some wheeling and dealing to do so. “I’m going to have to be in position to do it, if I’m going to get the player or players that I want,” Chiarelli said in a conference call yesterday. “I have to at least set the table. In a perfect world, if you want to do it that way, you’d like to move the money first and then get the player, but it doesn’t always happen that way. It may be that you get the ..."
Bruins Must Free Up Some Cap Space
"They still have the buyout option until June 30 with veteran Glen Murray and his $4.15 million salary being the most obvious target. Chiarelli said as recently as Saturday at the draft that there’s a chance that will happen. Even if the B’s buy out Murray, they would only get cap relief of a little under $3 million. While they appear quite interested in free agent Marian Hossa, a Murray buyout still most likely wouldn’t give them the kind of flexibility needed to ink Wideman and the Penguins free agent under the cap. Chiarelli, of course, could always try to move salary via the trade market, and one suspects the GM will continue to attempt to do just that before Tuesday."
Possible Emery Replacements
"Forget about a star replacement, because Murray has limited space under the NHL's salary cap and must also plug holes on defence and at forward. The list of goaltending possibilities includes outgoing Boston Bruins netminder Alex Auld, former Buffalo Sabres backup Jocelyn Thibault, Curtis Joseph, late of the Calgary Flames, or Ty Conklin, who had an outstanding run for the Pittsburgh Penguins after their starter, Marc-André Fleury, was sidelined by an ankle injury in November and December."
Is Hossa on Bruins' radar?
"Could the Bruins already be talking contract with superstar winger Marian Hossa? Asked that question last night, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli offered little in the way of candor. "Very good question," he responded in a terse e-mail. "But can't comment. Cheers." It's highly possible that talks between Boston and Hossa have begun, because it has become a trend for clubs to be granted permission to speak with pending unrestricted free agents well ahead of the July 1 start of the NHL's open marketplace."
Hossa declines offer from Penguins
"Marian Hossa and his agent informed the Penguins on Saturday that a multi-year contract offer that averages just over $7 million annually was not enough to prevent him from testing the free-agent market July 1. Penguins general manager Ray Shero said yesterday after the NHL draft at Scotiabank Place that the offer may not be on the table when Hossa becomes an unrestricted free agent. "It's very fair, I believe," Shero said of the Penguins' offer -- details of which he did not reveal. "There was a firm offer on the table." The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks are two teams likely to make pitches for Hossa on July 1."
Sens look to move forward
"Murray has held talks with several GMs about a number of forwards. It's believed Bruins winger Glen Murray and Flyers centre R.J. Umberger are two forwards that interest the Senators. There has been speculation in Boston that Murray, 35, who is going into the final year of a contract that pays him $4.15 million (all terms US), will be bought out by the Bruins. But with a cap hit of $1.8 million a season for the next two years, the Bruins would prefer to trade Murray."
Wheeler and Dealers
"The Bruins will find out in the next two or three days whether they will add college free agent Blake Wheeler to their stable of forwards. According to his agent, Matt Keator, Wheeler has narrowed his list to four teams, and Boston is one of them. General manager Peter Chiarelli is keeping fingers crossed. "We had a good meeting with him [Thursday]," said Chiarelli. "We've been down the road on this before, when I was told that we had a shot at [Fabian] Brunnstrom - but that's OK, things change."
Time to say bye to Murray
"Today could be the first day of the rest of Glen Murray's life - the one he will lead without the Bruins. That's not to say that Murray is definitely gone from Causeway Street, but it is to remind one and all that the NHL today begins its annual buyout period, and Murray's 2007-08 season can be submitted to the jury as Exhibit A for why buyout relief has been part of the league's collective bargaining agreement for decades. Bruins management, not surprisingly, won't say for the record whether it's time to part company with the 35-year-old right winger. We are left to read between the lines and profit-loss itemizations."
Bruins and Hossa - Perfect Fit?
"The big fish is Marian Hossa. With his two-way skills, he would seem like a perfect fit for the defensive-minded B’s. Hossa has previous relationships with both Chiarelli and Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. One would think that, if the money’s right, the Bruins would have a very good chance of landing him. That is a big if, however, and with the B’s cap number already at $48 million and the cap expected to rise to $56 million for next season - with Dennis Wideman, Mark Stuart and Petteri Nokelainen still to be signed - Chiarelli would have to clear some salary off the books."
Coach before GM for Leafs?
"With word from up top that the Maple Leafs might hire a coach before their new general manager is in place, the guessing game with National Hockey League coaching vacancies heats up. Two recently fired Western Conference coaches with Toronto ties, Ron Wilson and Joel Quenneville, are worth watching, while the Ottawa Senators have invited two high-profile candidates back for second interviews. Bob Hartley, fired in October in Atlanta, and Craig Hartsburg, who coached junior hockey and ran the Soo Greyhounds and the national team after six years in the NHL with Chicago and Anaheim, are on tap in Bytown according to Sun Media. Reports continue to link Quenneville with Wilson's old ..."
Bruins will get shot at Hossa
"If the Bruins’ master plan is to try and sign Marian Hossa as a free agent July 1, it appears they will have serious and costly competition from at least Montreal and the New York Rangers. But a Pittsburgh source said the Penguins won’t make any real effort to re-sign the unrestricted free agent: They simply can’t afford to pay Hossa, along with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal. His acquisition from Atlanta in February, thus, was a one-time shot at winning the Cup."
A time to build, not rebuild
"Good as gone (1): Glen Murray, 0-0 -0 in seven playoff games. Due $4.15 million in 2008-09 and virtually impossible to trade (offers at the Feb. 26 trade deadline weren't worth sacrificing the chance that he might score in the postseason)."
Bruins enter offseason full of hope
"Assume that Patrice Bergeron comes back strong next season (an educated guess says he would have played Game 1 against Pittsburgh if the Bruins advanced). It’s also reasonable to expect there will be an addition or two via free agency, with a goal scorer (Marian Hossa?) maybe at the top of the wish list and a puck-moving defenseman (John-Michael Liles?) also a need."
Senator escapes punishment
"The NHL has decided not to throw the book at Chris Neil. Sources say league VP Colin Campbell reviewed the hit the Senators winger put on Bruins centre Jeremy Reich during the first period of Ottawa's 4-0 loss on Saturday in Boston and decided no punishment was necessary."
Speculations
"The reality is Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli tried to move Schaefer, 30, who has two years left on his contract at $2.3 million US per season, at the NHL trade deadline, but couldn't find any takers ... You can bet the Bruins are going to make a pitch for Pittsburgh RW Marian Hossa when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1."
Rewarding year for Wideman
"This summer should be interesting for Dennis Wideman. For the first time, the Boston defenseman is headed into the offseason with prospects of a significant raise, based on his breakout 2007-08 season."
Metropolit hoping to secure new contract
"To put it simply, Glen Metropolit never has enjoyed job security, which makes the 33-year-old center consider what comes next that much more."
Bruins should re-sign pair
"Among the things I would do if I were Boston's general manager: 1) extend goalie Tim Thomas's contract by one year, through 2009-10; 2) ink Glen Metropolit to a two-year extension. Both have proven vital to the club's success, and both come at bargain prices ."
Martin on thin ice in Florida
"Jacques Martin shouldn't buy any real estate in Florida in the next couple of months. After being blocked by Florida owner Alan Cohen from dealing centre Olli Jokinen at Tuesday's NHL trade deadline, the Panthers' GM-coach probably needs to make the playoffs to save his job... You can bet the Bruins will try to sign Pittsburgh RW Marian Hossa as a free agent in the summer. He is close friends with his fellow Slovak, D Zdeno Chara, and would make a nice fit in Boston."