Madferret
7-26-05, 11:19 AM
Bruins iffy on re-signing UFAs
TheFourthPeriod.com
An immediate order of business for Bruins GM Mike O'Connell is making contact with free agents Martin Lapointe and Sergei Gonchar, reports the Boston Herald. The B's are the only team that can negotiate with them until Monday and hope to use this period of exclusivity to convince them to stay in Boston, but O'Connell didn't sound overly optimistic.
"We talked (yesterday)," he told the Herald. "I think it's probably going to proceed slowly, just because of the new market. I'm not sure yet, but that's my gut feeling. I think players want to wait and see how the new market shakes out.
"I don't know for sure that they're planning to wait until free agency starts. We'll see. We're going to try and sign them before that."
Meanwhile, according to the Herald, rules prohibit O'Connell from contacting UFA Glen Murray, since his final B's contract expired after the 2003-04 season.
"He's definitely a guy we want to speak to," O'Connell said. Starting Monday, Murray can sign anywhere, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are rumored to be interested.
TheFourthPeriod.com
An immediate order of business for Bruins GM Mike O'Connell is making contact with free agents Martin Lapointe and Sergei Gonchar, reports the Boston Herald. The B's are the only team that can negotiate with them until Monday and hope to use this period of exclusivity to convince them to stay in Boston, but O'Connell didn't sound overly optimistic.
"We talked (yesterday)," he told the Herald. "I think it's probably going to proceed slowly, just because of the new market. I'm not sure yet, but that's my gut feeling. I think players want to wait and see how the new market shakes out.
"I don't know for sure that they're planning to wait until free agency starts. We'll see. We're going to try and sign them before that."
Meanwhile, according to the Herald, rules prohibit O'Connell from contacting UFA Glen Murray, since his final B's contract expired after the 2003-04 season.
"He's definitely a guy we want to speak to," O'Connell said. Starting Monday, Murray can sign anywhere, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are rumored to be interested.