Roenick: Bruins Shouldn't Be Sellers At Deadline, But Need To Trade Eriksson
BOSTON (CBS) -- The NHL trade deadline is just a few days away, and the Boston Bruins have a pretty big decision to make.
Loui Eriksson is second on the team with 58 points, but will be a free agent at the end of the season. It's been rumored all year that Eriksson and the B's aren't close on an extension, so Don Sweeney will look to move the forward and get compensation before he leaves town in the offseason.
NHL analyst and NHL '94 superstar Jeremy Roenick joined Toucher & Rich on Thursday, and said it'd be much better for Boston to trade Eriksson than try to get the most out of a player playing for a contract for the rest of the season.
"I think he's injury prone and he has kind of been an up-and-down player. Consistency-wise, I don't think he's been what the Bruins needed when they traded away one of the top players in the league in Tyler Seguin," said Roenick. "While [Eriksson] is still playing well and can put the puck in the net, not knowing when that next hit or injury could be one of his last, I would try to get something for him.
"He is a very good hockey player and can put the puck in the net. For someone else, power play-wise, a team that needs a little more offense like the New York Rangers or St. Louis Blues, I think he'd be a nice little fit," he added.
However, that doesn't mean the Bruins should go into full "seller" mode at Monday's deadline. Roenick thinks there's a good chance they can get the top-four defenseman they covet for Eriksson, without having to deal much more from their roster or system.
"They desperately need a defenseman, there's no question. I wouldn't be sellers, but I still think you can get a nice fourth defenseman for an Eriksson, a guy who would fit into their lineup very well and be very solid," he said. "They're scoring goals – they filled the net last night. The year [Brad] Marchand is having is pretty spectacular, Patrice Bergeron is always reliable. They've been known to win defensively and they have one of the best goalies in Tuukka. [They need to bolster that] defensive lineup, because you win championships on defense."
Roenick also touched on his uncanny scoring abilities in NHL '94 (which he still hears about every day) and urged listeners to nominate their local hockey rink to be this year's Kraft Hockeyville!
