As of Sunday evening, six teams have reached out to Loui Eriksson’s agent in an attempt to find out what kind of contract could lure the forward away from Boston. This report comes from WEEI and states that while there are numerous teams contacting Eriksson’s agent, the Bruins are warming up to the idea of extending the forward beyond four years.
As expected, teams have used the NHL’s free agency interview window to approach winger Loui Eriksson, who spent the last three seasons with the Bruins. As of Sunday evening, six teams had contacted Eriksson’s agent about the player.
The Bruins are interested in retaining Eriksson, but have been reluctant to sign Eriksson for anything longer than four years. That said, a source indicated to WEEI.com Sunday night that the Bruins are indeed willing to go beyond four years on a contract carrying a lesser average annual value.
The hesitation to give Eriksson four or more years is understandable considering he will turn 31 in July. It’s no secret that forwards usually don’t age gracefully in the NHL (unless they’re Jaromir Jagr) and the extension would push Eriksson well into his mid-30s. He’s currently producing at an impressive clip (30 goals and 33 assists in 82 games in 2015-16), but it remains to be seen if he can maintain that across a long-term deal.
The Bruins seemingly have plenty of cap space to squeeze Eriksson in, but they also have a ton of other areas to address across the roster. Money shouldn’t be an issue, but the Bruins may balk at locking in an aging forward.
As the report states, Eriksson should have no issue finding a new team should the Bruins opt to look in a different direction.
