BOSTON — Loui Eriksson wore a black Red Sox capĀ as he addressed the media Tuesday morning, a subtle reminder thatĀ Boston, at least for a few more months, still is his home.
The Bruins surprised many Monday when they opted not to trade Eriksson, an impending unrestricted free agent, before the NHL’s trade deadline.
The sides also did not reach an agreement on a contract extension, meaning the coming months will be filled with many more hours of negotiations. But for the time being, the winger is just happy to be staying put.
āYou never know whatās going to happen,” Eriksson said Tuesday. “It was a pretty stressful day (Monday), and today, Iām still here, and Iām happy to be here and be a part of this team and try to help them as much as I can here to make it to the playoffs and go far. Itās definitely nice to be still here.”
Eriksson is in the middle of his most productive season as a Bruin, racking up 23 points and 25 assists through Boston’s first 63 games. And now he won’t need to worry about a midseason change of scenery.
āI definitely feel comfortable here,” Eriksson said. “Iāve got my role, and I feel good about my game. Now I can just focus even more on getting better and play good, so after 3 oāclock (Monday), itās definitely nice to know where youāre going to be. And like I said, itās really nice to still be here.”
The 30-year-old did admit, however,Ā that the endless trade rumors began to wear on him in the days leading up to the deadline. He was a non-factor in the Bruins’ last three games, failing to record a point and tallying just three total shots on goal.
Bruinscoach Claude Julien noticed, butĀ now that the rumor mill has stopped churning, he expects to see a much more at-ease Eriksson.
“Itās always a tense moment the day of the final trade deadline, and then the next day, itās the complete opposite,” Julien said. “Guys are happy theyāre here. Given Louiās situation, to know that heās here makes a big difference for him. I could sense the last couple of games he wasnāt as comfortable as Iād seen him, which is totally natural. So itās nice to see him relaxed and saying, āOK, I know Iām here for the rest of the year.ā And weāre hoping for maybe longer, so weāll see where that goes.”
Thumbnail photo viaĀ Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images