Stuart, Cleary, Gratton, Kolzig, Wild, and Roenick
Where might Brad Stuart play next season? Is Dan Cleary close to re-signing with the Red Wings? Are the Lightning trying to re-sign Chris Gratton? Is Olaf Kolzig on his way out of Washington? What were the Wild willing to part with at the deadline? Will Jeremy Roenick play next season?
Detroit Red Wings pending UFA defenseman Brad Stuart tells Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that he’d like to continue playing in the Western Conference.
“It’s a different style,” he said. “I find it more fun to play. I know last year when I went to Calgary, I liked it more. The games were a little more intense.”
So, could it be with the Red Wings?
“I think I’m hoping things go well and that maybe I find a spot here,” he said. “I can see myself enjoying it here and wanting to stay.”
Red Wings GM Ken Holland is believed to have pursued Stuart during the past off-season, but the blueliner decided to sign with the Los Angeles Kings.
Still with the Red Wings, Holland tells George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that the club is close to signing with pending UFA forward Dan Cleary to a contract extension.
“We’re talking term,” Holland said. “We’ve been talking anywhere from four to six [years].”
Erik Erlendsson of The Tampa Tribune reports that Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster is interested in re-signing pending UFA forward Chris Gratton.
With the acquisition of pending UFA goaltender Cristobal Huet from the Montreal Canadiens on trade deadline day, George Solomon of the Washington Post implies that the Washington Capitals may be sending a message to their long-time starter, Olaf Kolzig.
Kolzig, a soon-to-be UFA himself, could be nearing the end of his tenure with the organization he has played for the past 18 years.
“There are things in life and in the game of hockey that are out of your control. It’s how you deal with it that separates you from other people.”
According to Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Minnesota Wild was ready to deal forward Benoit Pouliot at the trade deadline. However, clubs were more interested in players like James Sheppard, Mikko Koivu and Colton Gillies.
San Jose Sharks pending unrestricted free agent forward Jeremy Roenick tells David Pollak of the Mercury News that he hopes to play hokey past this season.
“I’ll talk to [Sharks GM] Doug Wilson at the end of the season and see if he’ll give the old man another wheel around,” Roenick told reporters. “I definitely feel I can do it – I’m at 190 pounds and I haven’t been there in 10 years.”
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It’s really too bad the Caps put Kolzig on notice in this fashion. He has been a pillar of strength for the Caps his entire career, and then he gets (likely) dumped unceremoniously at the trade deadline… And, to make matters worse, it’s not that they traded him, they just crowded his crease. Dirty pool!!! Now, having said that, the Caps are definitely a stronger team for it, but it still tastes a bit rotten…
As for the rest of it, I don’t really understand why there’s so much press about the Lightning wanting to re-sign Gratton. The guy is a mediocre player at best, and his footspeed is something they need to be very concerned about. In today’s NHL, guys like Gratton can be picked up mid-season for next to nothing as free agent pickups…
by Dan Rakusan on March 6th, 2008 at 10:58 AM EST