As we reported in the Saturday Sun, captain Daniel Alfredsson could be targetted by a couple of contenders if the Senators fall out of the playoffs with all the injuries and he wants to win a Stanley Cup.
As I said Saturday, the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins are both expected to show interest. Since nothing is news in Ottawa until someone else reports it, this story has suddenly taken off.
There are obvious ties in both places:
Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was the Senators assistant GM.
Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero was the Senators assistant GM before Chiarelli.
See, everything leads back to Ottawa.
“It’s flattering if teams are interested in me,” said Alfredsson this morning. “But for me, I want to keep this thing going until we’re in the playoffs. I think if we were to fall out of that race, there would be more speculation. But that’s not something I’m really giving any thought. My focus last summer was whether I still had it in me to come back. After the season we had last year, the biggest reason (he returned) was the way that we played.
“Obviously we’re in tougher this year, but I think we can we can still make the playoffs. As of right now, (he wouldn’t want to be moved), but never say never. We’re in the playoff race, and I hope we can continue and stay here. It’s definitely where my focus is, and I’m not thinking or worrying about anything else.”
If Alfredsson wants to move to win a Stanley Cup, that’s going to be up to him. GM Bryan Murray won’t ask him. Alfredsson will have to tell Murray he’s ready to make the move.
The 40-year-old Alfredsson has done so much for the organization it should be his option. This would be comparable to what Ray Bourque did when he was with the Boston Bruins and went to the Colorado Avalanche.
If Alfredsson wants to make the move, the Senators will let him do it. Right now, he is focused on trying to make sure the Senators get to the playoffs. As long as they are in the hunt, he won’t have to think about it.
The next few weeks will be interesting.