Will you check out this BS that O'Connell is shovelling.
O'Connell ready to move on without Guerin
Bill Guerin officially bid farewell to the Bruins late Wednesday night and is now signed, sealed, and delivered to the Dallas Stars in the form of a five-year, $45 million contract.
The 41-goal scorer, who served as Boston's de facto captain last season, will be missed not just for his offense but for his leadership. However, Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell said the departure of Guerin isn't devastating.
''Is it a loss? Of course it is,'' said O'Connell. ''He's a terrific player and he's got a lovely family, they're great people. I'm happy for them. They're going to be comfortable for the rest of their lives. He scored 41 goals, so to [replace that] is difficult, but we had two 41-goal scorers and we can have two or three next year as well, whether it's Glen Murray, Brian Rolston, Sergei Samsonov, or Joe Thornton.''
The Bruins made a two-year offer to Guerin, although Guerin said he never felt the club was negotiating to keep him. O'Connell said that wasn't so.
''I asked him what they wanted,'' said O'Connell. ''He didn't tell me what he wanted. I never knew what they were looking for. I knew they were looking for a [long] term, they didn't give me a number of what they were looking for. I asked for the numbers and they wouldn't give them to me and that's OK. I don't want to sound like it's sour grapes or I'm ticked off, because I'm not. We thought Billy would give us a chance to win the Stanley Cup but it didn't work out, so move on.''
Will that moving on result in signing forward Teemu Selanne? The club made the sniper an offer, but O'Connell said he's not sure where Selanne will land.
''I don't know,'' O'Connell said. ''I had initial conversations with them and I think [Selanne's agent] Don Baizley is just kind of waiting to see what the market will bear and where it might go.''
O'Connell said he doesn't feel pressure to land a big-name free agent to replace Guerin. He feels he has a strong core of talented players who are capable of stepping up their games.
''It comes down to winning again,'' he said. ''The people of Boston want us to win, whether Billy Guerin is in the lineup or whoever. They're disappointed we lost. But we had Billy Guerin and Byron Dafoe in the lineup and we lost in the first round [of the postseason]. It's disappointing. If we don't have them and we go farther in the playoffs, are they going to be happier? Yes. Now we have to make sure we do that.''
Had he known how the season was going to end, O'Connell said he might have made a different choice at the March trading deadline. He said he thinks he easily could've found a team to deal Guerin to, but he believed his roster was enough to make a real run at the Cup.
''I thought we had a chance to do better in the playoffs,'' O'Connell said.
Now Guerin will be playing elsewhere and the Bruins are prepared for life without him. No hard feelings.
''Of course I'm disappointed, but it's a situation where he's got a chance to make as much money as he can and he's done it,'' said O'Connell. ''There's nothing wrong with that. You can't begrudge these guys for doing that. These guys pay their dues. They're 31 years old once, they get free agency, and they have to make the most of it.
''It is about the money at this time.''
O'Connell said the club has not yet decided on a new coach for the Providence Bruins. He said he's talking to candidates, but there is no hurry to fill the position.
''It's a terrific job for somebody,'' he said. ''We have the time so we'll take our time.''
O'Connell ready to move on without Guerin
Bill Guerin officially bid farewell to the Bruins late Wednesday night and is now signed, sealed, and delivered to the Dallas Stars in the form of a five-year, $45 million contract.
The 41-goal scorer, who served as Boston's de facto captain last season, will be missed not just for his offense but for his leadership. However, Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell said the departure of Guerin isn't devastating.
''Is it a loss? Of course it is,'' said O'Connell. ''He's a terrific player and he's got a lovely family, they're great people. I'm happy for them. They're going to be comfortable for the rest of their lives. He scored 41 goals, so to [replace that] is difficult, but we had two 41-goal scorers and we can have two or three next year as well, whether it's Glen Murray, Brian Rolston, Sergei Samsonov, or Joe Thornton.''
The Bruins made a two-year offer to Guerin, although Guerin said he never felt the club was negotiating to keep him. O'Connell said that wasn't so.
''I asked him what they wanted,'' said O'Connell. ''He didn't tell me what he wanted. I never knew what they were looking for. I knew they were looking for a [long] term, they didn't give me a number of what they were looking for. I asked for the numbers and they wouldn't give them to me and that's OK. I don't want to sound like it's sour grapes or I'm ticked off, because I'm not. We thought Billy would give us a chance to win the Stanley Cup but it didn't work out, so move on.''
Will that moving on result in signing forward Teemu Selanne? The club made the sniper an offer, but O'Connell said he's not sure where Selanne will land.
''I don't know,'' O'Connell said. ''I had initial conversations with them and I think [Selanne's agent] Don Baizley is just kind of waiting to see what the market will bear and where it might go.''
O'Connell said he doesn't feel pressure to land a big-name free agent to replace Guerin. He feels he has a strong core of talented players who are capable of stepping up their games.
''It comes down to winning again,'' he said. ''The people of Boston want us to win, whether Billy Guerin is in the lineup or whoever. They're disappointed we lost. But we had Billy Guerin and Byron Dafoe in the lineup and we lost in the first round [of the postseason]. It's disappointing. If we don't have them and we go farther in the playoffs, are they going to be happier? Yes. Now we have to make sure we do that.''
Had he known how the season was going to end, O'Connell said he might have made a different choice at the March trading deadline. He said he thinks he easily could've found a team to deal Guerin to, but he believed his roster was enough to make a real run at the Cup.
''I thought we had a chance to do better in the playoffs,'' O'Connell said.
Now Guerin will be playing elsewhere and the Bruins are prepared for life without him. No hard feelings.
''Of course I'm disappointed, but it's a situation where he's got a chance to make as much money as he can and he's done it,'' said O'Connell. ''There's nothing wrong with that. You can't begrudge these guys for doing that. These guys pay their dues. They're 31 years old once, they get free agency, and they have to make the most of it.
''It is about the money at this time.''
O'Connell said the club has not yet decided on a new coach for the Providence Bruins. He said he's talking to candidates, but there is no hurry to fill the position.
''It's a terrific job for somebody,'' he said. ''We have the time so we'll take our time.''
