Earlier this week, Bruins defenseman Torey Krug said he hopes he hasn't played his last game as a Bruin, but acknowledged that he still doesn't have any clarity about what the future holds.
On Friday, Boston general manager Don Sweeney said he also hopes Krug's time in Boston isn't at an end and that although the two sides haven't been able to strike a deal yet, talks have been "amicable."
"I dearly hope Torey hasn't played his last game this year or going forward," Sweeney said on a video conference call with reporters. "He's been a big part of any success we've had as an organization. He's a special player, both on and off the ice. He means a lot in the locker room. ... In a cap world, we have to try to fit the pieces together. We've had very, very good discussions with Torey's group, but we just haven't found a landing spot. That's understandable given the circumstances of where the cap is and his value, both to us and also in a potential open-market type situation.
"We're hopeful that we will find a resolution with Torey, but at this point in time we haven't been able to do so. But it's been very amicable and we've made our feeling perfectly clear that we respect and acknowledge what Torey has done and what he's capable of doing for us as a member of the Boston Bruins, and we hope that continues."
Sweeney also discussed another defenseman whose contract is up at the end of the season, captain Zdeno Chara. On Dale and Keefe on Thursday, the 43-year-old Chara said he wants to continue to play "as long as I can and as long as I have fun and I love the game and I’m very passionate about the game."
"Even Zdeno himself has reported that he'd like to continue to play," Sweeney said. "The really unique relationship that we have as an organization with Zdeno, and this started a bunch of years ago but really the last three or four in particular, is that he has exercised the ability to show patience, allow us to plan accordingly, and then adjust in his own contractual situation. You saw him do two consecutive one-year deals, which was important for us for planning. ... The ongoing dialogue has been very healthy with Zdeno."
Continuing on the theme of defensemen in the final year of their contract, Sweeney was also asked about Kevan Miller and whether this break could potentially open the door for him to return to game action at some point if and when the season resumes. Sweeney said that would seem unlikely at this point and that the goal is for Miller to get healthy by the start of next season, whether that's with the Bruins or another team.
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