The Buffalo Sabres may hold on to Chris Stewart until the bitter end in order to maximize their return on the rugged forward.
General manager Tim Murray, who reportedly rebuffed offers made back in the fall, is believed to be sticking to his asking price of a second-round pick and a prospect for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.
From LeBrun:
A source said Wednesday that nothing was imminent on the Stewart trade front, which suggests to me that the obvious play at this point is to drag this out right to the deadline and see if teams blink before 3 p.m. ET on March 2.
Say what you want about Stewart, who has struggled for large chunks of this season, he’s played better over the past month and you have to believe that once on a contender, he’ll be a motivated player with a future contract on the line. He could be a difference-maker.
The Boston Bruins have long been thought to be in the market for Stewart's services, but may have more competition as the deadline approaches, meaning Murray may get his haul after all.
Stewart has recorded four goals and eight assists in 18 games in 2015.
