| | DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings are willing to keep negotiating a contract for All-Star left wing Brendan Shanahan until the Stanley Cup playoffs begin, general manager Ken Holland said Wednesday.
The club will not negotiate during the playoffs, he said.
"My policy is that I hold no negotiations during the Stanley Cup playoffs once the regular season is over," Holland said. "I want the full focus of the organization to be on the playoffs.
"I'm open to any contract negotiations during the regular season. ... Obviously if Brendan is not signed between now and the end of the regular season, immediately upon the conclusion of the playoffs Brendan would be my number one priority.
"Obviously we don't want Brendan going into July 1 as an unrestricted free agent."
Shanahan, 31, who had 74 points and a team-leading 39 goals going into Wednesday night's game against Vancouver, is being paid $4 million this season. Talks with his agent, Rick Curran, began in September, Holland said.
"We've had continued conversation. ... I've never set a deadline. I'm always optimistic that we'll come to terms. I never look at a date," such as by the start of the playoffs, Curran said Wednesday.
Both Holland and Curran said they were willing to negotiate during the remainder of the regular season, although no talks had been scheduled.
"On a semi-regular basis we've stayed in touch and had conversations," Holland said. "We have no real firm plans to talk. That doesn't mean we won't talk." | |
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