The Buffalo News<\/a> before Saturday\u2019s win over Columbus, indicating he has casually chatted with pending unrestricted free agents Ryan Miller, Matt Moulson and Steve Ott.<\/p>\nMurray emphasized none of them are getting traded unless the Sabres reap significant rewards.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve told them all the same thing really and it was like, \u2018It\u2019s unfortunate you\u2019re going to see your name in the paper. That\u2019s just the nature of the game,\u2019 \u201d Murray said. \u201cThey\u2019re not young players. They\u2019ve been around. They know the game. They know that this is part of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told them not to believe everything they read or everything they\u2019ve heard on the sports channels. But certainly their names are in play and we\u2019ll see what happens, but it doesn\u2019t guarantee they\u2019ll be moved at all. For me, it\u2019s all about return. These are good players. So if the return was up to a certain point and not great and we then decide we want to talk to them about staying, then that\u2019s an option too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murray, on what it will take: \u201cSo if we\u2019re going to do something, it\u2019s going to be something I\u2019m really forced to do as far as return. That would be fine but I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murray, on discussions with teams so far: \u201cThere\u2019s been lots of interaction, a lot of early talking,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s been no real specifics. I think teams are just trying to feel us out, feel me out on what we want to do. There\u2019s certainly been discussions. I\u2019m not sure there\u2019s any artificial deadline. I think people are in a wait-and-see mode, to tell you the truth.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are concerned about injuries this far out. If a contending team makes their one big move and that guy is not available when he needs to be, there\u2019s concern there from those teams. I\u2019m really not sure a lot of teams want to pull off the big trade this far out. It could happen, but it doesn\u2019t seem to me there\u2019s any urgency right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
BETTMAN ADDRESSES GRETZKY\u2019S NHL FUTURE<\/b><\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Times<\/a> has quotes from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman during Saturday night\u2019s Stadium Series tilt at Dodger Stadium involving the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, where Wayne Gretzky was a central part of the festivities.<\/p>\nGretzky and the league finally recently settled the matter of money owed him from the Phoenix Coyotes\u2019 bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
“I’m not sure he ever left the fold. People have their own lives to live,” Bettman said. “But having him as a more frequent presence is very special to us.<\/p>\n
“On a personal level I’m a fan of his. His accomplishments are unbelievable in the annals of any sport. And he’s just such a great ambassador for the game. We wouldn’t be here tonight doing this if it wasn’t for him.”<\/p>\n