Dreger on Babcock, Fleury, and Myers

Darren Dreger was on NHL Live on the NHL Network Wednesday afternoon.

On an extension for Mike Babcock:

Babcock and Holland are trying to "respectful of the process" and don't want this to play out in the media. 

"There's a strong appetite to keep Babcock in Detroit past whatever this extension might be. You know, he might qualify for one of those lifetime contracts from the Ilitch family, depending on how things go here."

Reiterates recent report that Red Wings offered Babcock four-year deal worth around $3 million per season. Babcock believed looking for five years and $3 million or higher. 

"He wants the opportunity to win again and if that's in Detroit, the Red Wings are playing good hockey out of the gate in this regular season. There's no reason to think he won't embrace the opportunity that he has."

On Jim Rutherford's comments about wanting to keep Marc-Andre Fleury:

"Wonderful position to be if you're a pending unrestricted free agent, because you know that there's a strong appetite now from management in Pittsburgh to keep you on board."

Rutherford knows the craft. He wants to make sure Fleury isn't distracted.

"If Jim Rutherford had been the Penguins general manager prior to his hiring this summer, I suspect that the extension would have already been dealt with by now. But he had other things that he had to attend to. So I think this is just a public acknowledgement that there's a strong appetite there to keep Marc-Andre Fleury in the organization, but that doesn't mean Marc-Andre Fleury hasn't earned the right to test unrestricted free agency and he might just do that. But this is a recognition of the history that Marc-Andre Fleury is entitled to in participation of the success of the Pittsburgh Penguins."

On Tyler Myers:

"The market is strong in terms of the interest in Tyler Myers and I think we can understand why."

Also: "They're not really thrilled, those interested in Myers, with the asking price. And Tim Murray isn't trying to force Tyler Myers out of Buffalo."

Also: "There are some out there that think the rate of return is just too lofty. I know the Red Wings... they're keenly interested, but they've been scouting Tyler Myers this season pretty closely and they don't like the ask in return. They don't want to give up on Dylan Larkin, as an example, of being part of a package.

"Kindl's name is out there as well. I'm sure the Anaheim Ducks have interest in Tyler Myers.

"So this is going to be an ongoing storyline, which I'm sure Tim Murray is fed up with, because you never like your players talked about when it comes to trade scenarios because it muddies the waters. Again, media types like us, E.J., get on the phone and we reach out to try to connect the dots. So this just complicates things, I would think, for the Buffalo Sabres." 

Source: NHL Live on NHL Network/ Notes, Transcript: Nichols on Hockey