BOSTON – One needs to give Loui Eriksson a healthy amount of credit for this: he’s not letting the NHL trade deadline, and his place within it, serve as a distraction on any level.



With less than a week until the Feb.29 deadline and Eriksson heavily involved in a rumor mill that’s now kicking into high gear, he scored two more goals in Boston’s disappointing 6-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden on Monday night. The two scores in a losing effort give him 23 goals on the season, and total seven goals and eight points in a run of production over the last eight games.



It’s pretty clear that Eriksson won’t be with the Bruins following this season given the wide gap between the two sides on contract terms for an extension, but it’s just as apparent that he’s also driving up his trade price at the deadline with his massive offensive production.



Eriksson was already on pace for 29 goals and 64 points prior to Monday night’s offensive outburst, but isn’t focused on anything but doing what he can to help the Bruins win hockey games.



“I haven’t really focused on everything around…the things that are going around right now with the team and the trade deadline and everything,” said Eriksson. “I’m just trying to focus on my game and try to play good. Goals have been coming lately here the last few games. You just have to keep doing the same thing. All I can do is just try to play my game, and help this team as much as I can.



“It’s a little bit challenging. But like I said, I’m just trying to play my game and not worry that much about what’s going on around on the outside. All I can do is just play.”



Eriksson is doing just that for a Bruins team that has benefited from his all-around excellence this season, and the way that the Swedish winger and Brad Marchand have carried the B’s offense over the last few weeks.



It would appear that the Bruins will get at least a first round pick and a prospect for Eriksson should they deal him prior to Feb. 29 given how the trade market is setting up around the league. The Swedish winger is making certain of that by going on a scoring spree that illustrates to offense-starved contenders (Anaheim, Minnesota, and St. Louis among others) that Eriksson could be a game-changer down the stretch for any of those teams.