diff --git a/device/mellanox/x86_64-mlnx_msn2700-r0/plugins/sfputil.py b/device/mellanox/x86_64-mlnx_msn2700-r0/plugins/sfputil.py
index db1bea8a47f..bfdb9ce4820 100644
--- a/device/mellanox/x86_64-mlnx_msn2700-r0/plugins/sfputil.py
+++ b/device/mellanox/x86_64-mlnx_msn2700-r0/plugins/sfputil.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     import subprocess
     from sonic_sfp.sfputilbase import *
     import syslog
+    import sys
 except ImportError as e:
     raise ImportError("%s - required module not found" % str(e))
 
@@ -103,12 +104,11 @@ def get_presence(self, port_num):
 
         try:
             reg_file = open(self.qsfp_sysfs_path + "qsfp{}_status".format(port_num + 1))
+            content = reg_file.readline().rstrip()
         except IOError as e:
-            print "Error: unable to open file: %s" % str(e)
+            print >> sys.stderr, "Error: unable to access file: %s" % str(e)
             return False
 
-        content = reg_file.readline().rstrip()
-
         # content is a string with the qsfp status
         if content == SFP_STATUS_INSERTED:
             return True
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def get_low_power_mode(self, port_num):
             if 'LPM ON' in output:
                 return True
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-            print "Error! Unable to get LPM for {}, rc = {}, err msg: {}".format(port_num, e.returncode, e.output)
+            print >> sys.stderr, "Error! Unable to get LPM for {}, rc = {}, err msg: {}".format(port_num, e.returncode, e.output)
             return False
 
         return False