Category Archives: Boston Bruins
Bruins expect trade winds to slow during draft weekend
“I call it the secondary trade market, but it’s fairly significant. So my objective will probably be to wait unless something falls in my lap.”
That willingness to wait until the “secondary trade market” gives with what Chiarelli told CSNNE.com in an interview last week: the B’s general manager is looking for a “Mark Recchi-type” winger that can bring a veteran presence and some interior toughness to his current forward group.
“If we’re going to add somebody I would rather add a piece like a Mark Recchi. Those guys are hard to come by,” said Chiarelli. “They wouldn’t be exactly like Rex, but those kinds of guys are out there via trade or free agency.
“We have guys that are growing into that [kind of leader], but he’s a Hall of Fame player. We talked about the quality of chances and getting into those scoring areas [that was lacking during the playoffs] and he’s a guy that epitomized that. He gets to those areas and other guys will follow that. Our guys will do it and they’ll have learned from that [Washington] series that it’s required. But that’s something you miss when Rex isn’t around.”
The big names potentially available via trade or free agency and interesting the B’s would be in the Shane Doan, Ray Whitney, Ryan Smyth, Jarome Iginla and Steve Sullivan range.
But there are other names like Mike Knuble and Dustin Penner that could always be big-bodied possibilities. Free agent price tag and potential chemistry with the rest of the Bruins will be considerable factors for whatever forward ends up joining the Bruins group.
NHL rejects Kelly contract: Report
The NHL has rejected a four-year, $12-million contract between Chris Kelly and the Boston Bruins, according to RDS’s Renaud Lavoie, but the club expects the deal to be approved when the free agency period begins July 1.
“We’ve got a commitment from Kelly for four years,” Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told reporters Wednesday. “We’re not able to register that contract yet because of payroll tagging issues.”
Lavoie reported that “cap issues” were behind the league’s dismissal of the deal. The salary cap has not officially been set for the 2012-13 season, but it is expected to be about $70.3-million. Teams can also spend up to 10 percent over the cap during the off-season.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Boston/2012/06/14/19876616.html
Top 5 pre-draft trade possibilities
1. Rick Nash, LW, Columbus: If talk indeed turns to action, Nash will be dealt this summer.
The New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks were left at the alter at the February trade deadline because they weren’t willing to pay the massive price being demanded by Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson.
2. Roberto Luongo, G, Vancouver: There are a lot of teams looking for goaltending: Toronto, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus and the Chicago Blackhawks to name a few.
The issue is the contract given to Luongo by Canucks GM Mike Gillis. He always considers himself the smartest guy in the room, but giving Luongo a deal through with a cap hit of $5.3 million through 2021-22 was ridiculous.
3. Jordan Staal, C, Pittsburgh: This guy would attract plenty of attention. He is the best third-line centre in the league.
The Penguins are going to have to clear cash if they’re going to keep this team together. That could mean moving out a player like Staal because Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin aren’t going anywhere.
4. Jonathan Bernier, G, Los Angeles: He could do just fine sitting behind Jonathan Quick.
If there’s anything this run to the Stanley Cup final has proven, Quick is the man with the Kings and Bernier, 23, is going to have to be happy playing the No. 2 role until a trade is made.
5. Tim Thomas, G, Boston: The Bruins have a huge headache on their hands with this guy.
Thomas, 38, has declared he has no plans to play next season. He says he wants to spend more time with family, but many believe he wants to make sure he controls his own destiny when his “no-move” clause expires July 1.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2012/06/09/19857966.html
Time for Peter Chiarelli to trade
It’s a big deal
The Bruins’ past two games revealed all too clearly that their team, as currently constituted, is just not the real deal.
Unchanged, the B’s — unless they happen to get mighty lucky — aren’t a genuine threat to win the Stanley Cup.
Bruins eye pickup game
Fluto Shinzawa
Then Saturday night, against a Florida team that started an overhaul last week by trading Dominic Moore to Montreal, the Bruins strolled through two listless periods. To come up with the win, they turned to graybeard Recchi to score the tying goal in the third and beat Tomas Vokoun in the shootout.