By Eric “Moose” Ahearn
The Boston Bruins find themselves in a very unusual position. Currently in second place in the Eastern Conference with 72 points (9 behind NYR), the B’s seem comfortable in the standings. With no real competition in the Northeast, the Bruins will be able to coast to a top three standing when all is said and done this season. Further, the Southeast looks to be as terrible as the AFC West in football, so barring some crazy push from Ottawa or Toronto, and a dip in the Bruins performance, the B’s will be fine in securing a top two spot in the conference. Despite that bit of good news, the Bruins are without top players in Rich Peverley and Nathan Horton.
Injuries:
Rich Peverley is the type of player many fans around the league may not know much about, but any B’s fan knows what he brings to the table. The time table that the team has placed on him is 4-6 weeks with an apparent knee injury, and I would like to believe that report, but I feel this is not the only injury that he is dealing with and he could be out longer. In late December the center/winger was forced to miss practice time. Before missing out on the past two games, Pevs had missed 6 previous games during the year due to undisclosed injuries. Timing could also not be worse as the next 4-6 weeks comes during a time where the Bruins play a swamped schedule. After 4-6 weeks, one cannot expect Peverley to be back to full speed either. His value to the Bruins will be limited this regular season, with the hopes he will be 100% for the playoff run.
Nathan Horton remains out indefinitely, and there is not much you can say about concussions as they are very unpredictable. Rather than debate about time tables and comparisons to Savard or Crosby, let’s focus on what is lost with his departure. Horton was more than just the right winger on the top line at the time; he was a piece that completed a very simple puzzle. We had two big horses on the wings in Lucic and Horton around a highly skilled pivot in Krejci. The line brought an intense forecheck with three players that could win most battles in the corners. It also put two scorers on the sides of a man who doesn’t like to shoot until playoff time (which is insufferably frustrating). Without Horton, Julien has tried to fit a few different pieces onto that line…with very little success. Even if you put Tyler Seguin on that line, you replace the talent but change the dynamic of the line completely. The person who is asked to change the most I believe is Lucic. He is now forced to be a player that needs to use his hands more rather than his body. He will now be asked to excel at the finesse aspects of the game. Further, there is not much out there on the trade market to replace what Horton brings.
Moving Forward:
Decisions now have to be made: Do the Bruins take advantage of their playoff position and try to survive until good health comes their way? Do the Bruins make the big move for a Rick Nash? Or do they add minor pieces to fill voids?
In my opinion, option number three is the best option. I certainly do not believe they should stand still and coast until Peverley and maybe Horton come back. Making that choice means that you assume everyone else will stay healthy. Can you imagine losing another top six or top nine forward? If the Bruins were to lose a player such as Marchand or Lucic, the team might crumble. Lastly, option number one will come at a huge cost. I’ll talk about this a little bit more below.
The reason I believe adding the right minor pieces is ideal is because you don’t want to sacrifice your title chances this year but you also don’t want to sacrifice the team’s future. I feel that there are a few patches out there that you could plug the dam with. Also, I would have liked to have seen the Bruins add minor pieces anyway, even if Horton and Peverley were both healthy. Depth is extremely important in the rugged playoffs, or for moments exactly like this, the playoff push.
Trade Options:
Below are three categories of players the Bruins might consider adding. I am hesitant to give opinions on many defensemen as it is hard to get a really good grip on what a blue liner brings to the table without watching him for more than a few games. If you think back, who knew how good Seidenberg was going to fit?
Avoid: This category is for players I believe the Bruins should avoid.
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| Rick Nash |
Rick Nash (RW Columbus Blue Jackets): I hate to burst any bubbles of people who believe this is a match made in heaven, but the main aspect of the Bruins cup run last spring was that the team ran three to four lines every game. The depth could not be matched by other teams. Bringing in Nash at nearly $8-million per year will handcuff the Bruins’ long term outlook more than a little bit. Speaking of the team’s outlook, Columbus would most likely ask for a few pieces from the following pool: Rask, Dougie Hamilton (top prospect), Krejci, Caron and/or a top draft pick. If you don’t know much about Hamilton, he is seen as the top defensemen in the CHL (Canadian Hockey League), offensively gifted, 6’5”, and willing to take the body… all at the age of just 18. If the Bruins were to not give up Rask, whom they deem untouchable, they would have to give up something like Hamilton, Caron, 1st and 2nd round picks. Chiarelli is seen as someone who will not budge on Hamilton. I too share the same opinion that Rask and Hamilton are too important. Further, Columbus knows that they may be able to get more for Nash around the time of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. There are simply too many more reasons not to trade for Nash than to trade for him.
Paul Stastny (C, Colorado Avalanche): Stastny is a player that has been rumored to be available. He is locked in at a very long contract worth $6 million per year. Stastny has a lot of untapped talent but he is already being paid as if he is a point-per-game type player, and he would require someone like Hamilton and a pick to acquire. Again, I would not be willing to part with Hamilton, or really much at all to make a run at this player.
Jeff Carter (C, Columbus Blue Jackets): Columbus thought they were cleaning up the Flyers’ garage sale this past spring, but they grabbed a piece of junk and are paying him over $5 million per season on a long contract. I wouldn’t trade a 7th round pick for Carter and a 6th round pick.
Derick Brassard (C, Columbus Blue Jackets): He is a cheaper Jeff Carter at $3.2 million per season for the next three years. To put it simply, I do not think he will be that productive. I would take him at $1.2 million a year, but not at his current contract. Since he would be more than a rental, I would stay clear of him.
Tweeners: These are the players that I would not mind the Bruins bringing in, but also wouldn’t be drooling over.
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| Ales Hemsky |
Ales Hemsky (RW, Edmonton Oilers): I am a HUGE fan of Hemsky. He’s electric, fast, skilled, and can keep the puck away from you in a phone booth. One of the knocks on him is that he is very injury prone. He’s healthy right now and he would be a simple rental that would cost the team a little over a million dollars for the remainder of the season. The reason why I do not have him in my Want category is because he does not play a Bruin style of hockey. Hemsky plays away from the corners rather than the nasty, gritty style that you expect from a Bruin. However, I think he would fit nicely with Kelly and eventually Peverley.
Saku Koivu (C, Anaheim Ducks): He’s a good all-around center. He has some talent and brief playoff experience, yet he may or may not be available as the Ducks are making a strong push. If he were to become available he would be a nice fit on the Bruins third line. One of his negatives is that he played for the Montreal Canadians for well over 10 years. A polar-opposite hockey brand than the Bruins play.
Lubomir Visnovski (D, Anaheim Ducks): Who the hell is Lubomir Visnovski? I’ll tell you who, the player who lea all defensemen in points LAST YEAR? (68), second in goals (18), and averages 24-26 minutes per game. He is the true “puck-moving defensemen” that Chiarelli has always wanted. Right now Visnovski has a 5-17-22 line in 46 games, which for him is under-achieving. He is a costly $5.6 million dollars per year, but the Bruins can easily fit him under the cap this season. Unfortunately, they may struggle to fit him next year, the last year of his contract.
The ducks have recently been on a great run to get them back in the playoff picture. The way the Bruins can pitch the idea is that they can take Joe Corvo and a draft pick in return and stay competitive this year. Chiarelli would have to weigh his options, considering the 3$.35 million dollar increase in cap hit.
Guys I Want:
Ray Whitney (LW, Phoenix Coyotes): Whitney is becoming more of a distant dream as of late. The ‘Yotes have been on a really good run to join the playoff race. Whitney is a fine wine at the age of 39 and currently carries a 16-37-53 line which would make him the top point getter on the Bruins. If the team did not have such an impressive run of late, then Whitney could have been plucked at a decent price. Now, if Whitney is to be moved it will cost the Bruins possibly a player and a pick. He plays the off wing (right-handed left wing) and carries the experience to play RW on a line with Lucic and Krejci. This acquisition may be a stretch.
Teemu Selanne (RW, Anaheim Ducks): Acquiring Selanne would resemble when the Bruins got Rex a couple years back, except Selanne is considerably better. The Finnish Flash has a storied career that includes a rookie record that will never be broken, 76 goals!! Much like Whitney, Selanne plays on a team that is making a huge push. He also carries a no-trade clause in his contract. For some reason, Selanne is strongly attached to the organization and may not want to move to any team, even the Bruins. This would be the best fit for the Bruins out of all the players that have been rumored to be available.
David Jones (RW, Colorado Avalanche): Much like Selanne, Jones would fit in for missing right wings in Peverley and Horton, but he is at a very modest 12-11-23 line that may not impress many. Jones sizes up to be 6’2” and 210 pounds. He also carries a good wrister. One of the main reasons I like Jones is that he’s just one year removed from a 27 goal year. I think he would fit in perfectly on the right side of Krejci. He is in the last year of his contract that runs $2.5 million per. I do not believe his cost would be too much for the B’s.
Players to note: Johnny Oduya (D. Jets), Bryan Allen (D, Hurricanes), Mike Knuble (RW, Capitals).
This is my first post of many. As many hockey fans know, the news around the Trade Deadline comes fast and furious. If there is a whirl-wind of change by the end of the week, I will be posting a new article containing my thoughts. Also, early next week I will sort through the winners and losers of the deadline and give reactions to any Bruins moves.
Questions?? Feel free to send your questions to btownsportsradio@gmail.com . My next post may include some Q&A’s.
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