Fond Farewell to Stu & Wheels

Yesterday the Bruins traded away Mark Stuart & Blake Wheeler, a deal that Chiarelli was getting ready at the same time as the Kaberle deal, to free up some cap space; I think maybe he has another move up his sleeve, but that's just a hunch. At the very least, he wants to have the option to make another move. He is such a sly and wily GM, love that guy. Anyone who's calling for his head on a platter needs to chillax. Rich Peverly is a great pick-up. And Kaberle is highly-skilled. The Bruins just drastically improved, folks.

That said, Stu was definitely a favorite of mine. I am gonna miss him a lot. He had some crazy open-ice hits, and was just so sound defensively. I also think he was a great mentor to Adam McQuaid. Simply put, Stu was a leader all-around. I hope he eventually gets a shot to earn an A in Atlanta. Their fans are going to love him methinks.

The other awesome thing about Stu is how passionate he is when it comes to the military and raising money to help those who've risked their lives for our country. He spent a lot of time and money for Military Night, buying tickets for many, many folks. I'm going to miss him a lot.

Blake Wheeler is a big body, also skilled, who never really proved his worth in Boston. Yeah he was decent on the PK, but when you're 6'5" and skilled, we need some production out of you. For what Wheels has accomplished so far this year, I think Chris Kelly is a great fill-in with a better attitude. Perhaps going back to a non-hockey market will take a bit of pressure off Blake.

On the bright side, I realized that Atlanta has two more games left up here, one in NY, and one in NJ. You can bet I'm gonna be there! I managed to snag a lower-level seat in NJ for just $40! Very excited, and you can expect to see some photos of our boys--in blue.

In closing, I wish both of them the best with their new team. I'm truly looking forward to February 28. And I'm also very much looking forward to a Boston Bruins cup run!

Bruins & the NHL Trade Deadline

Well folks, the NHL trade deadline is looming once again: February 28th, 2011, 3PM EST. The Boston Bruins are apparently in talks--yes, again--with the Toronto Maple Leafs for their coveted puck-moving defenseman, Tomas Kaberle. The thing is, Kaberle has apparently stated that he only will waive his NTC for Boston. In doing so, his trade value has dropped substantially, since it means the Bruins wouldn't be in a bidding war with him. Burke said that Boston's not the only team he's speaking with, but we all know that he's probably just trying to recoup some value Kaberle's statement may have made.

What do we give up for Kaberle, an UFA? I figure either a roster player or a 2nd rounder would work, since his contract is just about up. But I've heard some doozies from Leafs fans on Twitter. The first one that made me laugh (and probably one of the reasons folks are calling them "delusional Leafs fans") was Toronto's 1st round pick back PLUS Tim Thomas. For Kaberle and nothing else. LOL. Yes folks, all I can do is laugh out loud at work, and get strange looks from coworkers after that one.

Even better: Tyler Seguin plus their #1 pick back for Kaberle. Whahaha. That's really ridiculous. It just troubles me that Leafs fans seem to think their players are so much more valuable than anyone else. If Mike Fisher had been a Leaf, they'd have expected three first round picks for him!

I liked the one that Mike Miccoli was pondering: Kaberle for the #2 pick from MINN along with Blake Wheeler and Zach Hamill or Jamie Arniel. This would make a lot of sense for Toronto, since they'd gain a linemate for Kessel, and a prospect. It's no secret to anyone that follows me on Twitter that I'm pretty damn tired of Blake Wheeler's laziness. I think he could be an awesome player if he could only get himself motivated. He proved last season that he could adapt to new roles and be good at them (read: lots of time on the PK), so he does have decent value. But to me and many other Bruins fans, lazy doesn't translate well when it comes to the playoffs. Definitely would be a good rebuild-minded deal for the Leafs. I also liked @ThankYouKessel's thought that perhaps the pick would be conditional. I think the Leafs would be fools not to take this deal, because both Arniel and Hamill are highly-touted prospects. There's a chance it could also be Joe Colborne, but I'm not sure PC wants to let him go this soon.

I'm not so keen on the Mark Stuart trade rumors, sending him to the Chicago Blackhawks for a pick. I'm biased of course, because he's my second favorite Bruin only to Milan Lucic. That said, I can see that it would probably be better to keep Adam McQuaid, who's younger, and of similar play style. But that said, why not trade Boychuk, who's been pretty invisible this year (totally suffering from Matt Hunwick-itis)? Boychuk is a fan fave, but Stuart is a leader. I definitely see him getting the A at some point.

Only time will tell, but no matter what happens, I for one am excited about the Bruins chances this off-season.