On the plus side, a team in dire need of leadership got some in the form of Stanley Cup champion Aaron Ward. On the minus side, they didn't add talent so much as trade problems, as the Rangers ended up with Paul Mara, a solid young defenseman who had struggled this season.
On the plus side, they added further depth to their woeful back line by acquiring Blues D Dennis Wideman. On the minus side, they gave up Brad Boyes, who has been one of their better goal-scorers the last couple of seasons. Like Mara, he's struggled this season.
I'm a little confused as to whether the Bruins did the right thing. The team's defensive problems have been addressed rather nicely, but at the expense of an already-questionable offensive attack. In plugging up one dike-hole with a finger, they left another dike-hole wide open, spraying this way and that. They're neither better nor worse than where they started.
Not that they didn't need help on the blue line. They did. Between Tim Thomas' mediocre play in net and the general confusion shown by every defenseman shorter under 6'9", it was an obvious area of need. Besides, there's plenty of upside with Wideman, 23, and Boyes isn't exactly a superstar in waiting. It's not like the team is devastated. I'm just saying that giving up one of the team's few young scorers seems rash. Boyes finally got his shit together; why trade him now? Is it so wrong to express some skepticism that the play of Brandon Bochenski has made Boyes expendable? The only way I can see this being a plus is if Phil Kessel takes over Boyes' ice time. If that happens, fine.
It's not a huge problem. I think Peter Chiarelli's pretty sharp, and neither trade is what you'd call stupid. This obviously won't destroy the team or anything. I would just feel better about it if the Bruins had, you know, one winger we could count on for some scoring.
On the plus side, they added further depth to their woeful back line by acquiring Blues D Dennis Wideman. On the minus side, they gave up Brad Boyes, who has been one of their better goal-scorers the last couple of seasons. Like Mara, he's struggled this season.
I'm a little confused as to whether the Bruins did the right thing. The team's defensive problems have been addressed rather nicely, but at the expense of an already-questionable offensive attack. In plugging up one dike-hole with a finger, they left another dike-hole wide open, spraying this way and that. They're neither better nor worse than where they started.
Not that they didn't need help on the blue line. They did. Between Tim Thomas' mediocre play in net and the general confusion shown by every defenseman shorter under 6'9", it was an obvious area of need. Besides, there's plenty of upside with Wideman, 23, and Boyes isn't exactly a superstar in waiting. It's not like the team is devastated. I'm just saying that giving up one of the team's few young scorers seems rash. Boyes finally got his shit together; why trade him now? Is it so wrong to express some skepticism that the play of Brandon Bochenski has made Boyes expendable? The only way I can see this being a plus is if Phil Kessel takes over Boyes' ice time. If that happens, fine.
It's not a huge problem. I think Peter Chiarelli's pretty sharp, and neither trade is what you'd call stupid. This obviously won't destroy the team or anything. I would just feel better about it if the Bruins had, you know, one winger we could count on for some scoring.
posted by Jeff at
6:20 PM
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