Wideman/By S. Bradley

No one was a bigger poster child for all of the Bruins’ struggles this season than Dennis Wideman. Sometimes unfairly, and mostly fairly, Wideman was targeted by fans and media alike for his costly, lackadaisical play at the defensive end.

In some ways, Wideman was a victim of his own success. When a player returns from a 50-point, plus-32 season and drop off to 30 points and a minus-14, it’s extremely frustrating to watch in light of that athlete’s proven ability to be a better contributor to his club’s success.

Wideman did himself few favors with his quotes about lack of motivation and an inability to maintain intensity. Bruins fans can live with mistakes, but not a lack of effort. Wideman’s play picked up in the playoffs, but he still proved gaffe-prone at the worst possible times.

A change of scenery might save Wideman best, but trading him and his $3.875 million cap hit will be a difficult task for general manager Peter Chiarelli. Instead, the Bruins are going to have to hope he can regain his game for the regular season (despite how bored he might be) and be a valuable member of the team’s top four in their bounce-back season.

Stats: 76 GP, 6-24-30, 34 PIM, minus-14

Season highlight: With every game down the stretch carrying a playoff feel, Wideman must have felt sufficiently motivated April 8 against Buffalo. Just 1:59 into the third period, he broke a 1-1 tie with a goal on the rush off a pass back by Vladimir Sobotka to help send the Bruins to a huge 3-1 win at the Garden.

Season low-light: There are probably too many of these to count, but Jan. 18 against Ottawa proved that everyone and everything that could happen wrong to Wideman would. After a simple puck retrieval near his own  blue line, Wideman runs into referee Dan O’Rourke, who causes a turnover and a breakaway goal by Jonathan Cheechoo. If it wasn’t so sad, it would’ve been funny. Wideman finished the 5-1 loss with a minus-3 rating.

Final grade: D
A late-season renaissance prevented the year from being a total failure for Wideman, but he was still one of the biggest culprits for Boston’s inability to meet preseason expectations — and a prime candidate to be shipped out of town to change the club’s culture.

The crystal ball says … Chiarelli might have to take an over-paid forward in return and/or sweeten the pot with a draft pick, but dealing Wideman is the only way the Bruins can bring back Johnny Boychuk and Mark Stuart outside of something else drastic. The team can’t have seven defensemen making more than $2 million.