Chiarelli
In a conference call to discuss his official signing of four players — Gregory Campbell, Adam McQuaid, Andrew Bodnarchuk and Jeff Lovecchio — today, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli plotted out his tentative plan as far as it deals with his team’s upcoming offseason maneuvers.
“After we get Wheels (Blake Wheeler) done, we’re going to be relatively quiet for the time being,” Chiarelli said about signing the restricted free agent.
In response to a question, Chiarelli then added signing No. 2 overall pick Tyler Seguin as another priority. Chiarelli said that he had some preliminary talks and would heat up that negotiation next week.
As for anymore trades, Chiarelli knows first-hand what we’re all witnessing from the outside: no one wants to do any deals.
“I was active in the trade market, starting with our trade (for Nathan Horton) that we made. I was active in the market after that, even so,” said the GM. “It’s just quiet right now. Everything’s really slow. I’ve talked to a few guys and everything has kind of grinded to a halt.”
Chiarelli said he has not cut ties with unrestricted free agent Steve Begin or Miro Satan, but admitted that his team will be very tight to the salary cap once the Wheeler and Seguin contracts are done. He also admitted that Marco Sturm’s LTIR will be helpful but that he’ll have to do something when the time comes for the recovering winger to return to the lineup after knee surgery.
don’t go messing around with Seguin he should be a prioty he can be a franchise player don’t send him the wrong message hall is already signed in Edmonton .We have 3 or 4 top six forwards but they all play center nothing on the wings and we don’t have enough sand paper Horton will help put Berigon on the wing with Savard and Seguin with Horton hard to check 2 good lines
Char, I can’t buy that. The Bruins lost to the Flyers who were without some key players for part of that series. It was pretty even in terms of injuries.
The team has lost 3 Game 7s in a row over the past 3 seasons, 2 on home ice and both by 1 goal. That says something beyond injuries, bad luck, running into a hot team, etc. There have been some constants across that run and they need to take a harder look at why they are not winning these games.
It is also telling that the team is well known to be shopping the likes of Thomas and Savard and possibly Ryder and some others. But none of those guys are moving (for a variety of reasons, admittedly). Point being, the Bruins definitely have players and contracts they would like to move but the demand is not out there. That says something to me about the makeup of the team and also the wisdom of the contracts that have been handed out.
There’s no room for Satan or Begin. Time to get younger.
As for ‘correcting the problem,’ there’s little you can do about dislocated wrists, concussions, sliced tendons and infections. This is a very good team, providing they stay healthy. Perhaps they should issue Tyler Seguin a rabbit’s foot.
satan, yes (dude can still steal shoot outs) and begin, no. no more FOCs (friends of claude).
Adding Horton will help the offense. Subbing in Seidenberg for Wideman will probably help the defense. Drafting Seguin will help, maybe this year, certainly beyond. That’s all good.
But I can’t help feeling that the moves that have been made don’t go far enough to correct the problems that have led to Game 7 playoff losses three years running, and a generally disappointing 2009-10 season.
I don’t think Chia has got to the root of the problems yet. Let’s hope that despite a tough trade market he finds a way to continue the makeover. This is not a team that can be favored to do better in the playoffs yet, especially if Pittsburgh and Washington get their act together this year.