Sturm/By S. Bradley
BOSTON — The Bruins no longer have to clear cap space for the return of Marco Sturm because it seems they’ve traded him to Los Angeles.
In a deal first reported by TSN and not confirmed yet by the Bruins, Sturm goes to the Kings for a conditional draft pick. Sturm has been rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee all season and has yet to play in a game. He carries a $3.5 million cap hit and is in the last year of his deal.
So Michael Ryder, Blake Wheeler, et al, can now breathe a little easier.
Had Boston brought Sturm back, they would’ve had to clear around anywhere from $2.5 to $3 million from their cap, according to recent reports.
Published By mattk Thu. December 2, 2010 1:35 pm EDT
Any deal for a top-end PMD is gonna cost a roster player with value (Wheels) + a 1st round pick (the B’s or the Leafs)
The pick looks to be conditional, starting at a 5th rounder. It’s obvious the NHL believes Sturm is probably done. A 32-year old who definitely lost a step after major surgery #1, and is now behind schedule in his recovery from major surgery #2?
Great move by us. Why wait to see if he has anything left when we already have equivalent talent entering mid-season form? Especially considering the cap mayhem it was going to cause.
LA needs a scoring winger badly so it’s worth the chance for them. If he works out, our pick gets better. If not, we avoid messing with our line-up and it only costs LA a 5th rounder. Good deal for both squads.
Bruno, no one wants Ryder or Paille. Other teams aren’t going to give you a good d-man for guys like that. They want real value like high draft picks, Caron, Coburne or maybe Wheeler
I think we should had packed someone else in it like Ryder and Sturm or Sturm and Paille for a good D. Let´s wait to figure out which pick did we get.
Couldn’t be happier with this deal, all things considered.
As far as what the future holds, Wheeler certainly has the greatest trade value… contenders with cap space will look at him before Ryder given his size and defensive ability, even though both of the two would fit well in a run-and-gun offense like St. Louis, Colorado or Phoenix. I would hate to see Wheeler go, considering his play picking up as of late… but if the B’s are serious about getting a puck-moving D-man, then the best they can probably hope for is Wheeler and a draft pick (maybe the one they just picked up?) for a D-man with an expiring contract.
I agree, they need a #2 D-man
But we are pretty close to seeing a seriously deep forward line-up
Lucic-Savard-Horton
Ryder-Kreijci- Seguin
Wheeler- Bergeron-Recchi
Thornton-Campbell-Marchand
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Wheeler, Paille and a pick for a #2-3 PMD and we’re rolling!
They had the space before the trade. That was the Hunwick deal.
I like this trade. They probably told him he was going to the AHL and he wanted a trade. Solves that problem. I always liked Sturm and will never forget Game 6 a few years back v. the Habs. He would have been nice to keep around in case of injury. That said, he is seriously damaged goods and I question his ability to return to the form he once had.
Wheeler and Ryder are still on my hot seat. I would trade both or either for a top end defenseman, though, no one would ever do that for Ryder.
If this is confirmed, doe’s this mean the Bruins have the cap space to dress Savard tonight?
hopefully less question marks mean more passion.
I hate to see Sturm go, but I understand why the decision was made.
Something tells me Wheeler has no reason to “breath easier”. B’s are still weak on D and he should be the first to be considered (and has the most value) in a trade.