Benoit Pouliot is now an ex-Bruin/Photo by Dan Hickling
The Bruins thought that with the right coaching, structure and more of a role on their team Benoit Pouliot would finally blossom.
Today they ended their ties with the former No. 4 overall draft pick by dealing his rights to Tampa Bay.
Pouliot is scheduled to be a restricted free agent assuming the Lightning tender him a qualifying offer.
In exchange the Bruins received the rights to 30-year-old journeyman Michel Ouellet and a fifth-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. Ouellet is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent July 1 after he played for the Calder Cup champion Norfolk Admirals last season in the American Hockey League. The pick is 131 overall.
Pouliot joined the Bruins as a UFA last summer after Montreal did not tender him an offer as an RFA. After a slow start, he finished with 16-16-32 totals in 74 games. His last act as a Bruin, however, will be the shoot-in that didn’t get past Mike Knuble at the Washington blue line and sent the Capitals up the ice on their game-winning rush before Joel Ward’s overtime goal in Game 7 in April. Tampa Bay will be Pouliot’s fourth organization since Minnesota drafted him fourth overall in 2005.
so it’s poulliot who gets to be the lone player not re-signed this year. no big loss. they need to start letting more than one guy go a year over the next couple of seasons. they have good players in the system, there are better opportunities on the open market and the bruins have no room for either.
I’m going to miss Benny! I didn’t like his play much at first, but he kind of grew on me. It seemed later in the season whenever the Bruins had a tough time scoring, his line would produce, often him being the catalyst. He’s had a few highlight-real goals this year and turned into one of the more exciting players to watch on the team. However, he did sometimes take stupid penalties, and of course I do remember him being on the ice in Game 7 for the series-losing goal.
Nice little move by PC!