Matt Bartkowski/Photo by S. Bradley
When he woke up Friday morning, Bruins defenseman Matt Bartkowski was the club’s last remaining unsigned restricted free agent.
That changed by the afternoon when the team announced Bartkowski had been signed to a new one-year, two-way deal for the 2012-13 season.
Bartkowski has been overshadowed in recent months by top defenseman prospects Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug. But once he was seen as the heir apparent to the job of puck-moving defenseman and he’ll challenge for a job in Boston’s top six in the fall. Last season, he skated in just three NHL games and did not record a point. The previous season, his first as a pro, he played in six NHL games without a point.
Last season with the Providence (AHL) farm club, he skated in 50 games and posted 3-19-22 totals before a season-ending leg injury.
PK’s a likeable guy when you’re a Hab fan. Off the ice, he’s a model citizen, great PR guy and has a good sense of humor. On the ice, something tells me he’s already committed enough sins to never get forgiveness from the Bruins.
Malcolm is going to be a great goalie, but PK’s turned out pretty great too so I’m ok with my Subban, you guys can be OK with your Subban:)
RD
Its too bad that you couldn’t have thrown in a clip of one species trying to escape from another species and entitled it “Lucic or Horton in pursuit of Subban”. Fortunately, we got the better of the Subban offspring!
Since it’s a slow news summer, I figured I’d drop this off here.
You guys have drafted a Subban. Here’s some positive PK Subban PR for you guys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iod_ABZm2JE
One last thing, if the NHL brass thinks their offer is any good, we’re not watching hockey next year.
While i agree, you may have to consider the situations. Krug could only play in the nhl last year, it was equivalent to a tryout, despite the fact that he already had a 2way deal for future seasons too. Theres plenty of security there for him. And it was end of season, team clinched playoff berth, maybe even the spot. Bartkowskis games were midseason with a feeling of pressure to stay up once injuries subsided. Maybe thats a bad sign in itself, you dont want guys who crack under pressure, but either way, its too small of a sample to really make a fair assessment inmy opinion
IMO Krug looked much more comfortable than Bartkowski did playing at the NHL level.