Category — Trade Deadline '09

“Do not mistake activity for achievement.” — John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach

John Wooden

BOSTON — There aren’t too many things John Wooden, the basketball Hall of Famer and icon, is wrong about. And in general, the above quote is dead-on. But in the case of the Boston Bruins and the deals they made leading up to today’s 3 p.m trade deadline, activity won them the day — and the achievement might come some time in June.

Winger Mark Recchi and defenseman Steve Montador are both solid complementary additions for their experience, versatility and skill. But when compared to additions the Bruins’ stiffest competition in the Eastern Conference made (or didn’t make), Recchi and Montador’s arrivals multiply in enormity.

Remember, the Bruins sit atop the East with 93  points — six points better than New Jersey. You know what the Devils did today at the deadline? Nada. Now they added Niclas Havelid as a third-pair defenseman Monday, and some would argue that the return of Martin Brodeur to protect their pipes after a lengthy injury absence was like a deadline trade. But the Devils, who have played the Bruins tough, didn’t do much to put themselves over the top. [Read more →]

Recchi the champion.

BOSTON — Winger Mark Recchi, acquired today by the Boston Bruins from the Tampa Bay Lightning, has already won two Stanley Cups.

But just like fellow Cup-winning Bruins Aaron Ward, Shawn Thornton and Stephane Yelle, don’t expect him to be complacent upon joining the top team in the Eastern Conference.

“It means everything to me. That’s what 99 percent of the hockey players play for is to win a Stanley Cup,” said Recchi on a conference call after he was acquired along with a second-round pick in 2010 for Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums. “And to get into the playoffs and get that opportunity again, it’s remarkable, especially the way the year’s gone here and not knowing what was going to happen. To get picked up by a first-place team really is nice and comforting that it’s a team that thinks I can help. And I’m going to go try to do everything I can to do that.” [Read more →]

BOSTON — One of the first things everyone seems to say about newly acquired Boston Bruins defenseman Steve Montador is that he’s willing to do anything to win.

He tried to prove that just last week, when with his old team the Anaheim Ducks trailing 3-0, he tried to coax Boston burly winger Milan Lucic into a gloves-off bout.

“I was planning on doing that. I asked him and then he said let’s let the shift get going a little bit. … I just figured we needed a spark because there was still an opportunity to win the game,” Montador, who never did get to duke it out with Lucic, recalled today during a conference call in the aftermath of his trade to Boston. “I know ‘Looch’ because I met him in the summer and I consider him a friend now. … It’s just one of those things.”

Montador can play defense, he can chip in on the offense, he can move up to play forward and, yes, he can fight. Although if you watch this bout with Bruins tough guy Jeremy Reich from last year, his form might need some work:

[Read more →]

Chiarelli

BOSTON — Even though Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli didn’t complete a blockbuster trade before today’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, it wasn’t for lack of trying.

Chiarelli, who admitted he was “pretty close” to landing a type-A star, sighted the competitiveness of some teams that are still close in the standings and reluctant to become sellers, as well as salary-cap restrictions, for the added difficulty in getting such deals done. He said that the resistance this year from other general managers was the most he could remember since coming to Boston and even before when he was with Ottawa.

“I guess at the end of the day it takes two to tango and … at the end of the day we were working on two — and I guess three with that other housekeeping deal to create some (cap) space — it didn’t happen for whatever reason. The offers were exchanged and sooner or later I had to pull the plug on it,” he explained late this afternoon once he was done with his dealing.

Instead of landing a big dog, Chiarelli added a couple loyal, hard-working labradors to his pack with the acquistion of forward Mark Recchi from Tampa Bay and defenseman Steve Montador from Anaheim. He surrendered just one roster player, the recovering Petteri Nokelainen, plus two prospects (Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums), and even managed to pry a second-round draft pick away from Tampa Bay. [Read more →]

BOSTON — All indications here at TD Banknorth Garden are that the Boston Bruins are done trading. The deadline was 3 p.m. EST, but there are still reports of deals trickling in.

General manager Peter Chiarelli’s 4:30 p.m. press conference, postponed indefinitely earlier, is now back on for that time.

Check back later for complete coverage.

Nokelainen

Still just 23 years old, forward Petteri Nokelainen — who the Boston Bruins traded today to Anaheim for defenseman Steve Montador — has battled several injuries over the years while attempting to reach the potential that made him a first-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 2004.

Even this season, he missed 19 games with an upper-body and an eye injury. But today after his team practiced and made the first of their two trades, head coach Claude Julien stressed the dealing of Nokelainen was more in no way an indictment of the Finnish forward.

“In order to get something, you have to give something. It’s pretty clear that we liked Nokelainen,” Julien said of the player who when healthy totaled three assists in 33 games and averaged 9:40 of ice time.  “He had a lot of upside to him. He was still a young player. We forget he came into the league at a really young age, so we have a tendency to look at him more as a veteran. But he was still a young player that I think will only get better.”

Morris

The New York Rangers, seventh in the Eastern Conference as of today, acquired two players that were at one point in the Boston Bruins’ cross-hairs, as both defenseman Derek Morris and forward Nik Antropov are both heading to the Big Apple.

The Blueshirts picked up Morris from Phoenix for three roster players — Dmitri Kalinin, Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha.

MK: That’s a lot steeper price to pay than the Bruins were probably willing to pay (think Andrew Ference, Byron Bitz and the departed Petteri Nokelainen) and I don’t blame them.

Antropov heads from Toronto to the Rangers for a second-round pick and a conditional draft pick. Leafs general manager Brian Burke said he wanted a first-round pick, but even a second-round pick is too much for the large but inegmatic forward.

MK: Antropov’s desire has often been called into question,  so he should get along “real well” with new Rangers coach John Tortorella. A smart move by Boston to stay away from this one.

Lucic

By the way, the Boston Bruins actually practiced today at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington while everyone’s eyes were glued to the trade deadline.

And there was some big news, as winger Milan Lucic, out since last Thursday with an upper-body injury, declared himself ready to return to action. Head coach Claude Julien was only willing to commit to the notion that Lucic is a possibility to play against Phoenix tomorrow night, but the day-to-day forward said he expects to play.

As for what set off Lucic and made him pummel Anaheim’s Mike Brown in a one-sided fight that’s widely believed to have been when Lucic suffered his injury, Lucic offered this take:

“I just drove the net and … as I recall and as I look at the replays and stuff, I did everything I could to try to get out of the goalie’s way. I didn’t even touch the goalie at all. Three of them came up to me and next thing I knew, Brown dropped his gloves. [Read more →]

Recchi

BOSTON — It became painfully obvious this season that despite the best of intentions by the organization, prospects Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums were never going to be able to contribute to the Boston Bruins on a regular basis.

Today Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli parlayed his organizational depth by dealing both Lashoff and Karsums to Tampa Bay for 41-year-old veteran forward — and two-time Stanley Cup winner — Mark Recchi. The Bruins also acquired a second-round pick, which considering Tampa Bay’s awful season could be a valuable commodity.

Recchi, who hoisted the Cup with Pittsburgh and Carolina, will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. In 62 games played, Recchi has posted 13-32-45 totals and a minus-15 rating. He is a left-handed shot that should bolster Boston’s power play.

A first-round pick (22nd overall) of Boston in 2005, Lashoff just never panned out. His game plateaued as an offensive defenseman with little edge and poor decision-making abilities. In 46 NHL games, including 16 this season, he totaled just one goal and seven assists.

Karsums joined the Bruins organization as a second-round pick in ‘04. After battling through leg injuries, he finally played a full season in the AHL last winter. This season he was solid with Providence, but in six games with Boston he registered just one assist.

UPDATE: We have already been informed that Chiarelli’s press conference originally scheduled for 4:30 p.m. has been indefinitely postponed. Obviously,  Chiarelli’s working on something. Whether it happens is another story. Will keep you all posted.

Montador

WILMINGTON, Mass. — Maybe it was some sort of preminition, but Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference recalled after practice this morning at Ristuccia Arena how winger Milan Lucic came up to him before the session and recounted how Anaheim defenseman Steve Montador tried to pick a fight last Thursday night.

Well, now Lucic and Montador will get the chance to talk about that situation face-to-face, as Montador was acquired by the Bruins in exchange for forward Petteri Nokelainen.

Montador, a Calgary teammate of Ference, Stephane Yelle and Chuck Kobasew earlier this decade and on the ‘04 Western Conference champion Flames team, has posted 4-16-20 totals and a plus-14 rating in 65 games for the Ducks this season.

“We picked up a defenseman that gives us some depth,  some toughness as well back there,” said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. “He’s a well-respected player that competes hard every night. And that’s what our team is all about.” [Read more →]

Nokelainen

WILMINGTON, Mass.  — Regardless of what happens between now and 3 p.m., the Boston Bruins still need to practice after dropping their last two games.

The Bruins have taken the ice and everyone is present and accounted for, except for Petteri Nokelainen. Matt Hunwick is dressed as a defenseman, hinting that winger Milan Lucic, who is on the ice, might be ready to return to action.

A Bruins official confirms Nokelainen is being held out of practice because he potentially involved in a trade.

A couple other notes:

•Buffalo re-signed center Tim Connolly to a two-year deal, so he won’t be moving anywhere today. That’s a strong signing and makes the Sabres a threat down the stretch and in the postseason (if they’re in it).

•For those wondering, $1 million in cap space at this point of the season equals a player cap number of around $4.5 million. In case you’re keeping score at home.

•Jordan Leopold, another alleged target of the Bruins, is reportedly on his way from Colordao to Calgary for a package of Lawrence Nycholat a prospect and a draft pick.

Kuba

WILMINGTON, Mass. — The ice is empty here at Ristuccia Arena. That’s not because Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli traded everyone but because the team isn’t scheduled to practice until 11:30 a.m.

Anyway, just before I left the house to head here, another defenseman was removed from the market, as Ottawa announced a contract extension with Filip Kuba. The veteran gets three years at a little less than $4 million per, as per TSN.ca.

MK: This is a solid signing by Ottawa. Now if they can get Chris Neil done, you mix the two two contracts with the trade for Pascal Leclaire and any other additions the Sens make today and this summer, and you might have a formidable foe from Canada’s captial next season.

UPDATE: Practice has been delayed 15 minutes until 11:45 a.m. Maybe someone’s in the room saying his good-byes.

I know P.J. Axelsson is still here. He’s working on his stick as I write this (not packing his bags).

Just one deal so far this morning on trade-deadline day.

The Ottawa Senators shipped forward Antoine Vermette to Columbus for goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick. Vermette was seen as a possible fallback option for the Boston Bruins in their pursuit of more depth up front. This deal also affects Boston because the Senators now have their goaltender for the foreseeable future — a major upgrade on Martin Gerber and Alex Auld.

I am leaving for Wilmington for Bruins practice right now. The team is scheduled to hit the ice at 11:30 a.m. I will have complete coverage and let you know if everyone reports for duty.

Satan

One day before the trade deadline, the waiver wire has filled up faster than Copley Square on New Year’s Eve.

The question is: are there any players worth claiming? And I’d say yes. Pierre Lebrun at ESPN.com posted a completed list earlier this afternoon.

The two names that jump out at me are are both left-handed shots — Brendan Morrison from Anaheim and Pittsburgh’s Miroslav Satan. To me, it’d be worth a chance for the Boston Bruins to claim either player. Satan carries a cap hit of about $3.5 million and Morrison comes  in at $2.75 million, so they both fit. They could both come to Boston and aid the power play. More important, neither would be asked to carry too heavy a load as far as ice time or production. As a winger, Satan might be the better get, but Morrison is a speedy, versatile player that’d help as well. Best of all, none of the players on the waiver wire would cost Boston anything but money.

Morris

The Boston Bruins could obviously use Phoenix defenseman Derek Morris to bolster their blue line, and according to Pierre Lebrun of ESPN.com they’re in the mix along with Washington and Philadelphia.

Morris is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Over the weekend, Phoenix decided to not play him in order to avoid injury while a trade is worked out. He then let the Coyotes know which Eastern teams he’d waive his no-trade clause to join.

MK: Safe to say the Bruins, Caps and Flyers are probably after a lot of the same players. When it comes down to  it, Philly and Washington might have  better prospects to offer, but their as strapped under the cap as Boston, so it could come down to the goodness of the Coyotes’ heart.