The Bruins appear to be done moving with the trade deadline fast approaching, but they certainly made some waves this year. Everyone is talking about how much the new acquisitions are going to help give this team a strong playoff push, but to be honest I can't say I agree with everything they did.
I liked most of it. Grabbing Chris Kelly for a pick was a nice contribution. Savard being gone and Seguin's role being brought into question for the playoffs its nice to have a strong smart two way forward like Kelly on the team.
I also like the Kaberle deal. That was long over due. It wasn't a question of if Kaberle was going to be a Bruin, it was a question of when. We got to keep Toronto's first round pick (which hopefully will be top four by the end of the year cause there is a big drop off in talent after the top 4 prospects in the draft) and give up our first rounder and former first round pick Joe Colborne to finally land Kaberle. Hopefully he will help the struggling powerplay and help move the puck up to the forwards.
I like Kaberle and I hope this will work out, but I am not completely sold on him. He never seems to wow me when I see him play. Maybe that is because I don't see enough of his games, or that he is playing for a bad team, but I've never been blown away. However, everyone who speaks of him does so in such a high regard that there must be real talent there.
The move that really really pisses me off is the Wheeler deal. It ended up being Wheeler and Stuart to the Thrashers for Boris Valabik, a big blue liner who will go straight to providence, and scorer Rich Peverley. I know people have been a little frustrated with Wheeler at times because he hasn't been able to match his rookier numbers but I think that is complete shit.
His first season he got to play on the third line with Krejci and Ryder. That means a lot of the time they are going out against other team's third lines, no one knew how fucking nasty Krejci was yet, and that was the only year that Ryder ever looked like the player we signed up to get. They were a machine. My favorite line on the team that season by far.
Wheeler put up like 21 and 24 I think and even though he hasn't quite matched it since we have to ask ourselves why. He has never really had a consistent line since that season, and he doesn't get to play with Krejci anymore who is an assist machine. And he is forced to conform to the Bruins system. I'm not saying its a terrible system, it definitely creates more two way players, but gifted offensive guys like Wheeler can get suffocated. You can see it happening with Seguin this year too. Sure they should play D in zone and be responsible for their checks but you gotta let them run wild. Thats what they do. Thats how they got here.
Sure Peverley has better numbers this year but he is a top forward on that team in a different system. If he is forced to conform the way Wheeler was I expect to see his production dip significantly. And on the other end I bet if Wheeler is given free reign in Atlanta you will see him top his rookie numbers in no time.
Maybe I'm just pissed because I loved Wheeler, who knows. And shit I hope I'm wrong and I eat this blog when Peverley carries us to the cup finals. I hope he keeps pumping in goals like no tomorrow. But just remember, if he starts playing tough in zone D and being a two way player with a goal tossed in here and there and Blake Wheeler is all over sportscenter top ten I won't need to say I told you so.
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