Reassessing the Bruins Moves

The Bruins have been one of the most active teams in the week since the NHL Draft, which is a little surprising based on past experience with Chiarelli. However, the salary cap going down has forced the hands among lots of GMs across the league and has made for an entertaining offseason.

Buyouts have long been an option for teams looking to shed an expensive contract, but now they are more common than ever. Lecavalier, Dipietro, and Bryzgalov are the big ones this summer. We've seen some big names being traded like Bobby Ryan, Tyler Seguin, Loui Eriksson, and Jonathon Bernier. And finally, we've seen some big Free Agency signings that could possibly alter their franchises like Jarome Iginla, Daniel Alfredsson, Nathan Horton, and Mike Ribeiro.

If you remember, I wasn't too pleased with the Seguin trade when it first happened. After having some time to think it over, however, and in light of what he's said and done since then, I think it's a great move for the team. Eriksson is a professional who plays the game right, the prospects they got have a good chance to make an impact, and it cleared salary room for a big FA signing: Iginla.
 
We all woke up in shock and awe the morning Iginla announced he nixed the trade to Boston, but it's all water under the bridge now. He is big, strong, can score, and will be highly motivated to win before he gets too old to contribute. For years fans have wanted to bring him to Boston, calling him "the perfect Bruin," and now we have that opportunity.

With all these moves being made, Chiarelli has said that he is done for now. So what does the team look like as it stands? Besides these transactions, there have also been a few other changes. Ference has signed with EDM, Horton with CBJ, Khudobin with COL, and Jagr is still out there.

I have to believe Iginla will play with Krejci and Lucic. His crash and bang style will replace Horton's beautifully and will likely be the highest scoring line this year. Eriksson, a left-handed shot, will play right win alongside Bergeron and Marchand. And of course, the Merlot line will remain as-is.

So that leaves some questions on the third line. Veteran Chris Kelly will center, but he's lost his usual linemates in Peverly and Seguin. These are the spots that the younger guys need to win. Soderberg and Caron will likely get first look, being the older of the bunch. I think Caron is stuck in a Zach Hamill situation, and if he doesn't find his groove this year he'll likely be shipped off elsewhere.

I'd really like to see a guy like Knight or Spooner break into that spot this year. It's really the time to see some of the kids that we've heard about for a few years. Khokhlachev is another option, though he's a bit younger and might be further away. Chris Bourque, Carter Camper, and newcomers Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser could all get looks as well.

So the Bruins are in good shape. Only time will tell if these moves work out but with guys like Chara, Seidenberg, and Iginla getting older, the window is closing. Neely and Co. want to win this year and are building the team to do it. It's now or never.