When the rivaled Montreal Canadiens, currently trailing the Bruins by just two points in the race for the Northeast Division title, pulled the trigger on a deal yesterday to bring defensemen
James Wisniewski into the fold, the dust settled and the B's missed out a player that undoubtedly could have potentially made the difference the Bruins desperately need for their offensively-challenged point.
After all, Wisniewski brought everything you'd seek out of a Boston blue-liner.
Despite his lack of size, the 5'11" Wisniewski was credited for 52 hits along with 35 blocked shots in just 32 games for the struggling Isles, making him an easy fit among the rugged and physical Boston blue-line. But more importantly, the 26-year-old brought an offensive prowess simply nonexistent in the Hub.
Posting 21 points through the first just-over-a-third of the season, equal to the total production of
Johnny Boychuk (six points),
Dennis Seidenberg (13 points), and
Mark Stuart (two points) on the season, the Islander-now-Hab potted 13 of his points on the man-advantage--putting him eighth in the entire league among defensemen for power-play points.
Behind names such as Lidstrom, Byfuglien, and
Jack Johnson in terms of blue-liner power-play production on a unit that ranked 26th in the NHL on the advabtage, the move to Montreal for 'the Wiz' may have just forced the Bruins to make the jump to the next best potential option: Toronto's
Tomas Kaberle.
In a year that's barren with true puck-movers, there's no greater embodiment of what's become so highly sought after than the Czech-born Kaberle.
Currently in the final year of a deal that pays him 4,250,000 to wear the Blue and White, the 32-year-old Kaberle has been on Boston's radar on more than one occasion--but the Bruins' need for the dazzling power-play machine has never been greater.
Mired by the lack of a true defensemen with a knack for offense,
Dennis Wideman being Boston's closest thing to a 'puck-mover', the days of offense from the blue-line in Boston have never been at a more dangerous low.
Shipping
Matt Hunwick, Boston's unanswered prayer of a offensive d-man, to Colorado earlier this season, the Boston defense has been nearly invisible in terms of helping generate offense.
Now judged solely on accreditation for an assist or goal on the scoring play, the Boston blue-line was involved in 24 of the 56 goals scored with Hunwick in town, a 42.8% involvement. But since his departure, the Boston defense has been involved in 18 of 39 goals for (not counting empty-net goals).
But while that 46.1% percentage rounds out to a 3.3% boost from the pre-Hunwick-trade-era, the truth of the matter is that at the end of the day, rookie defensemen
Steve Kampfer isn't the answer the B's seek on their blue-line.
In fact, there's a good chance he may never be.
Let's face it, with a team that boasts as much potential as this year's Bruins squad, the only missing ingredient among their all-world goaltending core, ability to roll three potent scoring lines, and a strong fourth-line just
may be an experienced defensemen who's going to create offense and quarterback a power-play.
It was clear--
Derek Morris wasn't that guy. Wideman wasn't that guy. Hell, Boychuk or Seidenberg won't be that guy. But at the deadline, is Kaberle
that guy?
Undoubtedly miles ahead of potential other trade chips such as Buffalo's
Steve Montador (been there, done that), the Hurricanes'
Ian White (who would make it three teams in one season), or anyone remotely in Boston's target price-range in terms of appeal, the cost may be the only that pushes the Bruins away.
Because for all the trade scenarios worked out on paper, and all the deals involving
Michael Ryder,
Blake Wheeler, or a top-tier prospect trading their Spoked-B's in for Maple Leafs calculated, there's simply no way that a deal gets done that ends with Kaberle shipping (down) to Boston without the Leafs' 2011 first rounder heading back to
Brian Burke and company.
Never the gambling type, it's clear that Kaberle, who sits seventh among NHL d-men for power-play points, is B's GM
Peter Chiarelli's dream acquisition.
And after missing out on
Chris Pronger during the 2009 deadline,
Ilya Kovalchuk at the 2010 deadline, it'll be more than interesting to see if the usually-reserved Chiarelli goes all-in for the famed puck-mover in hopes of a jackpot parade in the streets of Boston come June.
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