With Deadline Nearing, Bruins Standing Pat So Far as Two Major Trades Go Down
On top of the llamas and dress debate that dominated the internet on Thursday, NHL trade deadline deals were heating up, with a couple of former Bruins changing sweaters.
Jaromir Jagr, who spent half of a lockout-shortened season with the Bruins in 2013, earned a meteorological upgrade. He’ll spend the rest of this year in sunny Sunrise, Fla., as the New Jersey Devils dealt him to the Florida Panthers in exchange for two draft picks.
Meanwhile, north of the border, the Toronto Maple Leafs accelerated their rebuilding plans by jettisoning David Clarkson, who signed a seven-year, $36.75 million contract in the summer of 2013, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for ex-Bruin and 2011 Stanley Cup champion Nathan Horton. Horton, who has suited up for a total of 36 games for Columbus since inking a massive seven-year deal of his own, is on long term injured reserve with a back injury that may end his career, while Clarkson has been a major bust in Toronto, tallying just 26 points in 118 games with the Leafs.
Jagr’s addition gives Florida’s stagnant offense a veteran boost, and stakes their claim as truly making a push for the playoffs this season. The Panthers are in a four-horse race with the Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Ottawa Senators for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The B’s still have three more contests scheduled with Florida before the conclusion of the year, which now loom large on the remaining schedule.
The Leafs-Jackets deal, however, was designed to alleviate some of Toronto’s salary cap issues, while it gave Columbus a strong forward who could benefit from a change of scenery. The Maple Leafs can take Clarkson’s $5.25 million per year cap hit off their books, while Horton’s contract, which is almost identical, won’t count against their cap because he is on LTIR.
Clarkson is a player that scored 45 goals with 25 assists over his final two seasons in New Jersey (including the aforementioned lockout-shortened 2013), and he’s only 30 years old. The move from hockey-rabid Toronto – which also happens to be his hometown – to Columbus could be just what Clarkson needs to get back on track.
The Bruins, meanwhile, continue to stand pat, but could jump in the fray soon, as ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun reports that they are working on trading for either Arizona’s Antoine Vermette or Buffalo’s Chris Stewart, among other players.
The clock is ticking for Peter Chiarelli to make something happen to give the Bruins a boost in their pursuit of the playoffs, having made the dance every year since the 2007-08 season. The Bruins GM told the Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa last week that he understands his job could be in jeopardy if the Bruins miss the postseason.
Chiarelli still has a chance to remedy this, to find and acquire a piece that will help the Bruins get back on track.
But time is running out.
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