The Boston Bruins made a flurry of moves on Friday, the biggest reportedly acquiring veteran defenseman Tomas Kaberle from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Bruins sent minor league forward Joe Colborne, a first-round pick in 2011 and another conditional draft pick to Toronto, TSN reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.
The Bruins needed to clear cap space to absorb the remainder of Kaberle's $4.25 million salary this season, so they turned around and traded forward Blake Wheeler and defenseman Mark Stuart to the Atlanta Thrashers for center Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik, a league source told ESPNBoston.com's Joe Murphy.
Kaberle, 32, has spent his entire career in Toronto and has made four All-Star teams. This season Kaberle has three goals and 35 assists and is a minus-2 in 58 games. He will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Thank You Peter Chiarelli! Finally a deadline deal that makes the team better. Not going to give him to much credit because this deal absolutely had to be made. Kaberle is very excited to come to Boston and his game will flourish here. He is that "puck moving defenseman" that everyone and their grandmother has been praying for. Leadership, power play ability, and allowing Chara to get back to playing his type of game just to name a few things that this does. This is the type of move that the Bruins have shied away from in the past. You have to be aggressive to be successful. The difference between winning and losing is a couple of moves. I lump the action today together because one deal hinged on the other. Todays action is a step in the right direction but they need a top 6 forward that can put the puck in the net for me to be more confident in this team going forward.
I know a lot of people will be happy to see Wheeler leave town, but I believe that the kid has a future in this league and was a victim of early success and high expectations.
Even sadder to see Mark Stuart go, a fan favorite who had everyones back and played with intensity and high energy every night. With Stuart gone I see McQuaid really stepping up and shining.
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