The three trades the Boston Bruins made on Feb. 27 fit a pattern that general manager Peter Chiarelli had in mind all along: he wanted veterans and he wanted depth.
Brian Rolston has about five years as a Bruin under his belt, a slap shot so powerful it can make goalies cower in fear and the ability to play all three forward roles. That flexibility will give him the ability to play anywhere Claude Julien needs him and that slapper could do the team a lot of good, especially if they put him on the point during a power play.
Mike Mottau is a Massachusetts native who grew up loving the Bruins and modeled his play after Ray Bourque. As a veteran defenseman, he fills a need that was key to Chiarelli and on the minds of many Bruins fans too.
Greg Zanon blocks shots like there’s no tomorrow; he blocked 212 of them last season and has blocked 104 in just 39 games so far this season. He too is a veteran defenseman, but that blocking ability might be where he’ll really come in handy.
The fact that all three guys seem excited to play in Boston is just another good aspect of these trades.
Yes, Chiarelli gave up two prospects and Steven Kampfer in exchange for these veterans. Thankfully, he said that Dougie Hamilton was never considered trade bait, which shows that he knows what is worth keeping and what must sometimes be given away for (hopefully) a good thing. Chiarelli’s usually pretty shrewd and makes good decisions. Let’s hope that these trades prove to be another big win for him.
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