If Bruins Shop Him, Blackhawks Could Have Interest In Tim Thomas
Obviously, much has been made about Tim Thomas and his refusal to visit the White House with the rest of his teammates last week, to celebrate their Stanley Cup victory from last season with Barack Obama.
Apparently tensions have run so high because of the debacle, that the Bruins would now consider trading last year’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner. His name has been among the hottest as trade rumors begin to pick up.
Multiple outlets have reported, to some degree, that the Blackhawks could be a potential landing spot for the 38-year-old netminder, who is having another very good year. But he can also be viewed as expendable, in Boston’s eyes, because of the fact that his backup, Tuukka Rask, is having quite a year of his own.
In 18 starts on the year, Rask has a stellar 1.82 GAA and three shutouts. Thomas has won 20 of his 30 starts, with a 2.12 GAA and four shutouts. Going back to last year, it hasn’t really been a question that the Bruins have the best goalie tandem in the NHL, at least in the Eastern Conference.
With these rumors that Thomas is being shopped, there is at least one big market team that could have interest in him: the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Hawks’ struggles between the pipes are well-documented. Corey Crawford hasn’t been the same goaltender he was last season as a rookie, and while Ray Emery has been solid, it’s unlikely that he could sustain the load for a full playoff run.
That’s not to say that Crawford’s struggles have been entirely his fault. The defense in front of him has often been inconsistent, a problem which Stan Bowman will fix before next month’s trade deadline. Still, Crawford has been shaky and has surrendered soft goals on a regular basis, prompting rumors that the Hawks could attempt to upgrade their situation in goal.
It remains to be seen if the Bruins are actually shopping Thomas, but if they are, the Blackhawks will certainly be calling. But what would it take to acquire him?
According to the Boston Globe report, it could take a main piece of Viktor Stalberg, who is having a breakout year in Chicago. On top of that, the Blackhawks wouldn’t have trouble mustering up any youth it would take, given their organizational depth. But with Thomas’ age, would it take an extreme package to get him?
We still don’t know if the Bruins are going to consider trading Thomas before next month’s deadline. But as the end of February draws closer, it will be interesting to see if the Hawks attempt to upgrade their situation in goal, or just attempt to fix the guys in front of Crawford and Emery.
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