October 26th, 2014
by Dakota Antelman
by Dakota Antelman
Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli spoke to media Saturday regarding the recent trade of Johnny Boychuk to the New York Islanders. In the conference, the longtime Bruins chess master explained his thinking as he “consummated” the trade while also recognizing the sadness felt by Bruins fans and players alike as Boychuk packed his bags.
Early Saturday afternoon, Arthur Staple of Newsday reported via Twitter that Boychuk had been traded to the Islanders. It was later revealed that Boston would be getting two guaranteed second round picks in the 2015 and 2016 drafts as well as a third round pick in 2015 is Boychuk is traded to another Eastern Conference team.
“This is a tough trade we all like Johnny,” Chiarelli said in his opening statement. “I talked to him shortly after the trade was consummated and he was upset, I was upset too.”
Boychuk first came to Boston in a steal of a trade orchestrated by Chiarelli back in 2008. Since then, he had won a Stanley Cup and honed his brutal shot nicknamed the “Johnny Rocket” by Bruins play by play announcer Jack Edwards.
On the ice, he was known for herculean hits at the blue line and yet once he took off his skates, he was described by many as a friendly, funny person.
“He’s very well liked, he’s bummed and I’m sure the guys are probably bummed at me for doing this.” Chiarelli conceded.
Throughout the 20 odd minute press conference, Chiarelli did not deny the harsh reality of the trade. The Bruins fan base was an unsettled one Saturday afternoon with accusations of incompetence on Chiarelli’s part coming in bunches. Throughout the conference he apologized overtly for what this trade appeared to do to the hockey team.
“Obviously, this does not makes us better now but when I look at it in a series of steps I think it was the right decision,” he said.
As of now, this trade is all part of a bigger plan that Chiarelli outlined Saturday.
“I look at this globally as part of a few moves I want to make. This is stuff we have to peck away at and unfortunately, this [the Boychuk trade] is the stuff we have to start with.”
This was a deal bourn from financial constraints and made on similar terms. It would have taken too much money for the Bruins to resign him at season’s end.
“I’m not goanna put a number on it, part of my job is projecting the market and I see where Johnny’s market is going and I commend him”
He also insisted that the questions as to why the team did not wait until the deadline at which point they could have fetched a bigger return, are moot.
“You say here is what you would have got from him at the deadline but that is not what would have happened, if we kept him we would have had him play the season out.”
In the end, the deal hurts. Boychuk was a great player for Boston and the Bruins fan base is rather unhappy to see him go. But Peter Chiarelli knew he had to make the deal and though better decisions in the past could have helped avert a situation like this, the Bruins GM was smart in the way he addressed the media Saturday.
“We want to get better as a team and sometimes you just can't do it in one step, that's how I see this,” he said.
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