Due to the Olympic break, a roster freeze goes into effect Friday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. ET. It will last until Sunday, Feb. 28, at 11:59 p.m. ET. During this time, teams cannot trade any players.
However, there are no restrictions on GMs talking about moving players. So expect plenty of deals to be discussed. Some handshake deals might even get done while countries are playing for gold in Vancouver. Once the freeze is lifted, everything could be made official.
One way around this is to pull the trigger in the 24 hours before the freeze begins. This would allow players who are not playing in the Olympics to practice with their new teams for a few days during the break. They could get acclimated to a new system and get to know new teammates.
On the flip side, teams also would have to pay their new players during this time, and those who are up against the salary cap might prefer to pocket those two weeks of savings.
Some GMs have tougher decisions to make than others. Peter Chiarelli is one of them. With the Bruins snapping out of their funk and finding the win column again, the Black and Gold have generated some positive momentum heading into the Olympic break. They currently are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race but sit only three points from the sixth spot.
Do the Bruins, as they are constructed today, have enough weapons to be a legitimate postseason contender?
Would adding a goal scorer or puck-moving defenseman give the team a better shot at success in April, May and June?
Should they be willing to trade the No. 1 pick from Toronto if the right deal came along that could help the team win a Cup now?
Is the potential risk of any trade worth the possible reward?
These are questions Chiarelli will have to answer before March 3. With the Bruins not playing a game for 16 days, he will have more time than usual to weigh the pros and cons of making a trade deadline move.
Trust he makes the right call.
