In fewer than 24 hours after the Bruins announced placing center Marc Savard on the long-term injured reserve, trade rumors and speculation have begun.
And rightfully so. This is a B's team that has the goods to do some damage in the postseason. With the game's hottest goalie and one of the stiffest defenses in the East, an added stick up front can push the B's into the conference finals for the first time in decades.
With more cap room to work with, the B's have options, but with so many teams in the hunt, they're pretty limited. Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe unleashed a blockbuster proposal for general manager Peter Chiarelli on Tuesday morning that would send veteran center Brad Richards to the North End for Mark Stuart, Blake Wheeler, a first-round draft pick and/or a prospect.
As Dupont points out, the pieces appear to line up perfectly.
"Chiarelli, remember, holds Toronto’s first-round pick in this June’s draft, part of the compensation for swapping free agent Phil Kessel to the Leafs," he wrote in Tuesday's Globe. "He’s got that requisite carrot, the Toronto pick or his own. He also easily could yield Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart, who earn a combined $3.875 million. With Savard’s $4 million cap relief factored in, Richards’ $7.8 million cap hit would be accommodated, virtually to the penny. How convenient. Toss in a prospect and/or a draft pick, and the deal is there to be served, ideally in a big silver Cup."
Richards has 21 goals and 38 helpers in 53 games for Dallas this season. The Stars, however, are third in the West and own a two-point lead over the Coyotes in the Pacific Division, so prying their top-line centerman away won't be an easy task.
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