Peter Chiarelli told NESN.com on Sunday that he, just like the NHL's 29 other general managers, is working hard to make a trade and help his struggling club. On Sunday, he may have got a little more motivation to do so when he watched a rival pad its lineup.
Chiarelli witnessed the Maple Leafs pull off two major trades, acquiring defenseman Dion Phaneuf and one-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner, goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in two separate trades. The Bruins' general manager acknowledged that while he doesn't think the moves will necessarily free up the stagnant NHL trade market, it may spark some life into the annual process.
"It may prompt GM's to try even harder but we already are," said Chiarelli.
With the Bruins dead-last in scoring and Chiarelli looking for some kind of offensive spark, NESN.com has learned that Chiarelli may be revisiting the idea of trading for Blues winger and Melrose, Mass. native Keith Tkachuk. Last season, the Blues and Bruins reportedly had a deal in place that would've seen then-Bruins sniper Phil Kessel end up in St. Louis for David Perron and Keith Tkachuk. Apparently, the Bruins still think Tkachuk, who will turn 38 in March and is signed to a one-year deal worth $2.1 million, may have some scoring left in the tank.
According to the source, Tkachuk was ecstatic at the thought of coming to Boston last March and would still love to play for his hometown team if the opportunity arose again. Tkachuk, who went to Boston University, has twelve goals and 16 assists this season. He has cracked the 50 goal plateau twice in his career and has 537 career goals and 1,061 points.
