Bruins Trade Deadline Rewind: Boston Typically Busy On Deadline Day

Will Don Sweeney swing a deal before next Monday’s NHL trade deadline? If he’s anything like his predecessor, the answer to that question probably is “yes.”

Sweeney is in his first season as Boston Bruins general manager after replacing Peter Chiarelli, who tended to be pretty active at this time of year. In fact, Chiarelli made at least one trade on deadline day in eight of his nine years with the Bruins and multiple deals ahead of six of those deadlines.

As Sweeney navigates the hectic atmosphere of trade season for the first time, here’s a look back at the deadline moves the Bruins made during the Chiarelli era, which began with his hiring in May 2006:

2007
— Paul Mara to New York Rangers for Aaron Ward
— Brad Boyes to St. Louis for Dennis Wideman

Chiarelli’s first deadline maneuvers involved acquiring one defenseman whose NHL career was winding down and another whose was just beginning to blossom. Ward, now an analyst for TSN, played 150 games for the Bruins from 2007 to 2009 before hanging up his skates a year later. On the other side, Wideman’s three full seasons in Boston were among the most productive of his career (he tallied a career-high 50 points in 2008-09), and he’s now plying his trade up in Calgary, though we won’t be seeing him on the ice for a little while.

2008
— None

The Bruins were spectators at the 2008 deadline, with their final trade of that particular season being the January acquisition of tough guy Shane Hnidy.

2009
— Martins Karsums and Matt Lashoff to Tampa Bay for Mark Recchi and a 2010 second-round pick
— Petteri Nokelainen to Minnesota for Steve Montador

In one of Chiarelli’s best deadline deals, the Bruins traded two players who’d go on to appear in a mere 98 NHL games between them for a veteran in Recchi who would play a major role on the 2010-11 Bruins team that hoisted the Stanley Cup.

2010
— Byron Bitz, Craig Weller and a 2010 second-round pick to Florida for Dennis Seidenberg and rights to Matt Bartkowski
— Derrick Morris to Phoenix for a conditional pick

2010 featured another trade that helped shape the 2011 Stanley Cup roster, as Seidenberg has been a staple on Boston’s blue line ever since coming over from the Panthers. Florida turned the pick it acquired in the deal into defenseman Alex Petrovic, and the Bruins used their selection acquired in the Morris trade to draft winger Anthony Camara, who currently is in his second season with Providence.

2011
— Jeff Penner and rights to Mikko Lehtonen to Minnesota for Anton Khudobin

Though the Bruins made just one deal on this deadline day — acquiring Tuukka Rask’s future backup — they were incredibly active in the month leading up to it. Boston swung five separate trades in February 2011, landing soon-to-be Cup winners Rich Peverley, Chris Kelly and Tomas Kaberle. The most valuable piece they parted ways with? Blake Wheeler, who’s led the Winnipeg Jets in goals three times since being moved in the Peverley trade.

2012
— Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin to New York Islanders for Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau
— Steve Kampfer to Minnesota for Greg Zanon

Zanon was the first in a string of deadline misfires for Chiarelli & Co, who struggled to land quality defensemen. Zanon played just 17 games for the Bruins, recording one goal and one assist, and his beard didn’t reach true mountain man status until after he left Boston, which was a real shame for everyone involved. Rolston posted respectable numbers (three goals, 15 assists in 21 games) in his second go-round with the B’s and played in all seven games of Boston’s brief playoff run, while Mottau, a former Boston College great, laced ’em up just six times for his hometown team.

2013
— Cody Payne, Lane McDermid and a second-round pick to Dallas for Jaromir Jagr (one day before deadline)
— Rob Flick to Chicago for Maxime Sauve
— Seventh-round pick to St. Louis for Wade Redden

The Bruins became Jagr’s sixth NHL team when they nabbed the ageless wonder from the Stars. The winger’s Hall of Fame credentials didn’t quite translate to success in Boston, though, as he tallied nine points over 11 regular-season games but failed to score a single goal during the B’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. Redden, meanwhile, was another D-man dud. He was a healthy scratch for all but five of the team’s 22 playoff games and hasn’t played since.

2014
— Third-round pick to Philadelphia for Andrej Meszaros

See: Zanon, Redden. Meszaros failed to catch on in 18 games in black and gold (14 regular-season, four playoff) and left town in free agency the following offseason.

2015
— Two second-round picks to Tampa Bay for Brett Connolly
— Jordan Caron and a sixth-round pick to Colorado for Max Talbot and Paul Carey
— Jared Knight to Minnesota for Zack Phillips

The jury’s still out on the Connolly trade, as the 23-year-old winger has shown flashes but has yet to produce on a consistent basis. Talbot, who turned 32 earlier this month, has played in 36 games as a fourth-liner this season. Phillips, the 28th overall pick in 2011, began this season in Providence but has since been reassigned to the ECHL.

Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images