The Story That Won't Go Away: Chiarelli Hints That Savard May Still Be On Trade Block

Boston Herald  -  The Bruins may be making headlines during or soon after NHL entry draft weekend that dramatically overshadow their selection of either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin in tomorrow night’s draft. The Bruins’ No. 2 overall pick of one of those talented 18-year-olds will be a very big deal, but according to a well-placed league source, B’s general manager Peter Chiarelli is attempting to engineer blockbuster deals for No. 1 center Marc Savard and erstwhile top goalie Tim Thomas.

Chiarelli has steadfastly refused comment on possible B’s trades, but he talked in general terms today about what he expects to be a busy trade market, in which centers are a very much coveted commodity.

“Guys (GMs) are being more pro-active,” said Chiarelli. “A lot of that is because of all the parity we’re seeing. Once we get into the playoffs, anything can happen.

“Forwards in general (are coveted). The free agent market is thin, and centers are very thin. So who knows? I know there are a lot of teams that are looking for centers. And that’s not just because of rumors you hear; you just look at their lineups and there’s a lot of teams looking for centers.”

If the B’s do deal Savard, it clears icetime for Seguin, assuming he’s the player available at No. 2. Savard’s cap hit of just over $4 million (for six more years) would be erased. As for Thomas, who is owed $5 million a year for three more seasons, he has lost his No. 1 job to Tuukka Rask and presumably would welcome a move to a club for which he’d have a chance to start.

Once again, the rumors about Marc Savard are surfacing. This article you just read was only released about an hour ago. The Savard-for-Kaberle rumors have subsided, but supposedly Chiarelli has a Savard-and-Thomas package deal in mind. In one sense, it makes sense -- you find a way to deal Thomas and you shovel loads of cap room out of the way, hopefully getting value in return. On the downside, like I've said every time a Savard rumor arises, he's our most skilled offensive player. I don't even know how to analyze the possibilities any further. Lord, please just let it be Friday night already!!