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A few weeks ago, I wrote an article explaining why the Boston Bruins should stay out of the free-agent battle for Marian Hossa. The main reason I cited was strictly financial...

Wouldn't Marian Hossa Look Great in a Boston Bruins Uniform?

by Garry Christman (Contributor)

16

1283 reads

Opinion

June 22, 2008


A few weeks ago, I wrote an article explaining why the Boston Bruins should stay out of the free-agent battle for Marian Hossa. 

The main reason I cited was strictly financial. Peter Chiarelli and the rest of the Bruins management would have to do too much to clear enough salary cap space to bring Hossa to Beantown.  But I thought of a way they might be able to make this happen.

The idea originally occurred when I was keeping track of the NHL draft on June 20 and 21.  One of the biggest headlines of the first day was that the dreaded Canadians had been given permission to speak with Mats Sundin.

It didn't strike me right away, but the more I thought of how this related to Marian Hossa, the more I felt the Bruins might be able to bring Hossa to Beantown. 

I read a lot about the NHL, and I track it fairly closely.  The three teams that have been named the most in the hunt for Hossa are the Rangers, Canadians, and Bruins.  If the Canadians bring in Sundin (if I'm not mistaken, they've been given until 17 July to try to reach an agreement), there's no way they can afford Hossa.

Why not the Bruins?  To bring him to Boston, this is what the Bruins need to do:

 

Trade Manny Fernandez 

If the Bruins bought out Manny, they'd still have to eat some of his salary over the next two years.  At $4 million plus, that's a hit of about $1.5 million each year. 

Save that money.  Find a team willing to deal for Fernandez (maybe the Kings), and take a draft pick in return.

 

Re-sign Alex Auld 

Trading Manny won't help if you don't have a reliable goalie to take his place.  Fernandez was brought in to give Tuuka Rask more time to develop in Providence.  If you can find a taker for Manny, offer Auld a contract—maybe two or three years, at $1.5 to $2 million a year.

Timmy Thomas and Auld would be the goalies this year. Next year, it would be Rask and Auld.  If the B's can make both these things happen, they've just saved $2+ million which can be used to go after Hossa.

 

Buy Out Murray 

Glen Murray has been an outstanding Bruin.  However, he is getting older and his skills seem to be eroding.  Watching him leave Boston would be painful, but buying him out would give the Bruins another $2.5 million in the hunt for Hossa.

I know some of this would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make happen.  And Chiarelli would still have to find $2 to 3 million to bring Hossa to Boston. 

But the biggest problem the Bruins had last year was goal scoring.  Hossa would help put an end to that in a big way.

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16 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Greg Caggiano about 1 year ago

    He's going to Detroit my friend...

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  2. Christopher Leone about 1 year ago

    If only, man. If only.

    I'd love to see Hossa, Bergeron, and Savard on one line... I know, two centers, but it'd be a hell of a show if they gelled.

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  3. Ken Armer about 1 year ago

    I'm with Greg, Detroit will pay him the cash he wants and he can win there just as much as Pittsburgh.

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  4. Greg Caggiano about 1 year ago

    You can have only so many stars. The Rangers figured that out for ten of the last thirteen seasons...

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  5. Chris Bouthillier about 1 year ago

    If Hossa ends up in Detroit I can guarantee that the entire state of Pennsylvania (with the exception of Flyers' fans) will be bitter.

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    • Chris Olley about 1 year ago

      Nope, the entire state with the exception of Penguins fans would be ecstatic. ;-) Not because he's in Detroit, just because he's not in Pittsburgh.

      I keed, I keed.

      However, I've been saying since the trade deadline that I didn't think he'd go back to Pittsburgh and that I had a feeling he'd end up in Boston. With him shunning Pittsburgh and Montreal effectively cap farking themselves, I think Boston becomes the most viable option. Dropping Manny, keeping Auld as the backup and dropping Murray are really pretty easy things to come by though. I really hope that Chia doesn't let Hossa get away, because their defense isn't good, but their scoring is painfully inconsistent and needs another catalyst.

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  6. Matt Gilmartin about 1 year ago

    Interesting. However, like you said, the chances of Hossa ending up in Boston are not good.

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  7. Alan Bass about 1 year ago

    i like your ideas, garry, but i dont think that hossa will end up in boston this summer

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    • Garry Christman about 1 year ago

      Where do you think he'll end up? Please, don't say the Canadians or the Red Wings! They've got enough talent already! :-)

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    • Alan Bass about 1 year ago

      idk....i have no idea who's gonna give him the money...i think theres a chance he may end up in atlanta, but that may not happen...maybe la?

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    • Scott Quinn about 1 year ago

      I would rule out those 2 cities. Atl traded him because they couldn't work out a deal then. If anything, Hossa will want even more than he was demanding in February. LA is going into total-rebuilding, which is why they did not move the #2 in the draft when they were given offers of roster players.

      I can see him going to Ottawa, NYR (if they don't resign their slew of UFAs like Jagr, Shanny, etc), Columbus or Vancouver.

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  8. Mikey Tolvo about 1 year ago

    I agree with you about the things you listed. I see Fernandez as a bust. Getting rid of his salary would be great. I don't see how they will not buy out Muzz. Timmy and Alex Auld would be great. I agree with you.

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  9. Steve Logan about 1 year ago

    I can't see Jacobs buying-out contracts to free-up salary cap space, he's too cheap, and history proves that.

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  10. Garry Christman about 1 year ago

    Update to this. Rumor posted on CNNSI says the Bruins may have been granted permission to open negotiations with Hossa. More to follow.

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  11. Shawn Owens about 1 year ago

    I wouldn't want him if it is going to cost us the farm. No reason to go broke on one player as the Bruins need more than one piece to fill out the puzzle.

    Buyout Murray and go after a few players that have the scoring touch and are chararcter guys. You can find them after July 1st on the market.

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  12. Andy Lavery about 1 year ago

    i think the bruins are more likely to get a guy like michael ryder. he's not going to cost as much as hossa would and is a very good hockey player. ryder would make the bruins better than they are right now if he was to sign with boys on causeway street.

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