Boston Bruins and Tomas Kaberle Look to Make Magic Together

You’ll have to forgive new Boston Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle if he felt a bit out of sorts during his first appearance in a Bruins’ uniform against the Ottawa Senators on Friday night.

Kaberle, just acquired by the Bruins from the Toronto Maple Leafs for former first round draft choice Joe Colborne, a 2011 first round pick and 2012 second round pick, arrived in Ottawa 20 minutes before pregame warm ups and had little time to get acclimated to his new surroundings.

Still, Kaberle logged 19:34 of ice time during the Bruins’ 4-2 win over the Senators, and figures to be a great addition to the Boston power play.

In comments made to the Associated Press, Kaberle said, “I got here 20 minutes before warm up and sometimes it’s the best way to do it. All the guys were great to me. It was a big win for us and it makes for an emotional day for me after 13 years in Toronto.”

Kaberle’s style of play fits perfectly with Bruins’ head coach Claude Julien and his preferred defensive-minded scheme.

Kaberle will also be a huge part of the Bruins power play, currently ranked 14^th in the NHL. Kaberle will take over at the point, allowing veteran Mark Recchi to move back up in front and create more scoring opportunities.

During his career, Kaberle has notched over half of his assists on the power play (232 out of 437 overall), and paired with Zdeno Chara, will create many more opportunities during the man-advantage.

Kaberle is also in the last year of his contract which pays him $4.25 million this season, and with the overpaid Michael Ryder coming off the books next season for the Bruins, general manager Peter Chiarelli will have available money to accommodate the signing of Kaberle.

With 23 games left in the regular season, Kaberle will have time to adjust to the Bruins’ style of play, and with the additions of centers Chris Kelly and Rich Peverly, the Bruins added depth to a lineup already considered strong.

Kaberle will have a couple of days now to practice with the team before embarking on the West Coast swing of the current six-game road trip, and Chiarelli is giddy about the prospects.

In comments made to the Associated Press, Chiarelli said, "We felt we needed a player like Tomas," said general manager Peter Chiarelli. "He has good vision. He's a good skater. He can quarterback the power play. He's played many games in the league. I remember seeing him and (Bryan) McCabe with Toronto. He'd be feeding McCabe one-timers to the right point from the left point. I envision a similar one-two punch down the line (with Zdeno Chara).

"It was an important piece for us to get. We had to pay a price. Joe (Colborne) is going to be a good player in the NHL. He's progressing nicely. He's a real good kid. We felt the time was right with our team. With the number of assets we've had the last two years, with picks and prospects, it's a testament to the amateur staff and pro staff. We accumulated prospects through pro scouting. We were in a good position to make this transaction. The cupboard is still very well stocked."

The Bruins currently enjoy a four-point advantage over the Montreal Canadiens in the Northeast Division, and with tough matchups ahead with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, the new-look Bruins will have the opportunity to show the rest of the NHL that they are in fact for real.

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