B’s Just Beginning

Posted by Mike Giardi April 22, 2008 at 8:39 am

The hockey haters, the Bruins haters - better yet - the Jacobs family haters we’ll say, “see I told you so. Same old B’s.” But that’s just stupid. Uneducated. Incorrect. This isn’t the same scenario that has played out all too many times over the last 15 or so years. The foundation has been built. Now its up to the players, the Head Coach and the General Manager to help the Black and Gold become a nightly force. That’s not all that far-fetched, especially not with a young core that I have already written about on this blog, spoken to you about on TV and spoken to directly.

Here’s what I do if I’m Peter Chiarelli to bolster my club for the 2008-09 season.

- Find myself a goal scorer. Perhaps its Marion Hossa, who’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. He’s the best UFA currently on the board. I like another kid from that Penguins team, Ryan Malone, although he’s 20-goal guy. Niklas Hagman potted 27 for the Stars. He’d be another one to sniff around.

- Find a taker for Glen Murray. He’s making too much - 4 million per season - and providing too little pop. It may be that Chiarelli has to cough up a high draft pick to help move along the salary, and maybe even take a pair of 2 million dollar players back. So be it. Muzz is a pro, but he has run his course in Boston. There’s also the option of a buyout, which may not be something the family that owns this team will do.

- Bring back Aaron Ward. Not to skate as much as he had to this season, but he’s still a very steady blueliner and a calming presence for fellow defensemen Dennis Wideman and Mark Stuart.

- Have one heck of a competition for the top netminding job this fall. Manny Fernandez, Tim Thomas and the kid, Tuukka Rask. Fernandez is getting the big bucks, Thomas is a streaky performer and Rask is the great unknown. In that group, one will emerge as a player who can help this team win a round, or three. And if they don’t, its never too early to make a phone call.