Hot Stove Melts Ice

Posted by Adam Hart June 30, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Sounds like a name of one of those Emo bands the kids rave about. Hot Stove Melts Ice opens for Panic At The Disco and Taking Back Sunday! Anyway, Mr. Mike Giardi already outlined a few free agent targets for the Boston Bruins. Here are my backup plans should things go awry.

Brooks Orpik D – 1 goal, 11 assists, +11 rating, 57 penalty minutes
A 2001 NCAA Champion with the BC Eagles, Orpik is more of a physical force than an offensive minded defenceman. He is expected to command upward of 3 million dollars on the open market. The Bruins should at the very least put feelers out there. Orpik, while playing a different style of hockey, could be a replacement for Denis Wideman should Peter Chiarelli believe Wideman’s arbitration number will come in higher than Chiarelli is comfortable with. Of course, there is that business of having traded Brad Boyes for Wideman. You know, the same Brad Boyes who scored 43 goals for St. Louis this season. It would be a shame to let Wideman walk after that. I wouldn’t mind having both defenceman on the B’s, because with Orpik around no opposing forward would be allowed a free skate behind the net.

Markus Naslund LW — 25 goals, 35 assists, 9 power play goals, 13 power play assists

Nas may not fit into Chiarelli’s plan to get young, but he is a veteran talent who served as captain for the Vancouver Canucks. And he is far more mobile than Glenn Murray. Heck, Bambi is more mobile on the ice at this point. Naslund has proven more capable of putting on sick moves in open ice. An unrestricted free agent, the Swede could be a backup plan should Marian Hossa sign elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong, I want Hossa — he scores even when playing for a team wearing clown jerseys. It’s just that teams with more money to offer, i.e. Montreal, also have Hossa on their wish list. But, you know, it’s like people only do things because they get paid, and that’s just really sad.

Radim Vrbata RW — 27 goals, 29 assists, +6 rating, 5 power play goals, 10 power play assists

Vrbata would bring size to the Bruins offense, a quicker size than the speed-of-molasses-size fans have seen in Glenn Murray the past two seasons. He is a threat in the shootout and a proven goal scorer. Vrbata is 27 and made 1.25 million last season. He will obviously be looking for an upgrade in salary. Aren’t we all? Hahahaha…… such a clever observation. Not.

The Rocky Mountain News also bills Ron Hainsey as a top unrestricted free agent. But I don’t see it. Any defenceman who makes a habit of losing fights to Tuomo Ruutu is not a Bruins caliber player. Claude (CLODE!) would not approve of his light hitting ways. Orpik or Brian Campbell would be a better fit.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

Tuesday, July 1st, marks the opening of the free agent market. Tampa Bay has gotten aggressive, trading for the exclusive negotiating rights to forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts, then signing both. The Lightning also traded for the rights to former Bruin Brian Rolston. The new ownership in Tampa Bay is going all out. There is no guarantee that Rolston signs, though. With three straight 30 goal seasons under his belt in Minnesota, he would be a good replacement for Glen Metropolit. Metropolit, known to do all the little things well, did not have near the goal production of Rolston.

That’s it. That’s my free agent wish list should Hossa and Campbell sign elsewhere. Let’s see if I’m as good at selecting Bruins free agent targets as I am at predicting Celtics draft picks.  The End.