Boston Bruins: If Jimmy Vesey Signs With Boston, Someone Has to Go
As the hockey world waits with baited breath for Jimmy Vesey to finally decide where he will be playing in the NHL, one thing is for sure, and that is if he does sign with the Boston Bruins, someone on the roster will be gone. Whether they are sent to Providence or sent out via the trade route, there will be movement.
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Considering that Vesey and his agents have made it clear that want him to play on a team where there’s a good fit, and where he’ll have ample playing time, it appears that he wants to walk right into a top-six spot. He will not supplant Brad Marchand on the Bruins top line, but the second line is where things could get interesting.
When the Bruins signed David Backes as free-agent, speculation starting swirling that suddenly David Krejci was expendable, because Backes could center the second line. With the first line certainly appearing to have Marchand on the left side with Patrice Bergeron at center and Backes on the right, what might become of the second line?
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The second line looks like it will have Krejci centering Ryan Spooner on the left side and David Pastrnak on the right. If Vesey were to sign with Boston, is it improbable that he takes a second line spot on the left wing, with Ryan Spooner (no stranger to playing center) in the middle, and Pasternak on the right? That gives the Bruins a bona fide trade chip in Krejci in which they can still go after the much needed help they need on the blue line.
One player still out there who was rumored to be on the go earlier this summer is St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. He had 14 goals last year, (more than any Bruins defenseman) and is a right handed shot who is only 27 years old. He was a member of Boston University’s 2009 Frozen Four championship team, and would provide an instant upgrade to the defense.
Another player, who like Shattenkirk was rumored to be on the trade market is Anaheim’s Cam Fowler. While he may not be as offensively inclined as Shattenkirk, he is a few years younger, and a little bit bigger. Although he is a left hand shot, he could bolster the defense in he were to land in Boston.
Next: Will Vesey End up in Hub?
So even though it is not as simplistic as ‘Vesey Come, Someone Go’ the fact is that is Jimmy Vesey decides to play for him hometown team, the Bruins suddenly have new options available to them.