Normally, I don't read into things too much. Perhaps that's a journalistic flaw of mine -- especially if it involves any player movement on the way -- but my ears did perk up today with a few tidbits of news surrounding the Boston Bruins. Firstly, the B's have already canceled Tuesday's practice. No big deal there, right?
But then came a more open-ended announcement with a press release that came forward with a memo that Boston GM
Peter Chiarelli will be holding a press conference with the media via telephone on Tuesday at six o'clock.
It's no secret that this hasn't been the ideal start for Chiarelli's Bruins, who have won just three of their first eight games in 2011-12, resting just two points away from the bottom of the Eastern Conference. And it's also no secret that Chiarelli's not one to be gun-shy when it comes to addressing complacency in his locker room. Just ask former-Bruin
Chuck Kobasew. Traded seven games into the 2009-10 season because of the Bruins' lackadaisical and essentially lazy approach to the new season after a successful 2008-09, there's nothing that says the Bruins aren't willing to give somebody on their roster the same treatment as October rolls into November with the Black and Gold skating stagnantly to nowhere.
So while the nature of this presser is completely unknown to anybody outside of the organization -- and maybe even to some of the players on the team -- I love entertaining the theories, so here are a few.
1. They're making a trade to bolster the team and/or shake things up.
It's only October, but the rumor mill has been unusually hot. Guys such as
Daniel Alfredsson,
Rene Bourque, and even
Ray Whitney have been mentioned numerous times in trade rumors, while Coyotes'
Kyle Turris remains unsigned.
While I doubt Turris' availability, especially with Boston's wealth down the middle, Alfredsson was once under Chiarelli's reign in Ottawa (and we both know PC's love for former Sens) and could be a viable scoring option on the wings even at 38. But do the Sens a) move him or b) move him this early in the season? Again, I have my doubts.
Meanwhile, Whitney finds himself heading to Boston every season when it comes to trade rumors while Bourque has three goals in seven games for a slumping Calgary Flames club that may be more than willing to shake things up.
2. There's an extension for a current Bruin, or for a coach and/or GM
While I think it'd be a little asinine for the B's GM to hold a conference to announce an extension for himself, it's not out of the question. Also, B's coach
Claude Julien sits in year who-knows of a contract extension that was inked until I'm-not-sure. Seriously, that's how vague the Bruins were when announcing Julien's extension back in the summer of 2009.
But the elephant in the locker room remains B's top-liner
David Krejci, who's in the final year of a three-year pact that came with an affordable 3.75 million dollar cap-hit. The 24-year-old Krejci was more than willing to be a team player with his last deal, noting that he took less money to be in Boston, but one Cup victory later it appears that the Czech-born playmaker is in line for a substantial raise.
3. End of the line for Marc Savard?
It's an undeniable truth that
Marc Savard's hockey career is pretty much over. But it's not official. Could this be the official announcement?
Let the speculation begin.
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