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Bruins have too many men in the crease

869 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  BE-LEAF-ABLE 
#1 ·
By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff
July 2, 2007


Some eight months after beginning their quest to patch holes in their netminding corps, the Bruins yesterday morning finalized a deal to acquire veteran backstop Manny Fernandez from Minnesota for forward Petr Kalus and their fourth-round pick in 2009 , a move that last night had Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli musing over the possibility of dealing Tim Thomas or Hannu Toivonen.

"In fairness to them, yes," Chiarelli said during a late-afternoon conference call, "that would be my preference."

The Bruins also added journeyman Shawn Thornton, a wide-bodied winger (LW/RW), who spent last season making the league minimum ($450,000) with the Stanley Cup-winning Anaheim Ducks. Thornton, who will turn 30 this month, came to terms on a multiyear pact on the first day of the league's annual free agency period.

Fernandez, who will turn 33 in August, is not considered among the game's elite netminders, and lost his job to Finnish backup Niklas Backstrom in January when he wrenched a knee. However, Fernandez played in a career-high 58 games two seasons ago, and he said in an afternoon conference call yesterday he felt he could handle that workload again.

"I want to play, I want to let loose," said Fernandez, speaking from his home in Montreal. "I want to go as far and as long as I can."

Meanwhile, Thomas, who only became an NHL regular midway through the 2005-06 season, was home in the Boston suburbs, building a utility shed behind the house he bought only weeks ago. Mild-mannered and ever gregarious, the 33-year-old matter-of-factly said, "I'm not excited they got another goaltender."

It would be only the rarest of circumstances, of course, for a goalie to roll out the welcome mat for someone who could take his job. Chiarelli acquired Fernandez to be the club's No. 1 stopper. During his conference call, in fact, he said he could envision the new hire playing in as many as 60 games this season. Hardly great news for Thomas.

In part because of Toivonen's struggles, Thomas played in 66 games last season, and he has been a workhorse in the Hub of Hockey since arriving as an emergency replacement midway through 2005-06. Like Fernandez, and like Toivonen, he wants to be a regular. But with a 60-game load projected for the new guy, it could make for a very odd mix come the start of training camp in September.

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#2 ·
I wonder what the situation with Tuukka Rask is going to be.
 
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