WPG/BOS

[GoJetsGo]

BOS sends:
(a)C Patrice Bergeron (83) / 4.150
(b)L Brooks Laich (67) / 2.300
(c)G Tim Thomas (68) / 5.000
Total: $11,450,000

WPG sends:
(a)C Joe Colborne (60) / 1.450
(a)L Alexander Khokhlachev (57) Prospect
(a)2nd WPG 2012
(b)L Matt Stajan (66) / 2.600
(c)D Brian Rafalski (82) / 6.000
(d)R Adam Hall (60) / 1.250
Total: $11,300,000

Jets approve.

Reasoning:
My main objective was an upgrade to my set of forwards. Colborne had an impressive season last year, but lost his way a bit this season. [Because of the system I've been running and Bryan Little being off in CGY.] I had hoped for a simple Colborne + x + y for Bergeron deal, but the rosters and cap positions and both teams required some maneuvering.

All three contracts I'm taking on are fairly hefty, especially Thomas. I let Jason know before posting that a release of Thomas would only cost $1M next season if he preferred that to finding a taker for TT. I broke down the trade via the lower-case letters to indicate what parts are going for what.

Bergeron > Colborne, thus the addition of essentially two seconds. However, Colborne has a more manageable contract and should produce at a similar level. CON being the biggest separator.

Stajan is more or less the same as Laich, with one less year left on his deal.

Dekanich, as well as his $5M salary, makes Thomas a luxury Boston didn't want to afford for a backup G. Rafalski goes back to BOS to make the salary cap numbers work and is also a UFA at season's end.

Hall makes the salary swaps nearly identical, and with his 1.25M cap number can be released without penalty if desired.

[Bruins_GM]

Confirmed:

Reasoning: Patrice Bergeron drew a lot of interest from a lot of teams. I felt that getting a younger version in Joe Colborne along with the 2nd round pick and Khokhlachev gave me more options than the other scenarios I was considering for the future, and at a lower cap hit. Colborne isn't equal to Bergeron straight-up, but then again I don't think he has to be in my system.

As much as I wanted to keep Tim Thomas, there's no way I could justify 5 mil/year for a player who'd soon be a backup. Furthermore, with Mark Dekanich coming on-board in the Columbus trade, I would've had an excess goalie on the books again for the second time in 3 weeks or so. Getting that salary off the books (and getting the equivalent salary back in Brian Rafalski) will definitely help my playoff run and my long-term planning.

Brooks Laich was a decent player in our system, but I feel like long-term his contract was a little high, considering age and the underlings in Caron and Hamill under him. Getting Matt Stajan back for him gives me an offensive player in a position that (IMO) you can't ever have too many of.

I was a little leery of taking Adam Hall back, but it leaves me with more options with 2 of my RWs starting RFA in the face as far as re-signing key players back this off-season and gives me more options for moves in the immediate future, if necessary.

In short, I feel that this move boosts both teams long-term without sacrificing our playoff battles we're in right now.

[Virtual Jarmo]

Approved and inputted.