Kalman On Toucher & Rich: Why Trade Seguin Now?
While most Boston Bruins fans were celebrating the Fourth of July holiday, their hockey team was busy making moves.
Peter Chiarelli and the Bruins made a couple big moves over the holiday, sending Tyler Seguin, forward Rich Peverley, and 22-year-old defenseman Ryan Button to Dallas for forward Loui Eriksson and three prospects, and signing Jarome Iginla to a one-year deal.
CBSBostonsports.com Bruins blogger Matt Kalman joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich on Monday, and likes the deal that sent Seguin to Dallas.
"As a starting point for the team to kind of go in a different direction and change things, I did like it. I think Eriksson is an underrated player; I haven't seen one negative tweet or comment about the way the guy plays," Kalman said. "People talk about him maybe being a lesser Patrice Bergeron-type player who plays on the wing and can play both ways and is responsible -- a veteran and a guy entering his prime."
Some think that the Bruins might have quit too early on Tyler Seguin. Did the B's do enough to maximize Seguin's potential?
"They did the best they could for him within their team structure," said Kalman.
Others think that his potential might have been a bit overrated when he came was drafted in 2010. Is what we saw during his three years in Boston more of who he is and there isn't a whole lot more of who he can be?
"That could possibly be," said Kalman. "I think, obviously, they're also looking at 'the now' more. I think it's more about with three years down the road he might be a 40 goal scorer, but right now (Boston) needed someone who can put up 25-30 goals and play both ways and fit in better."
"I don't think they're trading him because they think he's a bad player, I think they're trading him because he's not the player that fits this team right now. Down the road, they might pay for that," said Kalman. "It was the same thing with Phil Kessel; no one thought Phil Kessel was a bad player. Everyone knew he could be a 40-goal scorer, but at the money he wanted to make at the time -- and the fit of the team, the way they had to re-sign other players -- it didn't fit, and I think that's a huge consideration here too."
Kalman went on to say that the six-year contact extension that Seguin signed with the Bruins last year might have played a part in the decision to move the young forward in order to add pieces, and keep players that the team valued more.
