FWIW, McKenzie is saying:

"The Boston Bruins only get a draft pick from the Islanders for Tim Thomas if he reports to them or any other team if NYI trade his rights."

amusing Islander thread regarding this monumental move....love the line:

 

" They didn't even acquire a player

They acquired the abstract concept of a player’s monetary worth."

 

http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2013/2/7/3965242/tim-thomas-trade-new-york-islanders-cap-move

In response to Dave24's comment:

Seems reasonable to me.  Protects both teams.

One thing I don't understand -- the draft pick is conditional on TT reporting to the Islanders (or to any other team, if NYI trades him).  So, if TT stays in his bunker in CO, then the Bruins gave away his rights for nothing?  Even though the Isles gain value through the trade by getting to the cap floor?  That alone should be worth a 4th round pick, which could have been upgraded to a 2nd rounder if he reported. 

The only explanation I can surmise is that getting TT's contract off the books was worth it for PC, even though he's likely getting zero in return from the Isles.

 

In response to jmwalters' comment:

And this is the answer to all the questions.  You had a chance to dump his contract right now... you do it right now.  They might not have had a chance to do it later, or might have been saddled with taking a bad contract back.  The draft pick means nothing- the point is they got rid of a guy who the team would never let wear a B's jersey again as well as the ongoing distraction and dumped his entire $5M cap hit. Excellent, excellent move. Chia impresses me more every day.

In response to SoxFanInIL's comment:

And this is the answer to all the questions.  You had a chance to dump his contract right now... you do it right now.  They might not have had a chance to do it later, or might have been saddled with taking a bad contract back.  The draft pick means nothing- the point is they got rid of a guy who the team would never let wear a B's jersey again as well as the ongoing distraction and dumped his entire $5M cap hit. Excellent, excellent move. Chia impresses me more every day.

 

 

 

Exactly. Reminds me of the Sturm salary dump of a couple years back. PC gave him away literally for nothing and some on these boards were wondering why on earth PC would do that. To rid the team of dead weight and increase cap room to load up for the playoffs. That's why.

 

In response to heyoo's comment:

That is what is going through Chiarelli's mind with the 3rd line being sluggish. I expect another move fairly soon for a winger to go on the 3rd line then. Great thing is goaltending, centers and defenseman but a 3rd line winger probably needs to come in.

 

In response to Newfiebullet's comment:

Don't be surprised if the Islanders deal his rights & Tim Thomas returns and gets a new 2 yr extension with his new team. Would not be surprised in the least.

Or TT watches Nabokov getting hung out to dry every night by the Islanders lousy defense and decides to stay in his cubby hole near NORAD in Colorado...

 

 

In response to 49-North's comment:

So, why would the Bruins care about keeping someone who's never coming back to the ice?  

Anything is a good deal for a guy who will never play again.

If he does play, the Bruins get the pick.  If he doesn't, they get the cap relief.  It makes perfect sense to me.

In response to Fletcher1's comment:

True.  His salary must have seemed like a dead weight over the team.  Now PC has shed that weight.  Should he ever play again I'll be interested to see the reaction he gets from the crowd at TD Garden.  What do you think Fletch?

In response to Fletcher1's comment:

I guess this should quiet the few who claimed TT would never get dealt to a team looking to add to their cap (without spending money). Good riddance.

The fact that they got rid of his cap hit and got a potential 2nd rounder is a terrific job by Chiarelli. Not sure I would read anything into it as far as future moves. I think they had a chance to get rid of the hit, and jumped at it...I dont think this means Iginla is coming here, as they are saying on the radio...They can now re-sign some core players, and if Tuuka continues to play like he has, thats where the majority of this money is going in the off-season.

In response to kelvana33's comment:

Could be prelude to add a player.  They must find someone to compliment Kelly n pevs.  

I would like to thank TT for the best goalie performance ever in a Stanley cup final.  No cup without TT.  Goalies are the weirdest people on earth.  TT was. Strange cat.  Amazing goale and great story.  

In response to shuperman's comment:

Selective highlighter heard that all the time and never bought it. It's an unproven theory. TT is far more replaceable than Chara for example. Rask isn't the big drop off in talent that Chara to Hnidy was. For all we know, Rask could've swept T-Bay and Van. It's all conjecture. I distinctly remember lots of people wanting to see TT pulled after the first 2 games against Montreal. I'm glad TT helped the team win. Now I'm glad he's gone. Sweet, sweet cap space. Cheers!

Wow, was I wrong.  I never thought this would happen.  I think I went way out of my way to say it would never happen.  Obla di.

If I'm an Islanders fan, I put all of my stuff on eBay and buy Rangers gear.  Wang is a billionaire (I think) and they are using empty contracts to avoid haivng to spend the minimum?  Forget that.

Spot on, Shup.  TT could be the craziest cat in a group of players known for being crazy anyway (goalies).  Good or bad, he was always known for being pretty self centered, but his personal meltdown in Boston will be a case study they will look at for years to come.

I never cared for the guy, but his red hot play against Vancouver and refusal to get rattled by the head games were directly responsible for the B's winning a Cup again, something I never thought I'd see again.  I'll always appreciate what he did for Bruins fans in 2011.

But wow, how does a cult like figure at that point in his career play and talk himself out of favor in a town that would have adored him forever in 12 short months?  Just breathtaking.

And I even agreed with his politics.  He was just nuts.

 

 

OK, to spell this all out for the slow Polish guy.

Is this correct?

The ONLY way the Bruins get the conditional second round pick only if TT suits up for at ones Isles game (or some other team if the Isles trade him)?

If the Isles pay him and he doesn't suit up - no pick for the Bruins?

If the Isles toll the contract forward - no pick for the Bruins?

 

So if it was only a salary dump, why not a trade straight up for a seventh round pick?  I would have loved the message that would be sending to TT.

Darn,  We might have been able to get Yannick Riendeau back.  He would probably have looked good on Bergeron's line (that was sarcasm if you don't know me that well)

In response to RichHillOntario's comment:

A good question RHO, got me beat.  

I have been as aggravated as anyone about him thrusting his personal politics into the hockey rhealm and his disregard for the team this year.  But...I still don't think I could boo the guy yet.

I say one big applause in his first visit to the Garden, based on the pure magic of 2011.  And I'll always respect him for that year's performance.  After that, he's an opponent.  And an opponent who punched the team in the gut on his way out the door.

Chiarelli managing to make the best of this, as he always does, takes the sting away for me though.

 

In response to red75's comment:

Game 7 at Van for the cup he pitched a shut out!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all that matters.

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

 

OK, to spell this all out for the slow Polish guy.

Is this correct?

The ONLY way the Bruins get the conditional second round pick only if TT suits up for at ones Isles game (or some other team if the Isles trade him)?

If the Isles pay him and he doesn't suit up - no pick for the Bruins?

If the Isles toll the contract forward - no pick for the Bruins?

 

So if it was only a salary dump, why not a trade straight up for a seventh round pick?  I would have loved the message that would be sending to TT.

Darn,  We might have been able to get Yannick Riendeau back.  He would probably have looked good on Bergeron's line (that was sarcasm if you don't know me that well)

 

My understanding is that the Bruins will get a 2nd if TT ever plays for anyone in the NHL again.

 

From TSN-

The draft pick the Bruins acquired is conditional on Thomas reporting to the Islanders or to any other team in the event the Islanders should trade his rights elsewhere.

In response to dezaruchi's comment:

Right!   and I just found this

According to the team, the Bruins will receive a conditional second-round draft pick in 2014 or 2015. GM Peter Chiarelli declined to provide specifics of the condition. Chiarelli acknowledged that the condition centers on whether Thomas resumes his career either this season or next. If Thomas never plays again, the Bruins will not receive the pick.

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/extras/bruins_blog/2013/02/tim_thomas_trad.html

 

So basically, unless TT outright retires Bruins get Isles 2nd round pick.

I say this is a thing of beauty.

A few thoughts late to the table:

The earlier in the season they make this trade, the more real dollars against this year's cap they have remaining.  In theory, against the Cap, Thomas cost the Bruins every game the team played.  With that money off the books now, they may be able to add a very pricy player to the mix at the deadline - someone even more expensive that TT.  Say Carolina is out of the mix and wants to deal Semin's one year deal at $7M. 

A conditional 2 is better than a 4 or Yannick Riendeau.  Especially if it belongs to the Isles.  

Remember that not long ago, the prevailing wisdom was that the Bruins would have to give up an asset to get a team with cap room to take on Thomas's contract.  I thought that was the most likely scenario - that the Bruins would make the move because they wanted the cap space to deal with injuries or just to make fortifications late in the year.  To get a pick in the top 50 is a complete reversal.  If Thomas comes back next year and is a Vezina caliber goalie, well - deal worked for both teams.

Bruins get a pick if he reports to the Isles or a team the Isles deal his rights to (hi-larious if they made him part of a package for Luongo).  I read that to mean that if they toll his rights, and he reports ever, they get that 2nd rounder.  The fact that it's a 2014 or 15 pick leads me to believe that the Isles will be tolling that deal.  They want him for next year for a couple of reasons.  One is that Nabokov is a UFA, and I would prefer to have Thomas over Nabokov in any event.  Two is that half that team will be UFA.  They have under $30M committed next year with 12 players signed.  Visnovsky and Streit are UFAs and that's $10M.  If they have Thomas's $5M - maybe even have Thomas - they don't have to go whole hog on overpriced UFAs to fill out the roster.  They'll sign some, but they can be judicious.

I think this is brilliant.  And I agree with everyone who has said hey, can't take away that Cup run.  Nothing matters but that he did his job brilliantly often enough for them to win.  Game over man.  Game over.  And I will always love that "I think I have a pretty good idea how to play goal and I'm not taking any advice at this time." line.

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

That's how I see it too BH.