Chiarelli on market watch
Bruins GM sizing up trade options
In 2003-04, when Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli worked in the Ottawa front office, the Senators made a late-season trade they believed could trigger a run to the Stanley Cup finals.
They swapped forward Brooks Laich and a second-round pick to Washington for Peter Bondra, the lethal trigger man with a pair of 52-goal seasons to his name. Bondra joined an already explosive offense that included Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson, Martin Havlat, and Jason Spezza.
But what projected to be a slam-dunk deal never blossomed into what the Senators had expected. Bondra would score only five goals in 23 regular-season games, and wouldn't record a point in seven postseason games. Ottawa lost to Toronto in the first round.
"Terrific player," Chiarelli recalled during a conference call yesterday. "But we couldn't get him in the right fit in our lineup. You have to be careful about just adding the best player."
Such are the challenges that Chiarelli and his hockey operations team consider as they stare down the March 4 trade deadline. The Bruins, currently 7 points ahead of second-place Washington in the Eastern Conference, could make a charge for the Cup. They have young players who could bring back immediate help in return. They're facing some tough calls in the offseason as they balance re-signing core players (Tim Thomas, David Krejci, and Phil Kessel are the top priorities) against managing a salary cap that isn't expected to rise. They have a good locker room now that might be disrupted if they ship out a key component. And they're coming off a 1-3-1 road trip that, while it ended with a strong effort in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay, underscored some pressure points that could buckle in the playoffs.
So will the Bruins add major pieces in the next eight days? Acquire complementary pieces? Or stand pat as they did last year?
"In the salary cap system, you have windows come and go fairly quickly," Chiarelli said. "Having said that, we have a pretty strong young foundation. As much as you want to seize the opportunity and as much as our market demands it, especially with the other franchises doing so well, I'm more apt to be patient and not pick apart the young foundation we have.
"It's tempting. It's something we look at long and hard, especially since there are players out there that can give you an immediate impact in certain situations. Our job is to balance that. We also understand that we have some young players that may never see our lineup but are good players. We have to recognize those players and use them as chips in any future deals."
Tonight, the Bruins kick off a six-game homestand in which they hope to reclaim the blue-collar attitude that just about vanished over the past six games (1-3-2). From Chiarelli's viewpoint, the scuffling Bruins have failed in three areas: driving hard to the net, claiming ownership of the danger zones, and finishing their checks - three things they got back to against the Lightning.
On the tying goal in the third period, Patrice Bergeron provided the middle drive that drew the Tampa defenders and opened a passing lane for Chuck Kobasew to Zdeno Chara.
"Bergy did the job of driving to the net and pushed all the D's back, Chucky made the nice pass, and I found the opening on the blocker side," Chara said.
So while the Bruins' play has dipped, Chiarelli said his deadline strategy hasn't changed. They have always wanted to add a puck-moving defenseman. They could use a lefthanded forward for help on the power play.
Because the team could contend for a championship, Chiarelli is considering trading for players with expiring contracts, which he was wary of doing his first two years in Boston. And they would like to improve the team without altering the chemistry in the dressing room.
"If it means taking away a significant piece, you really have to look at it and think long and hard about if you want to do it," Chiarelli said. "Whether it's players moving out or in, part of it is the blend of youth and experience. You want to make sure if you're adding to the experience, you have to look at that ratio.
"With the significance of the player you're adding, is it worth what you'd be giving up in the long run? We talk to the coaching staff at length about the room and how players would react. These players all want to win and be part of a winning team. You have to look at it very carefully."
Chiarelli said Michael Ryder should be in the lineup tonight against the Panthers. Ryder has been out since Feb. 5 because of facial fractures suffered against Ottawa. He was scheduled for a doctor's appointment yesterday. Ryder (19-17 -36) practiced with the team on the recent road trip. The right wing, who has missed seven games, said his conditioning was good enough that he could dress as soon as he received clearance to play. Ryder will wear a full cage or a visor . . . While Chiarelli didn't comment specifically about Manny Fernandez, it seems unlikely that he'll move the veteran goalie, who will become an unrestricted free agent at year's end. "I'm happy with our goaltending duo right now," Chiarelli said. "I think it's a position of strength as we go forward in the playoffs."
Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com. 
