Chiarelli Not Ruling Out Big Name Deal For Bruins
BOSTON (CBS) – With the NHL Trade Deadline just five days away, Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is dealing with some quiet phones.
"This is the slowest it's been in my time here," Chiarelli told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Johnston and Flynn on Wednesday, adding that things have picked up the last few days. "There are the normal reasons, with the parity and tightness in the standings, but I also think guys want to try to keep their players through the rest of the season and try to sign them."
Chiarelli said his focus is on adding another forward and defenseman, adding depth to a struggling Bruins team, and even said he would not rule out a big name coming to Boston.
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"Last year we talked about adding a couple more bodies and chemistry. We were fortunate to get a couple of players that had addition years on their contracts and fit into our two-way system. I can't tell you those deals are out there. I would hope to add some depth and I can't dismiss the bigger deals, but the prices for rental players are through the roof right. We paid a good amount last year to get some payers in – I'm not saying we won't this year -- but they're through the roof."
As for the possibility of Columbus' Rick Nash, Chiarelli said he couldn't comment on specific players.
"I can't really comment on that. There are more than one 'impact players' available, but I can't talk about a specific player."
Depth at forward is especially important for Boston right now, as they cope with the loss of Rich Peverley and the uncertain future of Nathan Horton. Chiarelli said he was confident Horton would return from his second concussion in the last eight months at some point this season, but the team is taking the injury into account when seeking a trade-deadline pickup.
"It certainly something that we would consider greatly. It is uncertain what will end up happening with Nathan," said Chiarelli. "I've been trying to add a forward and a (defenseman). It's always good to have depth, not just depth in the minors."
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