Busy B’s: Bruins Announce Roster Moves
On Thursday, the Bruins announced two roster moves they made earlier in the day.
Frank Vatrano was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2018 third-round draft pick. He was recently nursing a lower-body injury he sustained but had traveled with the team to Toronto and skated with them before their game against the Leafs on Saturday.
The winger had just two goals and 22 penalty minutes in 25 games with the black and gold this season.
Essentially, the B’s got back their third-round pick in the Vatrano trade that they traded away on Tuesday to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Nick Holden.
To round out a busy week for Boston, the team announced on Thursday that Anders Bjork will miss the remainder of the season after he underwent shoulder surgery earlier this week for a labral repair.
He injured himself back in January and is expected to miss at least six months.
The NHL trade deadline is Monday and with the Vatrano trade and Bjork injury, general manager Don Sweeney may be gearing up to make another move.
Lauren Campbell (@lalalalaurrrren)
Just when we all thought the Anthony Davis rumors were starting to die down, they come back just to remind us that this conversation is never going to end until the big man winds up in a new uniform.
Anthony Davis on Kevin Garnett saying he regrets not leaving Timberwolves sooner: ‘It makes you think’ https://t.co/jOUSR6lK7K
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) February 22, 2018
In a sit down with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Davis shared his reaction to some recent comments made by Paul Pierce about how Kevin Garnett’s only regret in his NBA career was not coming to Boston sooner.
Paul Pierce thanking Kevin Garnett. “Kevin says his only regret is not coming here five years earlier.”
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) February 12, 2018
While these comments didn’t come directly from KG himself, we do have to remember that Garnett has shared his thoughts on the matter before. On his TNT show “Area 21”, KG shared what he thinks, and it wasn’t so far off from what Pierce had to say.
“My only regret in playing with the Big 3 is that I didn’t do it soon enough.”
KG comments on where @celtics Kevin Garnett, @paulpierce34 & Ray Allen rank among the greatest trios in @NBA history. (🔊⬆️)#KGArea21pic.twitter.com/oaKyuiLZbO
— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) January 6, 2018
Davis’ comments on Garnett’s situation are starting to raise some eyebrows, especially mine. He made it very clear that while he does think about what it’d be like to play in a more competitive environment, he is just trying to take things year by year. Let’s start that by taking a look at this year then; DeMarcus Cousins goes down with a torn achillies heading into a contract year. So not only is he going to miss a lot of time, but who knows if he even winds up coming back? My guess would be yes, but if I’m AD, I still think I’d ask for a trade. The next year plus without Cousins seems like a waste of time for AD if he is still in New Orleans. I think the benefit of going somewhere else outweighs the risk big time in this specific situation.
So where should AD request a trade to? Obviously I want to see him on the Celtics, so that’s choice number one for me. Him, Kyrie and Gordon Hayward could build something pretty special here. But outside of Boston, Davis would be an interesting fit with the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum really need help, and they have a bunch of salary dedicated to people I’m sure they’d feel comfortable moving on from (Evan Turner, $17M).
Get out while you can, AD. It’s a move you won’t regret.
-Nick Cherico (@NickCherico2)