Trade Rumors and Free Agent TalkTrade rumors, transactions, and free agent talk. Rumors must contain the word RUMOR in post title. Proposals must contain the word PROPOSAL in post title.
Boston Gives:
Patrice Bergeron
Marco Sturm
Conditional 1st round pick
Atlanta Gives:
Ilya Kovalchuk
I was trying to find a way to get Schneider over too, but it's near impossible cap-wise.
Reasoning for Boston- Clears a little bit of salary cap while re-uniting Savard with a real scorer for the first time since..... Kovalchuk. Boston has done great without Sturm in the lineup, and would be upgrading Bergy to Kovy and downgrading Sturm to someone like Noke or Sobotka. Although he isn't really a need right now I think he and Savard could be magic and if they got hot in the playoffs that team could go a long way.
Reasoning for Atlanta- It spreads out the scoring a little bit. Sturm is a solid 20+ goal scorer who scores some clutch goals. Bergy can also play wing if needed so it gived them flexibility down the middle. Bergy will be a #1 center soon enough and has proven he can rack up points with Sturm.
I think Boston would have to add more, but would this be a good start? What else would ATL need?
Go easy
Last edited by Nikita Filatov*: 12-02-2008 at 10:28 PM.
Value wise, I'd add Marchand and a conditional first based on his resiging next season.
Bruins fan wise, I can't see it happening. Bergeron isn't a tradeable commodity right now.
I could see something like you mention;
To ATL:
Bergeron Kobasew
Marchand
Conditional 1st
To BOS:
Ilya Kovalchuk Conditional 2nd
Sturm has an NTC, and I can't see him waiving it for Atlanta (first mentioned by Pedro). Kobasew is younger, and will probably put up similar, if not better, numbers this year. IMO, this is an upgrade over Sturm for ATL. The conditional 1st would be based off of Ilya re-signing next year (for a 2010 pick), and the conditional 2nd going to Boston would be performance-based against Bergeron (if Bergeron doesn't bank 70 pts next season, for instance).
As you mentioned, this is a PR nightmare for Boston, however. But, if BOS was even kicking the tires about Ilya, ATL would ask for nothing less than the above.
How has Bergeron been playing this year?? I was curious how he would rebound after that horrible injury. Stats wise he seems to be playing ok...but I don't nearly notice him as much on the ice as before his injury. Do you think that he will be a changed player because of this or that it will just take some time to get back into game shape after missing most of last year??
I agree with another poster, I think people overestimate what Kovalchuk will bring in. I do think he is going to bring in a great package but better than Bergeron and a first rounder? Not too many teams in the league would give up a talent like Bergeron. You are talking about a 23 year old who had back to back 70 point seasons as a 20 and 21 year old.
Bergeron instantly become ATL's #1 center and at 23 years old is still young enough to build your team around.
The deal may need some tinkering but I think centering a Kovalchuk deal around Bergeron and a 1st rounder.
