The Bruins paid a high price to get Kaberle for a big Stanley Cup drive but can he produce?
CALGARY - You never really get to know Tomas Kaberle, the people who spent a dozen seasons following him in Toronto will tell you.
He was in Toronto like Ales Hemsky is in Edmonton, like Olli Jokinen in Calgary, like Mats Sundin during his short time in Vancouver -- approachable, pleasant to speak with and an all-around nice guy.
The fact that he doesn't say much off the ice however, has always been balanced out by what he says on it.
"He's as good a puck mover as I've ever played with, as I've seen in the National Hockey League," said Calgary's Matt Stajan, a 500-plus game man. "He's a very patient player who can slow the play down and make those plays a lot of guys can't. That's what makes him the special player he is."
Kaberle is not like many players whose value has grown simply because of the fact he pulled the blue Maple Leaf over his head for a dozen years. He is the real deal - a legit, elite defenceman who can run a powerplay, transport the puck when needed, clear his own zone with consistency and hit his forwards in stride with a pass.
On Boston's powerplay he will put the puck on a tee for the league's hardest shot, belonging to Zdeno Chara. Together they are the perfect tandem of shooter and QB, like Pronger and Niedermayer once were in Anaheim.
"We've been talking about it for most of the year - we wanted to get a good puck-moving defenceman," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien, who will allow Kaberle to ride through most of the full two minutes on the powerplay, and try to limit his time on the Bruins' penalty-killing unit.
"One of those elite guys, we didn't have. Now we do," Julien continued. "He moves the puck, sees the ice so well… It's about taking advantage of his qualities."
In a way, the Bruins and Kaberle have reached the same stage in their existence. Each has done plenty, yet neither has won a Cup - Kaberle in his career, and the Bruins since 1972.
Kaberle made it to a pair of Conference Finals with the Maple Leafs, but missed the playoffs entirely five other times. In the end, his experience playing in Toronto follows that common theme -- great town to play in, likely even better if he could have won there.
"It was one of the great times for me. I don't regret any second of it," he said of his dozen seasons in Toronto. "I'll miss those guys I played with - close to 200 guys. Fans were awesome to me. All I can say is, 'Thanks.'"
After a couple of years of trade speculation, Kaberle opened the door only a crack when he gave Leafs GM Brian Burke a "list" of teams he would accept a trade to that included just one organization - Boston. That Burke accrued big, young centre Joe Colborne, a first-round pick and a conditional second-rounder in the trade with uber-sharp Bruins GM Pete Chiarelli speaks to some fine dealing on Burke's part.
But why only Boston?
"I felt like, if I go somewhere, I would like to play on a team that has a chance to win a Stanley Cup," said Kaberle, 32, who admitted it was his priority to stay in the East. "Every time, it's part of the business. My name has been mentioned the last few years. It's sad on one part, but it's another challenge for me. I'm happy it's the Boston Bruins. They have a great team, and we played against them a lot. I got to see them."
The pressure now falls squarely on to Kaberle's shoulders to produce what is expected of a team that gave up quite a largesse to acquire him - particularly considering the fact Kaberle will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Bruins are making a run here, and they're counting heavily on Kaberle to deliver if that run is going to last four rounds.
"We had an opportunity the last couple of years and haven't got past the second round," said Julien, whose GM also gave him added help up the middle by bringing in Chris Kelly from Ottawa, and drafting Tyler Seguin.
Of all the incoming talent, Kaberle is the big dog.
It was easy, much of the time, to play for a team of which little was expected in Toronto, but that all changes now for Kaberle now that he is outside his comfort zone.
In Boston, it just might be Stanley Cup or bust. As in, bring home Big Stanley, or the trade wasn't worth it.
