The Arizona Coyotes traded Antoine Vermette to the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night, but he very well could have been sent to the Boston Bruins instead.
According to Joe Haggerty of Comcast Sportsnet in Boston, the Bruins were in on the Vermette trade talks, but bailed when the Coyotes asked for a first round pick.
Boston defeated Arizona 4-1 Saturday night to stay four points ahead of the Florida Panthers for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. But the underperforming team, which has been called out by CEO Charlie Jacobs and president Cam Neely this year, has had to battle with the reality of an aging roster and the fact their window for another Stanley Cup championship may be closing.
Vermette is in the final year of his contract and is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in July.
In February, Neely said he was disappointed in this year’s Bruins and that any moves would have to be made with the future of the roster in mind.
“So what this is about for me is the remainder of the season and then moving forward past the season,’’ Neely told the Boston Globe. “I have to look short-term and long-term. Whatever we look at has to make sense for both. I don’t think we’re interested in sacrificing the future for the immediate.’’
As a result, the Bruins were not willing to part with their first-round pick in a deep 2015 draft. It’s one they’ll need to use to make sure the team doesn’t suffer in the long-term.
