Defending champs shore up roster at trade deadline
The defending Stanley Cup-champion Boston Bruins acquired forward Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau from the New York Islanders at the trade deadline on Monday without giving up anyone from their NHL roster.
Both players have experience in the city. Rolston played for the Bruins from 2000-04, and Mottau went to Boston College.
''To be able to go to a contender and have a chance at the Stanley Cup and repeating on a Stanley Cup team is quite a thrill,'' Mottau said. ''I'll do whatever it takes to add value to the team and I think I'm more prepared to do it now - just kind of understanding roles and being part of a group that's been there before and hopefully I can fit in seamlessly.''
Mottau was activated from the injured list on Sunday after missing 26 games with a concussion. The Bruins sent two prospects to New York: Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin. They will both be assigned to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
The Bruins also sent defenseman Steve Kampfer to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Greg Zanon. To make space on the roster for the new acquisitions, the Bruins assigned Andrew Bodnarchuk, Carter Camper, and Max Sauve to Providence of the AHL.
Rolston had been put on waivers, and he cleared Monday before the trade. Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said he hoped the 39-year-old forward has enough left to contribute.
''When we go out and we look for these types of players that are rentals we look to see that the players are motivated, and I would put him in that category,'' Chiarelli said. ''Primarily, you're motivated because you want to win. So I talked to all three of these guys and they're excited and they want to win. They say what I want to hear when I call them when you acquire them in a trade. We won last year and we want to try and win again. It's plain and in it's in front of them, and I feel that they are all motivated.''
Rolston has played in 1,235 NHL games, including 338 for the Bruins from 2000-04 after coming to Boston in the deal that sent Ray Bourque to the Colorado Avalanche to give the Hall of Fame defenseman a chance at a Stanley Cup. In his career, Rolston has 339 goals and 407 assists, having his best season in `05-06 with the Wild, when he had 34 goals and 45 assists - both career highs.
Rolston, who won the Cup in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils, has scored 20 or more goals in a season seven times. This year, he has four goals and five assists in 49 games.
Mottau, 33, is a native of suburban Quincy who played in 29 games for the Islanders this season with two assists. He has played for four teams in his career, with seven goals and 51 assists. A seventh-round draft pick in 1997 by the New York Rangers, Mottau played for Boston College from 1996-2000 and won the 2000 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey.
''I grew up watching the Bruins,'' said Mottau, who played in the Garden for the Beanpot and conference tournaments. ''I had a conversation with my parents and they reminded me I wanted to go to Harvard to be a carpenter and play for the Bruins. Those were my two things when I was a little kid.''
Rolston can play all three forward positions and is known for an accurate shot. Mottau gives the Bruins depth at defense, as does Zanon, who excels at blocking shots.
Zanon has played in 432 games for Minnesota and Nashville, with totals of 11 goals and 43 assists. Last year, he ranked second overall in the NHL with 212 blocked shots
Chiarelli was the assistant GM in Ottawa when the Senators drafted Zanon; he did not sign and went on to play for the Predators.
Kampfer has five goals and five assists in 48 NHL games; he has appeared in 10 games for the Bruins this year.
''He may not have had the opportunity because we didn't have the injuries that maybe he would have had the opportunity to play,'' Chiarelli said. ''I believe he is an NHL player and I think he will be in the NHL and we got an NHL player in return.''
