2/11 Quick Hit Rumors

With the Olympic trade freeze kicking into effect tomorrow, here's a look at some of the latest B's trade rumors floating around the 'net.

This one comes courtesy of thefourthperiod.com...

"Despite a report suggesting the Bruins are listening to offers for goalie Tim Thomas, the Boston Herald reports the team hasn't asked him to waive his no-trade clause."

Whew. Well, I'm glad that's settled. Ever since Tuukka Rask has started four games in a row, Timmy rumors have attacked half of the Internet and most of HFBoards.

But that's just what they are: rumors. C'mon folks, who is going to trade for a 35-year-old goaltender with a four-year, $20 million contract? And don't forget that the contract has a no-trade clause for the first three years.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not discounting what Thomas has brought and continues to bring to the B's. Hell, the guy won the Vezina Trophy last year and put up pretty good numbers this season as well. But I'm willing to bet most GMs aren't going to take on a contract like that for a player that isn't getting any younger and may have very well passed his prime already.

And if that's not enough evidence to convince you, check out this article by CSNNE reporter Joe Haggerty:

"Thomas moved his parents from the Flint, Mich., area to Boston prior to the 2009-10 season and bought a house in the North Shore with his wife and children, planting roots in the city where he made his bones as an NHL goaltender. He has no reason, or desire, to waive his no-trade and uproot his family."

And that's that. Move along, move along.

Take the next rumor with a grain of salt, as it's reported by Eklund from the infamous www.hockeybuzz.com...

"The Bruins and Sabres are in on [Ray] Whitney. The Sabres may be the best fit as both Whitney and the Sabres want to extend him a few years immediately."

Whitney to Boston rumors aren't anything new -- there have been rumblings of this since Thanksgiving or so.

Would it be a good fit? The 37-year-old wouldn't be a bad veteran pick-up if the B's are looking for a playoff rental. He has more goals than just about every guy currently playing for the B's.

It's his cost that concerns me. Seeing as he's one of only a few "goal-scoring" UFAs available this deadline, look for the 'Canes to be asking for a high pick and a prospect. Not worth the cost seeing as the B's probably won't go too far into the playoffs in the first place.

And since the B's look like they're stuck with Ryder's inflated contract, signing Whitney to a cap-friendly deal this summer isn't plausible. If he's looking for a extension as Eklund suggests, Buffalo may be a better fit. The Sabres need a veteran scoring presence to complement the rest of their offense.

The last rumor comes from NESN reporter James Murphy. Though it's a few days old, this rumor seems to be revisted every couple of months...

"With the Bruins dead-last in scoring and Chiarelli looking for some kind of offensive spark, NESN.com has learned that Chiarelli may be revisiting the idea of trading for Blues winger and Melrose, Mass. native Keith Tkachuk."

Acquiring Tkachuk was a decent idea last year, but the deal fell through and the B's picked up Recchi. At the very least, Tkachuk could always replace Miroslav Satan in the line-up this season. Though he only has 12 goals this year, he's been playing on a struggling St. Louis Blues squad.

But once again, the question of cost comes into consideration. Would Tkachuk come cheaper than Whitney? Is the cost worth what he would bring to the team? And will adding aging wingers really help put the B's over-the-top in the playoffs?

My prediction: I don't see the B's adding or selling a player before the Olympic freeze. Around the deadline? Definitely possible. But with an important game against Tampa Bay tonight, Peter Chiarelli probably won't be looking to tweak the team until the end of February and beginning of March.