So you’d rather give up a draft pick to get a player who is the caliber of Stempniak (your words) than sign him for nothing. Ok, got it.
I think people are reading into this for a lot more than it is ... Which is strictly a depth move. The whole point of this is not to utilize Stempniak, but for him to be available in case we have to.
Yes, don't you get it, this guy has essentially been sitting for months. He has zero, zero, F*^&* zero chance of been able to keep up to speed in the NHL when the rest of the league has been playing all this time.
I'll take pretty much every single forward in Providence over him. Kuhlman, Frederic, JFK, Senyshyn, Smith, McNeill, Szwarz, Fitzgerald, Carey, Blidh. I'd dress every single one of them over Stempniak. At least they've been playing actually hockey, not just hanging out at practice. How much depth do you need, even if it is "free"
Sadly you can be darn sure the Bruins brass don't view it the same as I do, and Stempniak is essentially ahead of all these guys now. I'll be shocked if he's not on the Bruins roster after the roster cap comes off after Monday.