What could have been

[blackandgold1996]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3951715

"It was a pretty painful process," Guerin said on TSN. "We thought we had a deal done with another team a couple of days ago. We were just waiting for something to happen. But this is a great opportunity for me, going to a talented team like that."

Back in 2009, the Bruins were extremely close to executing a trade that would have resulted in veteran right winger Billy Guerin returning to Boston. I have some indirect personal ties to the player and I know that his primary goal at the '09 deadline was to suit up for the black and gold once again. He was an integral veteran presence on the Penguins Stanley Cup roster, and I cant help but think about how the season would have played out if the Bruins deal went through. I'm curious to see if you guys know of any other Bruins deals that were close to happening. It's always fun to imagine alternate scenarios!

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[Stone Clode]

Disappointing. Loved Billy Guerin in the short time he was here. Had his career high in goals in Boston. Crazy to think he scored 69 goals in only 142 games here. Wish he would have been here longer.

 

[blackandgold1996]

Disappointing. Loved Billy Guerin in the short time he was here. Had his career high in goals in Boston. Crazy to think he scored 69 goals in only 142 games here. Wish he would have been here longer.

I agree, I think the Carolina series totally could have played out differently if he were there. The only problem is that if the deal went through, I'd imagine that the Recchi trade would not have happened, with Guerin filling the veteran role instead. In the end I prefer having Recchi, I can't see us winning the '11 cup without him

 

[Lucic and Chong]

The Bruins had one of the better goal scorers in the league at the time and let him walk over money. They didn't put a premium on goal scorers back then, either. It's not a new problem, and it sure as hell didn't start or end with Chiarelli.

 

[Therick67]

The Bruins had one of the better goal scorers in the league at the time and let him walk over money. They didn't put a premium on goal scorers back then, either. It's not a new problem, and it sure as hell didn't start or end with Chiarelli.

It's a long standing Bruin tradition. Had it when Harry was GM, had it when O'Connell was GM - same with Chiarelli. I know what the common denominator is, but it can't be JJ.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Well, we got Max Talbot.

 

[Trap Jesus]

So if we got Guerin, we don't get Recchi. Sounds great...

If people here are seriously dealing with "what if?" scenarios from before the Bruins won the Cup, you need to give your head a shake.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Kessel would have been a scratch and we would have lost in the 1st round.

 

[JCRO]

Well.. The deal that stands out the most that didn't happen was the Iginla deal back at the trade deadline in 2013.

 

[BlacknGold Barbarino]

It's a long standing Bruin tradition. Had it when Harry was GM, had it when O'Connell was GM - same with Chiarelli. I know what the common denominator is, but it can't be JJ.

Does it rhyme with Larry Linden?

 

[zaYG]

Still have a Guerin shirt from my childhood that I bought a week before he left Boston. Was my favorite player when he was here.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

I realize that we're all wandering aimlessly on the arid plains of a non-playoff landscape, but it strikes me that a lot of threads these days involve looking back at the past...

Understandable, of course.

Particularly when the immediate future seems as though it will be even more dreary and foreboding...

 

[Neely08]

So if we got Guerin, we don't get Recchi. Sounds great...

If people here are seriously dealing with "what if?" scenarios from before the Bruins won the Cup, you need to give your head a shake.

The "what ifs" that stick w/ me are:

What if Bergeron was never hurt?

What if Savard was never hurt?

What if Sieds didn't go down when he did?

There's a few other big ones, but I don't feel like arguing w/ Bruins fans anymore, frankly. Even w/ Dollar Bill in 09, this team just wasn't ready experience wise. Rex was the right guy at the right time, IMO.

Anyway, "what if" roads usually lead to no where. Went through that when Neely went down. That whole era could have been different, but it was what it was.

 

[SPV]

The "what ifs" that stick w/ me are:

What if Bergeron was never hurt?

What if Savard was never hurt?

What if Sieds didn't go down when he did?

There's a few other big ones, but I don't feel like arguing w/ Bruins fans anymore, frankly. Even w/ Dollar Bill in 09, this team just wasn't ready experience wise. Rex was the right guy at the right time, IMO.

Anyway, "what if" roads usually lead to no where. Went through that when Neely went down. That whole era could have been different, but it was what it was.

This is probably the only one that interests me; the others are too far back to consider. I'm still convinced we get by Montreal last year with him healthy in the lineup. Then I think we wouldn't have had any trouble with New York either.

 

[BNHL]

I heard that Samsonov and Raycroft almost went to Ottawa for Spezza.

 

[blackandgold1996]

So if we got Guerin, we don't get Recchi. Sounds great...

If people here are seriously dealing with "what if?" scenarios from before the Bruins won the Cup, you need to give your head a shake.

Woahh no need to get hostile my man, I already acknowledged that sacrificing Recchi wouldn't be worth it. I was just having fun thinking about the way things would have played out, if it bothers you than you don't need to participate!

 

[Neely08]

I heard that Samsonov and Raycroft almost went to Ottawa for Spezza.

That laugh of his would have caused several suicides on the team, especially during the Lewis era. Plus we don't get that second rounder that ended up being Lucic. Nor do we steal Tuukka for Redlight Razor Raycroft.

 

[RustyBruins72]

"What if"

Zdeno Chara was never traded to Ottawa for Yashin.

 

[blackandgold1996]

The Bruins had one of the better goal scorers in the league at the time and let him walk over money. They didn't put a premium on goal scorers back then, either. It's not a new problem, and it sure as hell didn't start or end with Chiarelli.

On a positive note, letting Guerin walk after his original stint with the Bruins resulted in us receiving the 45th overall pick as compensation, which of course the Bruins used to select a man by the name of Patrice Bergeron

 

[blackandgold1996]

Disappointing. Loved Billy Guerin in the short time he was here. Had his career high in goals in Boston. Crazy to think he scored 69 goals in only 142 games here. Wish he would have been here longer.

I believe that during the '02 season he and Glen Murray were the last 2 players to score 40 goals in Boston, correct?

 

[DaBroons]

I heard that Samsonov and Raycroft almost went to Ottawa for Spezza.

Right before the 2001 draft, the Broons went to sleep on Friday night with a deal in place with Milbury. The Islanders would get Jason Allison and the Broons would get the #2 pick in the draft (Spezza), Chara, and Dave Skatchard.

In the morning, Milbury reneged and traded for Yashin from Ottawa for #2 pick (Spezza), Chara, and Bill Mukalt.

Allison apparently was told about the trade and when it didn't happen, he refused to re-sign with Boston and got traded to LA.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

Damn. Guerin was one of, if not my favorite player on the Bruins when I was a kid

 

[neelysbiggestfan]

The Bruins had one of the better goal scorers in the league at the time and let him walk over money. They didn't put a premium on goal scorers back then, either. It's not a new problem, and it sure as hell didn't start or end with Chiarelli.

Soooo...the Bruins should have matched the LUDICROUS 5YR-45M contract the Stars gave him?
That they subsequently regretted and bought him out?

 

[Danton Heineken]

There were some reports out there that the Bruins' offered Hossa a Kovalchuk Rule contract that would've been worth $100M

 

[TCDaniels]

Back prior to the 01-02 season, J.R. signed with the Flyers (he'd just come off back-to-back 30+ goal seasons, and back-to-back-to-back 70+ point seasons with the Desert Dogs)

I was at the All Star Game in LA '02, and had dinner with him after the game and flat out asked: Rumors were the Bruins made a big pitch for you? Why didn't you come home to play?

He told me that the Bruins had offered more $$ than the Flyers - just thought he had a better chance to win with Philly, so he signed there...

He didn't have the same success with the Flyers as he had with Phoenix, but I sometimes wonder what kind of fit he would have been here?