Bruins Acquire Ference and Kobasew from Calgary

[Smerri1029]

Boston -- Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Andrew Ference and right-winger Chuck Kobasew from the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Brad Stuart and center Wayne Primeau.

Ference, 27, from Edmonton, AB, has appeared in 53 games this season for the Flames, scoring two goals and registering ten assists. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the eighth round (208 overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, the 5-10, 195-pound defenseman was acquired by the Flames on February 10, 2003 for a third round selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Kobasew, 24, from Vancouver, BC, has appeared in 40 games for the Flames this season, scoring four goals and tallying 13 assists. After playing one season at Boston College in 2001, Kobasew, who is 5-11 and 198 pounds, was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Flames in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He has been sidelined with an elbow injury since January 26, 2007.

Stuart and Primeau were both acquired by the Bruins on November 30, 2005, along with Marco Sturm, in exchange for Joe Thornton. Stuart appeared in 47 games for the Bruins this season, tallying seven goals and ten assists, while Primeau appeared in 50 contests scoring seven goals and eight assists.

[PhantomsSTH1977]

Flames acquire Stuart, Primeau from Bruins
NHL.com Feb 10, 2007, 11:04 PM EST

The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Andrew Ference and right winger Chuck Kobasew to the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Brad Stuart, center Wayne Primeau and a conditional draft pick.
Stuart and Primeau originally came to the Bruins in the November 30, 2005 deal that sent Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks.

From http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid...e&service=page

[OilersHockey]

So Calgary's defense actually got better???

Holy crap... now like 5 of Calgary's D men are better than Edmonton's best...

[forsberg21]

thats a good trade, i like Calgary in this one. a good defence is a great offence.

[Smerri1029]

How is Kobasew & Andrew Ferrance? Don't get to watch Calgary at all so haven't a clue.

[PhantomsSTH1977]

I like the trade as well, i was hoping the flyers were going to make play for Stuart to help their defense. oh well

[forsberg21]

Originally Posted by Smerri1029

How is Kobasew & Andrew Ferrance? Don't get to watch Calgary at all so haven't a clue.

Kobasew is a good young 2-way forward capable of 20 goal seasons, Ference is a physical defencive defenceman. so basically calgary improves defencivley, boston offencivley.

[BM24]

I thought Ference was well liked in Calgary, so hopefully this trade does not affect team chemistry too much in Calgary. Ference's potential does seem to be limited.

Overall, Stuart is BY FAR the best player in this trade, Giving up Ference and Kobasew is a lot for a rental player...but like they say, there is no price for the stanley cup.

My last comment about this trade is regarding the thornton trade....I am sure this will be talked about, but now that Stuart and Primeau gone, the Bruins pretty much just got Ference, Kobawsew and Sturm for MVP Joe Thornton....ouch!

[canuckfan]

I think this trade works for both teams. Stuart has underperformed this year but he's capable of a lot more...I don't want to give him up as an Eric Brewer-type disappointment just yet, but he definitley hasn't tuned into the international star he was originally thought to be. Primeau is a perfect Sutter type forward the Flames have actually lacked this year.

Ference is a good top 4 d-man...doesn't have the offensive tools Stuart has, but a quality blueliner nonethless. He can fight too, so the Bruins could use that. Kobasew has struggled this year and is out right now with a concussion, but he is capable of 20 goals. Both guys are also pretty young (especially Kobasew) and I believe have contracts through a couple years or so.

Right now, I'd say an equal trade...but aren't BOTH Stuart and Primeau unrestricted after this season? If so, then the Flames might come out on the short end if both guys walk and the Flames have another short playoff run.

[Smerri1029]

Originally Posted by canuckfan

Right now, I'd say an equal trade...but aren't BOTH Stuart and Primeau unrestricted after this season? If so, then the Flames might come out on the short end if both guys walk and the Flames have another short playoff run.

Yes. The two of them are UFA's.

Stuart will probably test the market (first time he is a UFA) and Preems, well I don't know if he will go into the market or if he will settle down in Calgary.

[Bruins0506]

I like this trade for the Bruins, how much longer is Kobasew out?

[Isles4life]

Well, the skill advantage clearly goes to Calgary, but given that they both will be testing the UFA market, Boston did well to get Kobasew and Ference. Kobasew may be an interesting fit on the Bruins.

[I like Boobs]

Nobody can accuse Darryl Sutter of being idle, or not getting a great return on value.

He trades career underachiever Jamie Lundmark for the hard-working Craig Conroy. Conroy is very solid defensively and also adds some offense and is well-liked in Calgary. He is also very good friends with Flames captain Jarome Iginla. Sutter easily got the best of this deal IMO.

Than he turns around and moves Chuck Kobasew, who is also a career underachiever, and the gritty but replaceable Andrew Ferrence for:

1) Wayne Primeau, who will add grit, good size, and good defensive abilities, and who IMO will thrive in the hockey hot-bed of Calgary. Primeau seems like one of those guys who seems to perform better the more pressure that you place upon him.

2) Brad Stuart - Stuart has been very dissapointing thus far into his career but he joins the best defensive corps in the league (IMO). He won't have to be the number one guy in Calgary as they already have Phaneuf, Regher, Hamrlik, Giordanno, and Rhett Warrener... now add Stuart to that mix and you easily have the best group of defenders in the league. The Flames should be awfully tough come play-off time if they can some scoring up front... With that defense, Kiprusoff in goal, and Iginla up front, this is a team thats built for a very long playoff run.

[AVALANCHE FAN]

Wow I didnt see that coming.

[BruinBlood]

Since that Thornton trade anytime I see that the BEST player in the deal is leaving Boston I just put my middle finger up at Jacobs & his National Trust.

I would assume that Flames fans know him well from his San Jose days, but this kid always came up with a huge hit at some point in a game...just about the only one in a bruins uniform, And as far as Primeau goes, good Luck to him, he seemed to play soft on too many nights in my opinion.