Hurricanes Acquire Aaron Ward From Boston

[Thrillhouse]

RALEIGH, NC—Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has acquired defenseman Aaron Ward from the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Patrick Eaves and a fourth-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

“With this trade, our defense really takes shape,” said Rutherford. “Aaron played very well during his time in Carolina and had maintained that consistency with New York and Boston. We envision him complementing Joni Pitkanen well as a defensive pairing.”

Ward, 36, completed his 14th NHL season in 2008-09, totaling three goals and seven assists (10 points) and 44 penalty minutes in 65 games for the Boston Bruins. The Windsor, Ont., native ranked second among Bruins skaters in blocked shots (124) and third among Bruins skaters in hits (151) despite missing 17 games due to injury. Ward (6’2”, 209 lbs.) skated in all 11 of Boston’s Stanley Cup Playoff contests, netting one goal and leading Boston with 25 blocked shots.

Originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, fifth overall, of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Ward has tallied 43 goals and 95 assists (138 points) and 674 penalty minutes in 762 career NHL games with Detroit, Carolina, the New York Rangers and Boston. He has played in 95 career playoff games, earning 10 points (4g, 6a) and 73 penalty minutes. His teams have reached the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and captured the Stanley Cup championships three times – 1997 and 1998 with Detroit and 2006 with Carolina.

[DaleHunter32]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

i don't know who should feel worse, eaves or ward

hey carolina management, all this could have been avoided in the first place if you would have just thrown this guy some chedar after you won the cup, instead jack johnson is playing in hollywood

the cycle is complete

[The Crow]

Hilariously ironic

[JKidd]

So damn funny you actually have to wonder if it really just happened.

[Mr. America]

I won't miss Eaves. It'll be good to have Ward back maybe. Chiarelli drafted Eaves originally right? Maybe he has some sort of crush on him? lol

On another note... seriously WTF. Has a team ever traded, let go, lost so many players only to bring them back before?

[DB24MJ12]

Walker is going to have some splainin to do.

[ShelleyFan45]

I think this effectively means Babchuk will be gone. I wonder if Walker and Ward will have lockers next to eachother that could be interesting haha.

[Mr. America]

Originally Posted by DB24MJ12

Walker is going to have some splainin to do.

Yeah really. Alberts and Ward. Next thing they'll do is bring in Mike Fisher lol

THe story in Raleigh is that Eaves is out on his honeymoon. What a helluva wedding present this will be for him? Traded, then waived and maybe bought out. Hell who knows where he'll be hockey wise when he gets back lol

[Chiefs for Life]

Originally Posted by Mr. America

Yeah really. Alberts and Ward. Next thing they'll do is bring in Mike Fisher lol

THe story in Raleigh is that Eaves is out on his honeymoon. What a helluva wedding present this will be for him? Traded, then waived and maybe bought out. Hell who knows where he'll be hockey wise when he gets back lol

Boston bought out Patrick Eaves contract, looks like they are making room for Kessel, but they are getting very thin on defence.......

[Mr. America]

They already bought him out? How is that even possible from what I read elsewhere on the net? I read people saying Boston wouldn't be able to buy him out. All that is based on reading why the Hurricanes COULD buy out Kaberle.

I would think they'd wait till he atleast cleared waivers before buying him out also?

[blackngold]

Originally Posted by Mr. America

They already bought him out? How is that even possible from what I read elsewhere on the net? I read people saying Boston wouldn't be able to buy him out. All that is based on reading why the Hurricanes COULD buy out Kaberle.

I would think they'd wait till he atleast cleared waivers before buying him out also?

Not yet, they're about to place Eaves on waivers with the intention to buy him out.

I liked Ward, but this trade is alright with me.

This frees up salary now to either sign Kessel or trade him for a good defenseman.

[Chiefs for Life]

Originally Posted by blackngold

Not yet, they're about to place Eaves on waivers with the intention to buy him out.

I liked Ward, but this trade is alright with me.

This frees up salary now to either sign Kessel or trade him for a good defenseman.

Done, he is already on waivers, next step Boston buys Eaves out so that they can make cap room, but they will have to eat a cap hit of 700k for the next two seasons...... http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=285581 .....

Like I said they are getting really thin on defense, Zubov, Schneider, Morris, Bouillon an a few others are still available.... Plus you still got the Kessel factor to deal with.......

[yohan]

Originally Posted by Chiefs for Life

Done, he is already on waivers, next step Boston buys Eaves out so that they can make cap room, but they will have to eat a cap hit of 700k for the next two seasons...... http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=285581 .....

Like I said they are getting really thin on defense, Zubov, Schneider, Morris, Bouillon an a few others are still available.... Plus you still got the Kessel factor to deal with.......

nope the cap hit will only be 250 K for the next 4 years. good move by chirelli. frees up 2.25 mill to sign kessel, then he can trade a foward for a decent 5-6 dman without getting bent over cause of the cap.

[bigjohnson]

Originally Posted by Chiefs for Life

Done, he is already on waivers, next step Boston buys Eaves out so that they can make cap room, but they will have to eat a cap hit of 700k for the next two seasons...... http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=285581 .....

Like I said they are getting really thin on defense, Zubov, Schneider, Morris, Bouillon an a few others are still available.... Plus you still got the Kessel factor to deal with.......

Interesting point.

Boston had about $2.8 million before the deal left under the salary cap. You can add on Aaron Ward's $2.5. That gives them $5.3 million. Then subtract the $700k buy out.

That leaves the Bruins with $4.6 million, with Phil Kessel and another defenseman. Could be interesting.

[I_am_Belak_2]

Originally Posted by Chiefs for Life

Done, he is already on waivers, next step Boston buys Eaves out so that they can make cap room, but they will have to eat a cap hit of 700k for the next two seasons...... http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=285581 .....

Like I said they are getting really thin on defense, Zubov, Schneider, Morris, Bouillon an a few others are still available.... Plus you still got the Kessel factor to deal with.......

My money is on Detroit claiming him to add more 'toughness'. Hey, if he fought Darcy Tucker, he must be tough...