It’s Official, Tim Thomas to NY Islanders

Tim Thomas helped bring Lord Stanley to Boston during the 2010-11 season and yes, fans will always be thankful for that; but seeing him go is a relief just the same. With all the glory that Thomas brought to the Bruins organization, he also brought a lot of controversy.  Refusing to attend a team outing to the White House,  an event that has become customary for those who win the cup;  then announcing taking a year off for “friends, family and faith”. It’s certainly possible that bringing his beliefs to the public forum could have burnt some bridges within the fan base he had built in Boston.  “I don’t want to speculate on that, Tim can be a character. He can also be principled on a lot of different fronts,” said Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. “He is a heck of a goaltender, he helped us win a cup.”

It has been confirmed that the Bruins traded the 38-year-old Michigan born goaltender to the New York Islanders for a conditional 2nd round pick in 2014 or 15′. Conditional meaning, if Thomas plays.

Thomas has won two Vezina trophies and competed in four straight NHL All-Star games from 2008-2012 and of course won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011.  He was also a member of the silver medal winning team USA at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. “He was a significant part of our Stanley Cup winning team,” said Chiarelli.

The trade was a proactive measure for the Bruins allowing Thomas the opportunity to play and be an asset for somebody else should he choose to do so. It also gives the Bruins some immediate flexibility in CAP space going forward this season, about $5 million worth going into the trade deadline. “If something comes along now, I wanted to be in a position that we would be in the ball game,” said Chiarelli.

With Thomas finally out of the picture, goaltender Tuukka Rask can continue to shine in net for Boston. Next up the Bruins will host the Tampa Bay Lightening on Saturday at 1 pm. Speculation is blowing in about the puck drop as Massachusetts is set to receive the worst winter storm it’s seen in recent years. We’ll keep you updated!