After a very slow day for the Boston Bruins, they made a couple of big moves in a matter of minutes. First they signed Matt Beleskey to a five-year contract. This was followed up by the announcement that the Bruins have traded 24-year-old right-wing Reilly Smith to the Florida Panthers in exchange for 25-year-old right-wing Jimmy Hayes. In addition to acquiring Smith, the Panthers will also be taking on Marc Savard’s contract, which will free up a good amount of cap space for the Bruins while at the same time helping the Panthers reach the cap-floor.
Pending trade call, Florida trades Jimmy Hayes to Boston for Reilly Smith
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) July 1, 2015
Another huge part of the Jimmy Hayes-Reilly Smith trade: Florida also acquires Marc Savard contract
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) July 1, 2015
Despite being tied to big free agent names, such as Mike Green, the Bruins resulted in making a trade instead. By acquiring Hayes, the Bruins have gained a 6’6″ beast of a forward who was born and raised in Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts. The addition of Hayes will add that big-bodied presence that was removed from the roster when Milan Lucic was shipped to Los Angeles. Hayes has yet to have a breakout season offensively, as he has only scored 36 goals and 30 assists for a total 66 points in 168 games. Despite his stats, Hayes is going to be an excellent addition to the Bruins squad. His style of hockey represents the Bruins philosophy perfectly.
It’s hard to argue that there is a specific winner in this trade, however, as acquiring Reilly Smith is also a big deal for the Panthers as well. Smith has the same amount of goals as Hayes with 36, but has also tallied 64 assists for a total of 100 points in 203 games. Smith will fit the Panthers mold much better than Hayes, which makes this trade a perfect swap for both teams.
After a week of mistakes made by the Boston Bruins management, this trade is one of the first steps in the right direction for the squad. And for the Panthers, they’re starting to look more and more like a playoff team as the days go by.
Photo Caption: MONTREAL, QC – MAY 8: Reilly Smith #18 of the Boston Bruins skates with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 8, 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Laplante/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
