Bruins Add Rolston, Zanon as Deadline Passes

Bruins fans anxiously waited throughout the day today to hear what kind of trade general manager Peter Chiarelli would swing in an effort to make his team more poised for a Stanley Cup run. Just as the 3 p.m. ET deadline struck, Boston hammered out two deals in quick succession to provide the depth that they were likely seeking.

First, the Bruins shipped prospects Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin to the New York Islanders in exchange for forward Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau.

Rolston is the biggest piece in the trade, while it is likely that Mottau never sees the ice for the black and gold. Rolston — who turned 39 last week — spent several seasons with the Bruins earlier in his career, but is well over the hill when it comes to production on the ice. He will look to be a depth player for the Bruins, and he likely won't figure into the lineup if/when Boston returns to full health.

A few minutes after completing that deal, the Bruins completed what is being reported as a one-for-one swap with the Minnesota Wild. The B's send young defenseman Steven Kampfer to the Wild in exchange for veteran defenseman Greg Zanon. Zanon is known as a shot-blocking defenseman and has finished near the top of the NHL each of the past few seasons in that category. He has blocked 104 shots this season, which now ranks him second on the Bruins roster behind Dennis Seidenberg.

The real question — how did Boston do this deadline? I mentioned yesterday that I wasn't expecting a big name to be brought in, but that Peter Chiarelli could still make a move. And I expected him to. With Johnny Boychuk now concussed and Rich Peverley and Nathan Horton still out of the lineup, the Bruins needed some depth on both the forward and defensive fronts.

Zanon brings a lot more to the table than Kampfer, and for that reason, I love the trade with Minnesota. Kampfer is a defensive liability, and he is not the type of player Boston needs to step into the defensive rotation when one of their six defensemen goes down. On top of that, the Bruins have several young defensemen in their minor league system that will be breaking onto the NHL scene int he next few years. Kampfer is expendable. Zanon, on the other hand, is a strong defensive defenseman who can be counted on to step up when needed. In addition, he may create some healthy competition along the blue line with Joe Corvo playing poorly of late.

As for Rolston, don't expect him to bring a ton of spark. Still, he is a veteran who has been in the league for a long time. He's the type of player you would prefer to place next to young guys on a temporary third line — Caron, Hennessy and Camper, for example, is a line far too inexperienced to succeed.

Boston's objective will still be to get healthy by the playoffs and get everyone playing up to their potential. As much as anyone may like these deadline moves, there is a chance that none of these acquired players will be a part of the playoff equation if Boychuk, Peverley and Horton all return.

Until that time, it will be up to Brian Rolston and Greg Zanon to find their spot in the Bruins locker room and prepare themselves for what may be a rigorous journey over the next few months.