Trading for Nathan Horton was likely just the beginning for many offseason changes for the Bruins, and it's one move that makes Boston a better team right now, says our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder -- even with Horton's questionable work ethic.
There probably will be some pretty good players left at #15, but most would be a few years away from making an impact at the NHL level. The Bruins desperately needed scoring and Horton can give you a boost in that department. He might not pump in 40 goals a year, but you are pretty much guaranteed that he will score somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 goals. He is also still only 25 years old and has time develop as a player.
From a salary cap standpoint, the deal is a wash. The Bruins moved Dennis Wideman's $4 million contract ($3.85 million cap hit) and the Panthers moved Horton $4 million contract.