Well, my early season prediction of Johnny Boychuk being traded officially been squashed. That's okay, I've been wrong with almost all my predictions, but we still have fun right!!! Maybe I'll get a "thanks for participating" award...
If the B's had signed Boychuk to this deal over the offseason I would've been fairly pissed. His play dropped last season and I was wondering if there was going to be a spot for him on this team in the future. Oh silly me. He has played a solid game this entire year, spending most of his time next to the Slovakian giant. I agree with some of the other writers that he's #3 on the depth chart when it comes to defenseman. McQuaid still has a better hairdo, though.
I'm tending to lean towards $3.36m per year is a little high, but the B's have room under the cap. I also have to remember that the cap went up, meaning the value of players in theory increases. He's comfortable playing with Chara and Chara seems to be comfortable with him. If Chara wasn't on the team, Boychuk would have the hardest slap shot. Not like that warrants a certain amount of cash, just an observation that Jack Edwards doesn't call him Johnny Rocket for nothing...unless Boychuk makes a mean milkshake. There were times last year I thought I was watching Fulton Reed warm up, but he's gotten his shot on or near the net on a more consistent basis this year.
They now have 5 of their 6 defenseman locked up past next season (Chara, Seidenberg, Boychuk, Ference, and THE DUDE). It's hard to imagine Corvo coming back next year after his contract is up. Dougie Hamilton is having himself a hell of a season up in the OHL (13 - 39 - 52) and you'd think he'd be given the opportunity to win a spot with the club. That's my prediction and if my track record may speak for itself you can probably mark that down with a sharpie.
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