Nate is a 29 year old career NHLer - he's pretty worthless as far as the Bruins go (and we're talking about Boston, not the farm club), so this was a great move by Chiarelli. In the end, it's designed to get Rask back in Providence we're he belongs right now at this point in his development.

Well Zach some of us watch Providence, the farm club, more than we watch Providence. And we don't like when our team is doing well and Chiarelli comes along and messes it up. And DiCaz, worthless *shaking my head back and forth* not by far. If Chiarelli never traded Kalus for Fernandez, he wouldn't be in this position right now and Rask would be in Providence.

*typo the second Providence should be Boston

Ok Zack, so here I am going to start off by thanking you for putting your opinion out there. I always appreciate feedback. I respect your opinion, but here comes my response...First off, my post was simply a post stating that I was upset as my two most favorite players in the past several years have been traded. I never claimed that Nate Dicasmirro was the best player that ever played the sport of hockey (though for the record I think he has a lot of talent...more than he was given credit for!). Nor did I say that he was someone Boston could not live without. I simply said he is my favorite player and I was not happy to see him go. For you to say that DiCaz is worthless as far as Boston goes...I could say that about plenty of people who have played for or been a part of the Bruins organization...however I would not define it as "worthless" as I do no think that is a fair term. Every player brings something to a team and organization. It is my opinion that DiCaz has brought a lot. He shows up at the Boston camp and plays hard helping other players by forcing them to step up their game...and let's take a minute to explore the AHL where DiCaz is a fan favorite. He is a team player. He earned the "A" this year and to be honest a lot of fans thought he should share the "C" with Thompson! He is a leader and a good player. Now let's return to Boston for a minute. Do I have a right to criticize Chiarelli? Absolutely I can criticize Chiarelli when vocalizing my opinions and my opinions are this. Everyone is always so quick to blame the goalie. How about holding the offence and defense accountable for once! I think it is about time that the coaching staff and management put a little effort into trying to help develop their goalies. While I know it will spark a war by saying this, I feel that the Bruins are responsible for the downfall of Andrew Raycroft and Hannu Toivonen! Here we go hyping players up, putting them in huge pressure spots and when they need a little support and encouragement, where are we? Oh right, over in the corner planning trades. We have a goalie crisis on our hands! Yes, I admit this. Do I think that Rask is ready to be an NHL starter? No, not yet! He needs more time to develop. But I do not think there is any reason he should not be the backup when needed. The kid has talent. Can I be resentful over the trade of DiCaz? ABSOLUTELY! I attend almost every Boston and almost every Providence game. I work with the Bruins Foundation allowing me to be at the Garden for every game. However I do not get to sit and watch these games like I do in Providence where I am a season ticket holder. So forgive me Zack for being a little more attached to the Nate Dicasmirros of the hockey world than the Joe Thorntons of the hockey world! These are the players that I cheer for on a weekly basis. The players I see maturing in talent on the ice. Do I hail this move by Chiarelli to be great? Absolutely not. Nor will I until Auld proves himself in that net....because sadly there is only one person I feel comfortable with in that net and it is certainly not him! Then again it is not the mighty Tim thomas either (even though I have gotten a little more comfortable with him as time has passed). Nate DiCasmirro will be missed by players and fans alike in Providence and I have every intention of taking my time and being bitter about this trade as this is the second time something like this has happend in my time as a Bruins fan. While Boston fans may not be the least bit concerned about our team in Providence and may think that becuase Dicaz played in Providence instead of Boston that he is worthless to the BOSTON portion of the organization, I assure you that is not the case. Nate DiCasmirro is a class act. He teaches leadership and hard work on and off the ice. He is talented, motivating, and it is the mature players such as Dicaz that help mold the younger players as they begin their journey and reach for their dreams of one day reaching the NHL. So Zack, it is my opinion that Nate DiCasmirro was a very valuable asset to both the Providence and Boston Bruins and he will certainly be missed. Now the clock is ticking to see how fast Boston can ruin another goalie's career....Best of luck to Auld...I am all about giving him a fair chance...but that is just becaause I know it is not his fault. Best wishes to Nate DiCasmirro. His fans will miss him tremendously and we look forward to seeing him soon when I am sure he can expect a warm greeting from the fans who appreciate his talent and dedication to his team...the team he should still be a part of!

I apologize for the typos....kinda happens at midnight when you have been up since 4:30 am the previous day! Hopefully it will not detract from the point I was trying to make!

Zack;

Career AHLer or not, DiCaz brought a very valuable asset to the Bruins organization- leadership. Did you know that AHL clubs are only allowed to have a maximum number of six veterans on their team to allow for more roster space for the young'uns? It's true. They are only allowed to dress less than that, too. (I think it's five, but they changed it the season before last, so I could be off with my numbers.) Veterans- both in the AHL and the NHL - lend experience to the team, and help with the development of the rookies, be they a first-year pro or a first-year, full-time NHLer.

When it comes to playoffs, it is the veterans who become even more valuable, because they know it's a marathon, not a sprint.

DiCaz might be what you so lovingly referred to as a "career AHLer," but even those serve a purpose in this world, and a very big one at that.

And you say this was designed to get Rask back to Providence. OK; I can see that. Short-term, excellent idea, but ... long term? It gives us yet again, an extra goalie. Let's visit the other end of this trade: when everyone is healthy, we will have Thomas back, Fernandez back, we'll have Auld, we'll have Rask, and we'll either have Brown or Sigalet or Franck on the roster. For argument's sake, we'll go with MFMB, because Sigalet's got enough to worry about besides being involved in my hypotheticals, and Franck is on a PTO.

So, yay, we have five goalies, and they're all perfectly healthy. Santa DOES grant wishes! Except... now we have to start shuffling things around. The most obvious here would be to drop Auld to the A, because Fernandez is too pricey to keep in the A, and the sun shines out of Thomas's belly-flop-tastic pads. So that means in Providence, we have Auld, Rask, MFMB, and Franck. Franck's played well, but he's on a PTO, so he's out. Now we're down to three. We just acquired Auld for a price I'm not happy with, so he's not going anywhere. Everybody but me is drinking the Kool-Aid on this Rask kid, so he's not going anywhere, either. Plus, Boston hasn't completely fudged up his development yet, so he's probably going to be around for another four years or so, so they can dig their hooks in completely. The most obvious choice here would be to drop MFMB back down to Johnstown, because with the rate Boston messes up with goalies, he'll be lucky to make it as a career AHLer if he sticks with the Bs, but MFMB deserves a shot at some more time in the AHL, because he's doing well.

However, through all this, Providence's rookies are still lacking leadership in the form of DiCaz. Yeah; Nateful (Thompson, that is), stepped it up, and we have Zinger and Curry (also two good leaders within Providence's club), but DiCaz was, in my humble opinion, the best of the four. Leadership is important -- almost as important as scoring goals -- and with this move, Chiarelli eliminated one of the cornerstones of a very successful team. Becky, myself, and every other person at the Dunk every home game have every right to be pissed that Chiarelli is messing with the core to a team that is going to go very far this season. Did you know, Zack, that Providence started their season at the top of their division, and they've maintained that position for close to three months now? That's important. Not because it means Providence is the best (I won't lie; I like that), but because it means that all the emphasis on scouting Mike O'Connell put in place is starting to pay off. You can't breed a good NHL team if your farm club doesn't have more victories than loses. You need your players to flourish in an atmosphere of winning for success at a higher level. It will feed their drive and ambition, which will in turn feed their legs and their desire to make it to the big show so that Boston fans can finally see something decent and a product worth what the Jacobs clan is charging.

Jen was right; had Chiarelli never traded Kalus (another costly move, as he is a prospect that will pan out in spades for Minny), we wouldn't have been in this position. I'm pissed that Providence continues to suffer at the hands of an inept GM who isn't at all concerned with what he is building for the future, because he's spending picks and prospects on goaltenders with known knee issues, and he's spending loads of cap money on defensemen who are seven feet tall's worth of suck.

In summation, "career AHLer" or not, this was a crap move that will hurt more than help.

I love that you're all passionate Providence fans but you pit Providence's success against Boston's and that's just wrong.

I know you're bummed to lose players you're attatched to as Providence fans, but the fact is Providence is a farm team for Boston. It's not like Chiarelli is up on Causeway street wringing his hands saying 'how can I screw with Providence today!'Boston and Providence have a symbiotic relationship. It's the nature of the beast, that when players are doing well they'll get called up to Boston. This isn't a case of a GM 'screwing' with the farm team.

Also, it's clear that you all play favorites on this site with no regard for reality. Case in point: Tim Thomas. The guy has been a rock for the Bruins this year. He's led the NHL in save percentage all year - yet we always get snide comments about him as if he's not a good goalie, that's just untrue.

And lay off Rask. Jeez, what are we jealous because he's gets more playing time and call ups at the expense of one of your favorite goalies? He's earned his reputation as one of the best goalie prospects in the world, he doesn't deserve to be hated on just because he comes in and is handed the number one spot. That's just smart asset management.

All in all, you guys have a great site and I enjoy the passionate entries.

Ok Zack, this has to be fast and will have lots of typos as I have to shoot out the door in a minute for an appointment, but I wanted to address something quickly. It is not a question of pitting Providence’s success against Boston’s success. I am a fan of BOTH teams and I want great things from BOTH teams. Am I somewhat more passionate about Providence, probably. But this is because my time in Boston is spent working at games helping the foundation. Therefore I don’t get to sit and watch every game so I do not gain the attachments as I do in Providence where I get to cheer in the stands, do playoff road trips etc. I think that the two teams need to co-exist! I recognize Providence feeds Boston. I don’t think that Chiarelli sits there and thinks about how he can screw with Providence. He is a business man. He makes decisions of a business fashion without looking at the emotional side. I get that too. But in the business world, some business decisions are successful and some decisions are not. Do you deem the Thornton trade successful? I mean we barely have anything to show for that anymore!

I absolutely refuse to accept the charge that favorites are played! Not in my posts anyway! I have come out and named two of my favorite players on this site and in both cases AFTER they were gone! As for my feelings towards Tim Thomas, I have stated several times this season that I am trying to like him better and that I have seen improvement on his part. I have also stated that I don’t feel 100% comfortable with him in net. As a fan I am entitled to feel that way no matter what the numbers. I did not see anyone ask who the one goalie is I feel 100% comfortable with in net so if I were you I would not be so quick to judge on the bashing and the favorites!

As for Rask, once again, never said anything bad about the kid. In fact, if memory serves me correctly in a recent post I said the Raycroft trade was a good one (do you know how painful it was for me to say that?). I have also said that I don’t think he is ready to maintain the number on spot in Boston yet but I think he is a very able backup goalie. With a little more time to mature as a player I think he will be a fantastic starter! I think he has lived up the to hype thus far and have much confidence in him. For pete’s sake, I got to listen to people whine over the Thornton trade and the Samsonov trade for weeks and moths. Could we give a Providence fan a day or two to mourn the loss of her favorite player?

First off: Chiarelli has nothing to do with the Thornton trade. He had to come in and clean up the mess left by MOC.

I wouldn't have made that trade either (at least not for that return), but barely have anything to show for it? Sturm, Kobasew, and Ference say hello. Again, I'm not saying that is equal value at all, but they are all great players for this organization, Wait, what the heck does the Thornton trade have to do with this, haha.

And regarding Thomas, I'm not presuming anything on your part just responding to the way he is talked about on here.

The Rask comments I think were made by Heather not you.

No one in the organization thinks he's ready for a number one spot in Boston just yet, that's why Auld was obtained: to get Rask back in Providence so he can develop properly.

At least you get to use the tagline: He's tall, he's bald, he's Auld!

Lastely, of course you can mourn the loss of your favorite Providence player. It's your blog after all! ;)

I take back my useless comment regarding Nate. I've always liked the guy and definitely thought he was a great soldier to have on the team.

This all started when they traded my future husband, Mr. Hannu Toivonen, away.

Sincerely,

The future Mrs. Hannah Toivonen, 4 years old.

(hands OFF my man!!!)

I want to be very clear on this site o' mine here: I am allowed to pick favorite players.

No, I don't like Tim. I do not think he is a positionally solid goalie, and I am allowed to express that opinion. I don't work for Boston, I don't work for Providence, I don't work in the media. Tim can be a rock - and I will admit when players are doing well; I'm not that big of an ass - but that doesn't mean I have to like him. When he was down in Providence, I adored him. I got tired of seeing him in net all the time, and the same holds true with him in Boston, but I was excited - oh so excited! - for him when he was successfully "sneaked" through waivers to join Boston. I don't think he's all that and the bag of chips he's billed to be, and I don't think that he's a long-term solution for a number-1. But again; my opinion. Doesn't mean it's right, doesn't mean it's wrong.

I also don't like Rask. From what I saw of his games in Providence, I don't think he's a very heady prospect. I'm just not drinking the Kool-aid; I'm sorry. I'm glad he's doing well with the time he's getting in the NHL, but I'm still not sold on the kid yet, and I'm choosing to wait until his sophomore year is underway before I sip any.

Am I mad that Rask and Thomas take playing time away from goalies I do like? Absolutely. Like any fan of a team, I want to see my favorite players play. I'm not stomping my feet when they don't, but that doesn't mean I can't have a comment about it. Rask needs playing minutes, but so does Brown. So does Sigalet. There's only one position out there with sixty minutes, and I get that it has to be divided up. I am allowed to wish it was more equal.

As for pitting Providence's success against Boston's, that's insane to do because they're in two different leagues with two different talent pools. However, since one does feed the other, it's not a crazy idea to think that maybe the successes should be linked. What kills me, because I used to go to Boston all the time; I used to watch every game; I used to be that person you hate because they eat, sleep, and breathe one team and one team only, is that Boston can't seem to borrow a page from Providence's book when they're building their team. And yes: I know - Gordon's been in Providence for many moons, and Boston's got a new coach as often as some people change their socks in comparison. It kills me that Boston isn't kicking ass and taking names the way Providence is.

Am I pissed that Chiarelli's moves seem to be affecting the part of the Bruins system that I follow and love the mostest? Yes. But more than him mucking around with my favorite boys, he's mucking around with the future of Boston. It does not escape me sir, that Providence houses boys that will one day grace Boston's ice, be it as a call-up or as a permanent post. Was DiCaz one of those boys? He might have been. A few seasons ago, people referred to Jeremy Reich as a career AHLer, and he's up in Boston now, and he even gets playing time, sometimes. People referred to Tim Thomas as a career AHLer, too, and he's become the club's number 1. You never know what will happen.

But I said it above in my previous comment: in reality (I overdramatize on here because I can) I'm less pissed about Chiarelli messing with Providence's roster, and more pissed about him seemingly trading away valuable parts of the roster that will help shape the future of his club. In five years (I'm being generous with this hypothetical; go with it), when Petr Kalus is a 30-40-50+ goal scorer (he'll be a big one. Numbers are still TBD) for Minnesota and Manny Fernandez is chilling out in his Beacon Hill pad (or QC or wherever), icing his knees and remembering those totally AWESOME four games he played that last year of his NHL career, who will have won out on that deal? Here's a hint: it's not Boston.

And in this very-real, extra-goalie situation that Chiarelli has put Boston in when groins heal and Manny gets the whole-body transplant he's in need of (or is it better to go piecemeal with the knee and the back?), we're going to be shipping off yet ANOTHER player - most likely a goalie - and I very sincerely doubt we'll get someone of DiCaz's leadership caliber back into this joint, and that, sir, is what saddens me the most about this transaction: that we are trading away good players, and not getting decent things back in return.

If you need more proof, look at what we got for Hannu: another Zinovjev-type diva with an eye problem who doesn't want to be in North America if he's not going to be in the Big Show. What did St Louis get? One less diva and a hell of a goaltender. Edge: STL.

And Hannah: I know a girl named Stacy who would put up a very good fight for the rights to Hannu, but I'm more than willing to bet that you've got the edge. ;)

Zack, Zack, Zack...you leave me with so much to say :) Then again, I always have so much to say! ha ha!

My point about the Thornton trade was not who made the trade persay or to say that we haven't gotten new players in place of the players we got for him...it was simply that I was not heartbroken over the trade, but everyone else seemed to be..and they talked about that trade for months...they STILL talk about the trade. I was just trying to say that The more closely a person follows a team, the more attached they become to the players. I am a HUGE Sturm fan! Have also become a huge Kobasew and Ferrence fan...was not trying to slight them in anyway. Was just trying to say Sturm is the only thing we have left from the original trade! As for what the Thornton trade in relation to the whole discussion...I was pointing out people are STILL complaining about that trade to this day and gosh darn I want a few days at least to complain about the DiCaz trade ;) Do you know how sad it was to sit in that arena this Firday and Saturday and watch all the players come off the ice but there was no DiCaz to give them a pat on the butt?

A moment on Tim Thomas...Tim is positively one of the nicest people! He is great to the fans, a hard worker and a good all around guy! Do I respect Tim for accomplishments? Absolutely! Do I think he has earned a spot in Boston? Yes! The difference between myself and other Boston fans is I don't worship him! It took me a while to warm up to him, but I have been making an effort to try. I like him as a person and I want to like him as a goaltender too! I wish him nothing but the best on the ice and like having him in Boston. I have gained a lot of respect for him over the past season and a half...so give me time...I am trying to embrace him! I would simply like to see another strong goaltender in Boston. Wouldn't we all? I think one day Rask will be that goaltender. I am hoping that Auld can be that for us right now...If I am going to lose DiCaz in Providence, my only expectation is to see a GOOD addition made to the system and until it is a proven good decision I am going to be upset with Chiarelli! If all works out well I will re-evaluate as I did with the Raycroft trade :)

I like your line: He's tall, he's bald, he's Auld! Don't get me wrong...I will cheer for the guy when he is in net! That is what good fans do...they give everyone a chance...it just won't be wholeheartedly yet!

Thank you for taking back the "useless" comment re: Nate! I appreciate that more than you kow...I have to say Zack, I actually enjoy your responses. They challenge me and they show your passion for the game and the team! Keep them coming and if you are ever around the Dunk, be sure to say hello :)