Ryan Spooner has done his best to help the Boston Bruins overcome the loss of top-line center David Krejci after his call-up from the AHL in the wake of the news of the star forward's partially torn MCL.
He's done about as well as you would expect a young guy to do in that time - periods of consistent, quality play that highlight the promise of his NHL future, punctuated by often ill-timed and crippling mistakes which, no doubt, leave Bruins fans scratching their heads.
As the NHL trade deadline fades in the season's rearview mirror, rumors and reports continue to trickle out about deals almost hammered out and trades nixed in the deadline's waning moments.
TSN's Darren Dreger revealed Tuesday evening on an episode of Toronto's TSN 1050 that the Bruins nearly traded Spooner to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Chris Stewart, a player Chiarelli was rumored to be targeting for nearly the entirety of this season.
"I know that Boston at one point, I believe, offered Spooner - who's a pretty good player, I think. That wasn't yesterday or recently. I think that's awhile back and Buffalo rejected," Dreger said, per NicholsOnHockey.com.
It was rumored about a month ago that such a deal had been discussed, but until now there had been no solid confirmation.
Spooner is a fast-skating, athletic young player who has yet to find the handle on his NHL game. He shows flashes but, like most NHL neophytes, needs time to hone his skills into a consistent, complete, well-rounded package.
Stewart is a big-bodied thumper who is coveted for his skills as a power forward. Much like Milan Lucic, when on his game Stewart can take over an NHL contest - when he's not, as he has not been for much of this season, he's incredibly ineffective almost to the point of being a hindrance.
The Bruins didn't make any of the big deals at the NHL trade deadline they were rumored to be circling, but GM Peter Chiarelli did add a couple of important pieces that will be around for more than just the remainder of this season.
Would Stewart have been worth the loss of a frustratingly inconsistent, but potentially great player like Spooner?
Guess we'll never know.
