Tim Thomas made it clear he would not be playing this season. Some questioned if he would ever play hockey again. If he does decide to step into the net for another season, it will not be with the Boston Bruins. Thursday night, the Bruins dealt Thomas to the New York Islanders.
Following the NHL lockout, Thomas decided he was not going to play hockey this season. The 38-year old goalie was in his final season of a four-year deal that counts for $5 million against the salary cap. When he failed to show up to training camp last month, the Bruins suspended him. It seems they have had enough of the goalie that helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and traded him to New York for a conditional second-round draft pick either next year or in 2015.
The Islanders have plenty of room to handle Thomas' salary on their cap and the trade allows the Bruins to add to a roster that is one of the league's best the past few seasons. Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said the draft pick is contingent on whether Thomas plays in the NHL again. Chiarelli said Thomas understood the move and was comfortable with it, claiming the goalie was at peace with himself.
The trade is more beneficial for the Bruins who are one of the NHL's lowest-budget teams. This will keep them above the salary-cap floor.
"We felt it would give us flexibility immediately. Available players are going to be scarce. Sometimes good deals come earlier, and we want to be in a position where if someone comes available now, we're in the ballgame," Chiarelli said.
Islanders' general manager Garth Snow understood where Thomas' stance was on playing. Snow believed this was a trade the team had to make that would allow for flexibility in their roster. He said he had spoken to Thomas prior to the trade but would not comment on whether the goalie planned to play again.
Thomas was considered a world-class goalie while he was playing. He was the winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2009 and 2011, given to the top goaltender in the NHL. He was also named MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2011, leading the Bruins to their first championship in 39 years.
