The Boston Bruins were not going to re-sign free agent forward Carl Soderberg this offseason but they were at least able to make sure that they didn't lose him for nothing by trading his free agent rights on Thursday afternoon for a draft pick.
A draft pick that originally belonged to them.
The team announced that it has traded Soderberg's free agent rights to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round draft pick. The pick the Bruins received was originally their own selection but was traded to Colorado, along with Jordan Caron, at the 2015 trade deadline in the deal that sent Max Talbot to Boston.
Talbot is still signed for one more season with the Bruins.
Since the NHL's negotiating window for free agents is open, Soderberg is still able to talk to any team in the league at this point, but he can now only sign with the Avalanche before July 1.
Soderberg, 29, has spent two full seasons in the NHL recording 44 and 48 points for the Bruins while being a solid defensive player. He is a strong second-or third-line option on a contending team and should be able to cash in this summer, whether it's with Colorado or somebody else, given how thin the free agent market is for forwards.
If the Avalanch are able to sign Soderberg it would only seem to increase the speculation that Ryan O'Reilly -- a similar, but also much younger player with more upside -- will be traded at some point this offseason.
O'Reilly has one more remaining on his current contract before he is eligible for unrestricted free agency, and even though general manager Joe Sakic said he intends to have a new deal done before the start of the regular season trade rumors have continued to surface. Contract negotiations between the two sides have been a little rocky over the years.
