The Boston Bruins finally pulled the trigger on trading Tyler Seguin on Thursday, shipping him out—along with Rich Peverley and Ryan Button—to the Dallas Stars for Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser and Joe Morrow.
Over the last three years, the 21-year-old Seguin garnered 56 goals and 65 assists in 203 games played. Eriksson, the main catch for the Bruins, is 27 years old and racked up 12 goals and 17 assists in the lockout-shortened season. Eriksson has scored at least 25 goals in each of the four seasons before that, though.
As it is with any divisive athlete who gets traded, especially in Boston, the unsavory rumors with unnamed sources come out. Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald dug up one that makes Seguin sound like Frankenstein's monster, incapable of not partying, necessitating a hotel room barricade so that he can stay sober enough to play hockey:
This trade might not be popular among all Bruins fans, who envisioned Seguin as a future superstar. But he might go down as a player who squandered his great gifts. Multiple sources said the 21-year-old Seguin crossed the line this season with reckless partying.
It apparently got so bad that during the playoffs, the Bruins ordered Seguin to live in a hotel, where a guard was hired to make sure he stayed in his room.
The Bruins didn't feel like putting up with a 21-year-old acting like a 21-year-old. The Chicago Blackhawks confronted a similar problem about a year ago with Patrick Kane, and their patience was rewarded. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli apparently chose to bypass waiting for the trash-loving Seguin to grow up and flipped him for someone more productive and mature. We'll eventually observe whether or not that was prudent.
Photo: Elsa/Getty Images