The Housecleaning Starts

So after a good night’s sleep you’re probably wondering if I’ve had a chance to calm down and rethink my position or at least change my frame of mind on the Nathan Horton  trade.  Keep reading and decide for yourself.  I am quite happy that move number one has finally been made, and I feel pretty confident that more are on the way.

Nathan Horton didn’t want to be here, and General Manager Dale Tallon did him and the team a favor and sent him packing.  There’s no reason to keep a player that doesn’t want to be around.  The return which was defenceman Dennis Wideman  and a draft pick has many wanting more, but I trust that Tallon got the best return he could.  While many are crying for offence, myself included, there’s only so much a young, lazy albeit talented forward, who has yet to hit his potential can bring. 

Horton during his entire existence here in Florida was if nothing else, an enigma.  Possibly the defintion of.  There were some nights that he was all over the ice playing possesed.  There were others where he was all over the ice too, but trying to do too much.  And then there were most nights where he played as though he was more interested in getting to the golf course.  Now, I will admit that there were times when he showed flashes of brilliance (did I really say that?), especially this past season.  Unfortunately the Nathan Horton that I’ll remember, or try to forget, is the lazy Horton.  The one that didn’t seem to know when to shoot, pass or get off for a line change.  It’s disappointing to say but for a player that was the third overall pick in the 2003 draft, we all certainly expected more.  No one should be happy about his production and no one should be sad he’s left.  Most of the time I will find myself saying after a player gets traded, “Gee, I hope he does better over there”.  This time I could care less.  Why should I? He didn’t.

Never accumulating more than 62 points which he reached twice, and he would most likely have eclipsed that last season had he not gotten in the way of a clearing attempt by former Panther Dennis Seidenberg which broke his leg, causing Horton to miss 17 games, Horton never seemed to reach his potential.  He never gave the appearance that he cared to or wanted to.  He just didn’t love the game enough.  I’ve seen quotes like this all over the place, not only yesterday after the trade, but previously during his career here.  It’s too bad.  Nathan has a boatload of talent, but to me it seems that since he suffered a separated shoulder in his rookie campaign, he’s never been the same.  Maybe the reason he doesn’t register alot of hits, and avoids contact.  He’s a big enough body, and has the tools to be a power forward, but the mind controls everything.  Maybe he didn’t have the mental capacity to control his.

Bruins fans beware.  While he posseses a terrific wrister, be on notice that you need to teach him the one-timer.  Nathan is notorious for getting a pass in the slot, waiting while he takes a sip of a 5 hour energy drink, then promptly shoots the puck into the chest of the goaltender.  Or on other occasions, he’ll shoot the puck into the closest second balcony.  But when he’s not trying to read the NHL logo on the puck and shoots right away, the puck has an excellent chance of going in the net.  He will frustrate you, and he will piss you off with his lethargic play.  Regardless of the talent he has, and the talent around him, it’s going to take a firecracker in his arse to get him motivated.  Bruins coach Claude Julien may be the guy, or maybe not.  He’ll expect Horton to play defence.  Good luck!

Maybe the change of scenery will be good for him.  No more tennis in December, or golf in January.  No going to the beach in the winter,  and no winter sunshine.  No going out to South Beach after a game.  You’re trading all that for shoveling snow, wearing heavy winter clothes, getting your nice shoes wet when you step out of a cab cause there’s a big puddle of melted snow when you get out.  Yea, enjoy Boston Nathan.

Dale Tallon said, we will not rest.  We have alot of work to do.  There are other moves to make.  This is a process and we have the blueprint.  He’s stock piling draft picks and is going to rid this roster of the junk that’s been corrupted, and been associated with losing.  It’s about time.

As much as I’m not a fan of the new team slogan “We came to play”, it’s a message to those that would add, but I don’t feel like it.

The party is over!

Welcome Dennis Wideman.  More on him later.

Thanks for reading.

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Cheers

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