Horton, Campbell Dealt To Bruins For Wideman, 15th Overall Pick

“Players [that] want to be here will be here,” Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon expressed when he was hired in May. “And players that want to play elsewhere will play elsewhere. That’s what is going to happen here.”

One of the players who fit into that latter group was 25-year old right wing Nathan Horton, who informed Tallon upon his hiring that he wanted to be moved.

“Obviously he was frustrated with what has gone on in the past and (wanted to know) if we could help him out to see what is out there for him,” Tallon said in a conference call following the trade. “That’s how this all began. He showed frustration and felt it would maybe be better if he was able to go somewhere else.”

On Tuesday, Tallon granted the wish of the former third overall pick, and continued making good on ownership's vows to re-shape the organization, by shipping Horton to the Boston Bruins along with center Gregory Campbell in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman, the Bruins’ 15th overall pick in Friday’s NHL Entry Draft and a third round selection in 2011.

With this move, Horton will try to deliver a much needed goal-scoring boost to the lowest scoring team from last season with 196 goals. Horton has produced at least 20 goals in each of his last five seasons and has the ability to put in over 30, as witnessed by his 2006-07 campaign of 31 scores. He will go a long way in replacing the offense lost when Phil Kessel was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. Horton has three years and $14 million remaining on the six-year deal his signed prior to the 2007 NHL Draft, with an annual cap hit of $4 million per season.

Campbell, 26, is eligible for restricted free agency on July 1 and just wrapped up a contract that paid him $800,000 last season. He is not nearly the offensive threat Horton is and has just 85 points in 363 career NHL games. But a depth role on the third or fourth line could net the Bruins some good, inexpensive results results.

While the Bruins were all about upgrading the talent on their roster, this move was more about obtaining more draft picks for Friday than player additions. By acquiring the 15th overall pick in the draft, the Panthers now have four picks in the top 30, and five picks in the top 50. The most coveted of those selections is the No. 3 overall, which is the Panthers’ prize for finishing as third worst team in the NHL last year. Then they will utilize the 15th pick, followed by the 33rd, 36th and 50th.

The topic of trading for Boston’s second overall selection, where Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin will still be available, was brought up during trade discussions. But the Bruins were “adamant on keeping it,” according to Tallon.

The addition of Wideman should not be overlooked as a secondary piece this trade, however. While in reality it is, the Panthers have acquired a solid all-around defenseman coming off a bad season. If the 27-year old can put last season behind him, where he saw reduced minutes and accumulated a minus-14 rating, Wideman can provide immediate dividends for the Panthers. Even after that lackluster regular season last year, Wideman was still able to produce as the team’s leading scorer in the playoffs with 12 points in 13 games. Just two seasons ago, he had his best season yet with 13 goals and 50 points to go alongside a league-ranked sixth plus-32 rating. The year before, he tallied nine power play goals, which was the second highest total on the team with Zdeno Chara.

Right now, Tallon figures Wideman to be a top-four defenseman and a top two in certain situations. He should also be a key figure on Florida’s power play and could even take a spot as the top unit’s blue line quarterback. He has two years remaining on a deal that will pay $9.5 million and count as a $3.875 million annual cap hit.

Sometimes a rarity in the NHL these days, it appears Boston and Florida both won out on this trade. The Bruins get a much needed offensive shot in the arm, with a player capable of putting up 30 goals in a season and might just do that more consistently now that he’s out of a city he didn’t want to be a part of. And Florida got rid of a disgruntled player while obtaining a mid-first round pick and a defenseman capable of stepping up into a big role right away if he can shed the negativity of last season.