WHEELER TO ATLANTA; PEVERLEY TO BOSTON
The Atlanta Thrashers acquired winger Blake Wheeler and defenseman Mark Stuart from the Boston Bruins for forward Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik.
What does it give the Atlanta Thrashers
Wheeler is another big winger who can score, so he should fit in nicely with the other similar players in Atlanta. He has more upside than Peverley, but he's also less consistent. The Thrashers need Wheeler to step up quickly, since they are in the thick of the playoff race in the East. Stuart is a solid defensive defenseman that should add good depth to the Thrashers' D corps. Losing Peverley leaves Atlanta a bit thinner at center, though he had been playing a lot of wing this year. Valabik never panned out in Atlanta.
What does it give the Boston Bruins
Peverley is a more versatile player than Wheeler, so he could wind up centering the third line or play the wing. He isn't as big, so Boston loses a bit of size and physicality. However, he provides more hockey sense and probably more point production as well. Valabik replaces Stuart on defense, and now he has the perfect mentor in Zdeno Chara to learn from. Stuart had been the team's No. 7 defenseman for a while, so he's not going to be missed all that much.
Fantasy impact
