To answer the two-word text message we all just received, yes, the Bruins inked Benoit Pouliot to a one-year deal - worth a shade more than $1 million.
The last time any of us heard from Pouliot was Game 3 of the quarterfinals when he rode Johnny Boychuk into the boards, fought Andrew Ference and received the ultimate tongue-lashing from Jack and Brick.
Brick called him gutless and Jack, shockingly, called him one of the biggest draft busts of the decade. Now, they'll have to call him a Bruin. Naturally, no one - at least no one with a Twitter account - thinks very highly of the contract or Peter Chiarelli at the moment. Really Peter, what have you does for us lately?
Last season, Pouliot played 79 regular season games for the Habs, gross, collecting 13 goals and assisting on 17 others. Hardly impressive. Especially to the management in Montreal, which opted to non-tender the 25-year old and move on entirely.
About an hour before news of the Pouliot's arrival broke, we learned Michael Ryder had become a Dallas Star. It's never fun to see a member of a championship team leave, but sit back for a second and remember exactly what Ryder was before Game 3 of the Habs series. He was, well, someone not unlike Benoit Pouliot. Ryder finished the regular season with 18 goals and 23 assists - exactly five more goals than Pouliot picked up playing for our dear, dear friends up north. In fact, I'm happy he's not coming back to Boston if it would have cost $7 million over two years.
Stick Pouliot in Ryder's spot on the depth chart, introduce him to the leaders of the club and see what happens. One thing we learned about this group of Bruins this year is that they're capable of getting more out of players than previous teams did. The most obvious example is Nathan Horton, who, prior to landing in Boston, did not have a heartbeat, according to a still unnamed Bruin.
Anyone worrying about Horty's heartbeat now?
My guess is six months from now, we still won't think very highly of Benoit Pouliot. Let him languish on the third line for a while, pop in a goal or two, drive us insane by blowing an assignment a few times and move on in a year. It's one year, and it's $1 million.
If it works, it'll be a steal, and we'll praise the all-knowing genius that is Peter Chiarelli. If it doesn't, well, they'll be OK.