Bruins trade Adam McQuaid to the Rangers

The Bruins made a bit of a splash right before training camp begins, trading defenseman Adam McQuaid to the New York Rangers in exchange for former Bruin Steve Kampfer, a 2019 fourth-round pick and a conditional seventh-round pick.

The move, for now, lessens the logjam the Bruins had on the blue line after this summer’s signing of John Moore.

McQuaid had a year left on his deal, with a cap hit of $2.75 million; Kampfer has a year left on his deal at a cap hit of just $650k. It’d be a stretch to call this deal a straight salary dump, but the Bruins are clearly saving some cash.

In all likelihood, Kampfer is going to be used as a 7th defenseman, or may spend some time in shuffling between Boston and Providence. Of course, there’s always a chance he sees regular NHL ice time too.

Kampfer was with the Bruins organization from 2009-2012, splitting time between the NHL and AHL. He was dealt to Minnesota in 2012 in exchange for “Stone Cold” Greg Zanon.

Kampfer played in 22 games for the Rangers last season, recording a single assist.

Oft-maligned during his time in Boston (by certain segments of the fan base, that is), it’s sad to see Adam McQuaid leave town. It’s easy to forget just how long he’s been here: the B’s acquired his rights in 2007, and he made is professional debut for the P-Bruins later that year.

McQuaid was an ultimate glue guy, a tough player who didn’t hesitate to drop the gloves, which endeared him to many fans.

He struggled with injuries during his time in Boston, but will likely be remembered as a good teammate who answered the bell whenever it rang.

Happy trails, McQuaid. Best of luck in New York.

Your thoughts on the deal? Clearing cap space for something else, or just clearing out the defensive backlog?