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Carolina signs Tomas Kaberle to three-year, $12.75 million deal; trades Joe Corvo to Boston

Boston Bruins v Vancouver Canucks - Game Five

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 10: Tomas Kaberle #12 of the Boston Bruins skates during Game Five of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena on June 10, 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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Carolina GM Jim Rutherford apparently spent his afternoon perusing Boston because he came away with a free agent signing straight out of there as well as a trade. The Hurricanes locked up defenseman Tomas Kaberle to a three-year, $12.75 million deal to have him join the Hurricanes and help them move the puck and generate offense.

Kaberle’s up and down year last season started in Toronto with the Maple Leafs and ended in Boston after a deadline deal that saw his season finish out on top winning the Stanley Cup. Earlier today we wondered about what was going on with his free agency situation since he’d yet to be signed. Turns out it was the Hurricanes who brought the thunder to him with a deal that will pay him $4.25 million against the cap the next three years.

Kaberle will get to lead a top unit with the likes of either Joni Pitkanen or Tim Gleason on the blue line and will look to give Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner the coring assistance he’s capable of providing. Getting to play once again for coach Paul Maurice will give Kaberle a head start on the Hurricanes system. In Maurice’s two years coaching the Leafs (2006-07, 2007-08), Kaberle had two of his most productive years in Toronto. This pairing could work out well for both Kaberle personally and the Hurricanes as a team.

The addition of Kaberle to the Hurricanes roster meant that Joe Corvo’s job as the puck mover and power play helper on Carolina’s roster made him redundant. Carolina dealt Corvo to Boston in exchange for a 2012 fourth round pick. Corvo scored 11 goals and added 29 assists last season and he’ll try to provide the offense from the point and the power play help that Kaberle struggled to provide during the regular season.

Corvo could provide some good offense for the Bruins, but his high-risk brand of defense may make coach Claude Julien a bit crazy. As long as he’s paired up with someone defensively responsible, things should work out just fine for the Bruins. Of course, all it will take is a couple poor turnovers or defensive misplays to turn Corvo into a scapegoat. Both teams get what they were looking for and needed out of the deals and Boston made sure to keep themselves covered after losing Kaberle. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli giving up just a fourth round pick is another savvy move by him. He’s not giving up a lot but could end up cashing in big if Corvo can provide the offense he’s capable of.