Bruins' Beleskey: 'I don't think I'm here to fill anyone's spot'
It's always easy for NHL fans to compare traded players to the personnel who replaces them on a given team. In Boston, fans often lament how Loui Eriksson has never come close to putting up the points totals that Tyler Seguin, the player the Bruins lost in the Eriksson deal, produces.
But new acquisition Matt Beleskey said he won't hold himself to the comparative standards that fans might employ. Beleskey signed with the Bruins days after the team sent Milan Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings, and given that both are good-sized left wings, he could be seen as a type of replacement for Lucic.
"You know they had big losses," Beleskey told NHL.com of the Bruins. "I suppose those are moves they had to make. But I don't think I'm here to fill anyone's spot. I'm here to be Matt Beleskey and play my game. And that's what I'm going to do."
It's a good thing Beleskey does not intend to compare himself to Lucic. The 27-year-old Beleskey shares the exact same birthday (year included) as Lucic, and Beleskey averaged .467 points-per-game in the last two seasons. Lucic was significantly better, posting .640 points-per-game in the last two seasons.
(h/t NHL)
Photo credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
