Spooner 'definitely' wants to stick with Bruins as trade speculation swirls

Ryan Spooner let his game do the talking first.

Lately the subject of trade rumors coming out of the Boston, the Bruins forward recorded an assist and three shots against the Florida Panthers on Monday, and was kept from scoring only by a beautiful glove save from Roberto Luongo.

It was an impressive all-around effort, and evidence of the fact he has no desire to be traded.

"I definitely want to play here," Spooner said after the game, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. "I want to help out and that's kind of where I'm at now. If I play like I did (against the Panthers), I think I'll be fine. I just want to go out, I want to help out, and that's kind of where I'm at right now."

The trade rumblings began in late October, when Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Bruins would listen to offers.

The 24-year-old is coming off a breakout season in which he recorded 13 goals and 36 assists, but he's been bounced from the third-line center spot to left wing on both the second and, more recently, the fourth line. As a result, he hasn't quite found his game, but Monday's performance is perhaps a sign of things to come.

"I think there were five or six games there where I felt I wasn't playing a bad game. Then six or seven games there where it was hard to get, I guess, the ice time that I wanted," he said. "At the end of the day, I've been a little bit inconsistent.

"I just have to go out there and use my speed and my skill, and I found that in the game here. I thought that I did that and I just need to play with that, and I should be fine."

Spooner has scored three goals and added six assists in 25 games this season, but may be asked to take on a bigger role once again in light of an injury suffered by Matt Beleskey that will keep him out of the lineup for up to six weeks.