During the past two National Hockey League seasons the writing was on the wall. The once very valuable fourth line of the Boston Bruins was becoming a thing of the past.

As the trio of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton struggled throughout the 2012-13 and 2013-14 season, the picture became clearer as each day passed: the Bruins needed to shake up their fourth line.

As talented penalty killers and very reliable defensive forwards, Paille and Campbell seemed safe on a team that values that very style of play. Because of that, Thornton became the odd man out.

A veteran of 11 seasons prior to the current season and a two-time Stanley Cup winner, (Anaheim in 2007 and Boston four years later) Thornton meant a lot more to the Bruins off the ice, than he did on it. Tallying 34 of his 39 career NHL goals with the B’s, Thornton wasn’t a guy that the Black and Gold expected to produce offensively.

Instead, Thornton would log about 10 minutes a game and provide the Bruins with a special type of energy, a type of energy that no other Bruin could offer during Thornton’s tenure in Boston. Dropping the gloves over 100 times in Boston, Thornton was one of the games’ best enforcers. For anyone that wanted to go after one of the B’s top players, they would soon be hearing from the beloved enforcer. Stuff like that made Thornton so important to the team.

Inside the locker room, Thornton was loved. No he didn’t have an “A” on his chest as an assistant captain, but the leadership he brought inside the Bruins locker room night in and night out was the biggest thing Thornton brought to the table.

The Bruins and Thornton parted ways this summer as GM Peter Chiarelli looked to move away from the “Big Bad Bruins” in hopes of becoming a more skilled and speedy team in order to keep up with Atlantic Division foes like the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings.

Thornton went on to sign a two-year deal with the Panthers worth $2.4 million. Replacing Thornton’s offensive production was simple, replacing his leadership and intimidating presence on the ice, well that hasn’t been an easy task for Chiarelli and company.

As the days leading up to Monday’s trade deadline loomed, speculation started to grow in regards to what exactly it was Chiarelli had for his struggling club.  Would he go big and bring in a Keith Yandle or Jordan Eberle? Would he go small and bring in a Cam Atkinson or Antoine Vermette?

The answer to the above question became known shortly after 3PM Monday afternoon: neither.

In the wee hours of Monday morning, the Bruins acquired forward Brett Connolly from the Tampa Bay Lightning; it was their next move later in the day that raised some eyebrows.

Jordan Caron was (finally) sent packing and shipped to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Max Talbot. A veteran of nine years and a Stanley Cup champion (Pittsburgh in 09) himself, Talbot knows a thing or two about bringing a veteran presence into a locker room.

“I mean, sometimes it’s just having new blood and new guys. I’m just going to be myself around the boys and just being excited there,” Talbot said of what he can bring to the Bruins locker room when he met with the Bruins’ media via conference call Monday afternoon.

“It’s nothing different from the other teams. I’m going to bring my all every night and practice hard for the boys. I know a couple guys on the team, [Patrice] Bergeron, Daniel Paille. I’ve competed against all the other guys. I know Torey Krug as well. I don’t know how I going to fit in but usually pretty easy to get along with so I’m just excited to meet all the other guys and be part of this team.”

On Boston.com: B’s fail to address blue-line need at trade deadline

The Bruins have leaders in their room, there is no doubting that. Captain Zdeno Chara, and assistant captains Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Chris Kelly are great leaders and perfect examples of guys who you want to look up to, but they don’t bring that presence that Thornton does.

By trading for Talbot — a guy with 89 career goals — it shows the Bruins miss Thornton’s leadership more than they thought they would.

As the Bruins fight for the eighth and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, they know how important every point is. Talbot also knows how important having veteran  leadership is at a time where points are at the premium.

“It is very important. It is important to go to the rink and have fun and I think the Bruins have it already,” Talbot added. “You look at camp when– without having it. So I’m just going to be another piece of the puzzle and that’s pretty—it is important and I’m going to hopefully fit in there well.”

He won’t fill Thornton’s shoes, but Talbot certainly should help a Bruins club that could absolutely use a motivational boost.

Check out what Chiarelli had to say about acquiring Connolly and Talbot at Monday’s trade deadline: