Boston Bruins' Draft Picks: To Trade or Not To Trade

That is the question of the day.

What can they do to right their ship and not mortgage their future?

The Boston Bruins are stumbling and plummeting to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Something has to be done to win NOW.

Peter Chiarelli, on an interview on 98.5 the Sport Hub, said he didn’t want to trade away the future. What future? Boston has not won a Stanley Cup in 38 years! Bruins fans are at wits end with this team.

There is NO FUTURE, there is only NOW.

What have you done for me lately?

Boston traded their only legit scorer, Phil Kessel, to the Toronto Maple Leafs over the summer. In exchange, the Bruins received a first and second round pick in the 2010 draft, plus a first round pick in the 2011 draft.

Can you say stockpile?

The Bruins need to move these picks and perhaps some players to conjure up some team chemistry. Boston does not have time to wait for a young player to mature. They can’t wait two years down the road for a player to become a 30-goal scorer.

A Sidney Crosby type doesn’t come around every year, or even every 10 years!

Granted, NHL picks tend to make more of an impact than they do in baseball or basketball. Take a look at John Tavares with the New York Islanders, who is making an instant impact and now the Isles are fighting for a playoff spot. However, these players aren’t always bearing fruit.

Look at Zach Hamil, who is still in Providence after being picked eighth overall in the 2007 NHL Draft. He can’t even crack the Bruins lineup, which is struggling mightily right now. If he can’t make a contribution now, then when?

Hamill only has 53 points in 115 games in the AHL. He is not the impact player that the Bruins brass thought he was. Boston missed on him in the first round.

The Bruins cannot afford to miss anymore. They have been “missing” for 38 years and counting. The hockey team in Boston doesn’t get the free pass that the Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox get in this city. All of these teams have brought home championships over the past decade and appeased their fans.

Peter Chiarelli needs to trade these picks to acquire an impact player. Ilya Kovachuk of the Atlanta Thrashers has been the hot name recently. His scoring touch could be what the Bruins need. The Russian sniper has scored over 300 goals since entering the league in 2001-2002.

The Thrashers will want something in return, such as Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and/or Tuukka Rask. I would trade any of these players but Rask.

I like Lucic but he has not been the same player since he returned from injury. Where is the physical play and goals, Looch?

David Krejci has been a shell of the player he was last season. He isn’t skating with confidence and his offense has dried up. He seems lost sometimes.

Rask cannot be moved because he is the future between the pipes for Boston. I am a Tim Thomas fan, but he only has few years left in that 30-plus body. Rask needs to be groomed and take over the starting job this year or next. Thomas could be kept around as a mentor and a backup.

So there it is. Mr. Chiarelli, Mr. Neely, and Mr. Jacobs, if you are listening, it's time to trade the picks and some of your young talent for an impact player or players. Your window for opportunity is closing.

You cannot wait for young draft picks to mature. If you want to play for the future, you will lose the fans. Your young team will be playing in front of an empty house (did you see what happened in Carolina?).

This season is your moment to shine. If you right the ship and the Bruins make a long playoff run, you look like geniuses. However, if you don’t pull the trigger and, god forbid miss the playoffs, you will lose the Hub of Hockey’s hearts and minds.

The Bruins will be bastard child of the Boston sports scene. They will be the team that didn’t read How to Win a Championship in Boston for Dummies book. The Bruins will continue to be the kid that doesn’t get picked for kickball.

Do you really want to be the only resident in Boston Loserville?

If not, ACT NOW!