Boston acquires Chris Kelly

[wingsdiehard13 33]

Bob McKenzie reports:

BOS trades 2nd round pick to OTT for Chris Kelly. Done Deal.

A bit steep for a third line center who has a career high of 38 points (2006-2007) and has been a minus player the past 4 years, including this one.

Edited February 16, 2011 by wingsdiehard13

[Guest Heaten]

25-30 point producer with bad +/- stats. Ottawa did good in this trade, imo.

[Konnan511 1,736]

20-30 points and a defensive liability gets you a 2nd rounder??? Ottawa got away with murder in this one.

Again, I'm glad Holland is our GM and doesn't make these deals. He'll get the guy that no one is talking about for super cheap.

[wingsdiehard13 33]

The inflation of trading picks for players this season is mind blowing.

[Konnan511 1,736]

It really is a sellers market this season.

[newfy 695]

20-30 points and a defensive liability gets you a 2nd rounder??? Ottawa got away with murder in this one.

Again, I'm glad Holland is our GM and doesn't make these deals. He'll get the guy that no one is talking about for super cheap.

It seems like every trade made youve said this lol

Maybe GMs just dont value draft picks as much as you think they do and that is actually what these players are worth?

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Will Kelly serve as an extra forward? Where is he gonna play? Last time I checked, Boston's roster looked quite jammed.

[Shaman 713]

Well if Kelly is going for this much, Flip for the Oiler's next 3 1st rounders

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Well if Kelly is going for this much, Flip for the Oiler's next 3 1st rounders

What would Hudler get us?!

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

He has a s***ty +/- cuz he plays for Ottawa, not because he's a defensive liability. Kellys a good defensive player, a 2nd rounder is steep for him. Cant imagine this is the center Boston was looking for to replace Savard.. gotta be more in store.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

He has a s***ty +/- cuz he plays for Ottawa, not because he's a defensive liability. Kellys a good defensive player, a 2nd rounder is steep for him. Cant imagine this is the center Boston was looking for to replace Savard.. gotta be more in store.

Niklas Hagman, maybe?

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I don't really follow prospects, but isn't this coming draft a crappy one?

[egroen 384]

The inflation of trading picks for players this season is mind blowing.

They're not looming UFAs is why.

Kelly has 1 year left, Fisher has two years left and Versteeg a year plus RFA.

Edited February 16, 2011 by egroen

[Konnan511 1,736]

It seems like every trade made youve said this lol

Maybe GMs just dont value draft picks as much as you think they do and that is actually what these players are worth?

Naw. The Versteeg and Fisher trades were over payments, but not gross overpayments. Holland values draft picks as much as I do (Google his quotes regarding guarding draft picks), and I think we can all agree he is one of the top 3 GMs in the league. In a capped league, draft picks are very valuable.

[matt198913 932]

2nd round draft pick for Kelly... Cmon Man!!!

[F2B&G 15]

I don't really follow prospects, but isn't this coming draft a crappy one?

CHL scouts were forecasting "doom & gloom" for this summer's draft a couple years ago, based on an allegedly thin CHL draft that year. It seems that the outlook has improved somewhat since then, and this draft will just be a little below average - not a lot of players with obvious 'star' potential, but plenty of depth prospects.

However, all the negative forecasting has definitely increased the propensity to give up higher 2011 picks for current players.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From Ottawa Citizen:

...

"These are difficult deals for myself to make, because Chris was such a good player when I coached and followed directions so well and to have to make the moves that we're making are difficult, but that's the way we have to go at this point in time," he said following the Senators' 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday night.

...

[Konnan511 1,736]

CHL scouts were forecasting "doom & gloom" for this summer's draft a couple years ago, based on an allegedly thin CHL draft that year. It seems that the outlook has improved somewhat since then, and this draft will just be a little below average - not a lot of players with obvious 'star' potential, but plenty of depth prospects.

However, all the negative forecasting has definitely increased the propensity to give up higher 2011 picks for current players.

This is how it normally goes. Once the ISS final rankings you'll see it's about a slightly blow average draft, then in the weeks coming down to the draft people will be talking about it being an average draft. The CHL is slightly weak this year, but man, there are a lot of talented Euros this draft. Good news for the Wings with that talented Euro pool this year .

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Will Kelly serve as an extra forward? Where is he gonna play? Last time I checked, Boston's roster looked quite jammed.

With Savard out for the season they were a bit weak down the middle. I assume Kelly will be their 3rd line pivot.

In a capped league, draft picks are very valuable.

This.

[Original_6 2]

General Manager Peter Chiarelli knows Kelly very well when he was an assistant GM in Ottawa, so I'm sure he has his reasons for us getting him. We have a good balance of vets and rookies, so it's not like we're getting older. He did say we needed a center and maybe a d-man too. Ottawa is rebuilding so I'm sure we haven't seen the last of a Sens player to leave...

[Drake_Marcus 890]

What would Hudler get us?!

In all honesty? He'd have to net a 1st rounder in this trade market. He put 57pts up in his last NHL season and is only 27 years old. Given how he's played since the end of December it wouldn't be hard to convince another GM that Hudler is over his post-KHL hump.

Hudler's small and doesn't play a checking role but he has the kind of vision, hands and shot to play the PP on any team in this league.

[Hockey Convert 55]

I can report that a lot of fans in the Boston area, including the sports-talk radio guys I listen to, aren't very enthusiastic about this move. In short, that it's not enough, and/or fills a need that wasn't there.

The argument for it is this: with Savard out, the B's are weak in the bottom lines at center. Seguin isn't ready, Zack Hamil (another prospect) isn't quite ready to step in on the 3rd line center position, and Blake Wheeler is anywhere from not quite good enough to absolutely useless depending on whom you ask. So, queue the move to bring in Kelly who is 1) a solid depth guy, 2) a veteran, perhaps needed for a pretty young Bruins lineup, and 3) a proven playoff performer, at least at a depth role.

Personally, I can see the argument for it, but I don't think this is the move that will get the Bruins to the Cup. And one thing Wings fans should understand about how fans feel is Boston: they haven't had the success of the Wings in recent memory. Bruins fans want to see a Cup, and see it NOW. At this point, I've heard it said that they'd absolutely take the tradeoff the Hawks made last year; all out for a championship, and damn next year. So, looking in from outside, yes, this looks like a big over-payment. The thing is, from the Bruins perspective, they a) have a lot of picks and some prospects to deal, and b) overpayment is not a concern; they need to go all out.

I also agree with a lot of fans here; what the Bruins really need is a pure skill, scary goal scorer. Someone that opposing defenses get nervous about, that can take feeds from Krejci or Bergeron and just blaze it in the net, consistently. The other big comment thrown around is about the "puck moving defenseman", and I agree that would help; it would have to be a veteran guy, though, I think. I suggested to a dude in a bar that I'd send them Jonathan Ericsson for Mark Stuart, Adam McQuaid or maybe Boychuk. Still think it would be helpful for both sides.

[Original_6 2]

Bob McKenzie reports:

A bit steep for a third line center who has a career high of 38 points (2006-2007) and has been a minus player the past 4 years, including this one.

Granted Kelly's numbers aren't all that great, lets not loose site that the Sens from 2006-2007 only had 1 playmaker in Dan Heatly, and even then Kelly's stats still weren't great. Dan Heatly left the Sens after the '08/'09 season....so once again the Sens don't have the playmakers on that team to improve his numbers or anybody else.