Meet The Newest Bruin

The Bruins drafted Dougie Hamilton with their first pick in the NHL draft. Yea, I have no idea who is either, but I did do some reading up on him, and what the Bruins were thinking. Basically they like this kid because he is a huge (6-4) physical defenseman. If groomed right he could be another great defenseman for the Bruins. We saw in the finals what big defenseman can do for you. They can wear stars down, and if this kid is the real deal it would be nice to have him and Chara on the same team. The one knock on him right now is inconsistency, he can go out and play great then make some bad plays within the same game. To me that sounds like any 18 year old, so I wouldn't worry about that too much.

Breaking News: Bruins Trade For Kaberle

So it is finally done....

The Bruins traded their first round pick, a conditional 2nd round pick in 2012, and Joe Colborne for Tomas Kaberle. I have been waiting all day for this to finally has. He gives the Bruins exactly what they need (especially on the powerplay), he is a puck moving defenseman, that should fit in nicely with the rest of the team. This is the Bruins 2nd trade today, and you have to wonder if they have anything else up their sleeves.

Bruins Trade Sobotka To Blues

The Bruins have traded Vladimir Sobotka to St. Louis for Boston University's David Warsofsky. Sobotka is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level deal. Warsofsky is a puck-moving defenseman who won the national title with BU in 2009. Warsofsky was also a member of the US team that struck gold in the World Junior Tournament in 2010.

Solid move by the Bruins here. I guess if they wanted to they could keep Savard/Krejci/Bergeron and put Tyler Seguin on the 4th line, but the Bruins are going to want to give him more playing time then that, and rumors stated that they are still looking to deal Savard. The Bruins still have some salary cap problems, but it is being reported that Tim Thomas has waived his no trade clause, and the Flyers are rumored to have interest.

If any more news comes out we'll let you know.

Bruins' Draft Recap

The drama over who would go #1 or #2 sort of fizzled out as it became clearer and clearer that Edmonton would take winger Taylor Hall. The Bruins' #2 overall pick was then a no-brainer.

1st ROUND, #2 OVERALL: C, TYLER SEGUIN - PLYMOUTH WHALERS (OHL)

Get it? Plymouth WHALERS. Anyway, some Bruins fans actually seemed a little disappointed with this pick. "We have too many centahs!" Well, the Bruins are deep down the middle, but they don't have SCORING centers. Savard's a 20 goal guy, max. Krejci's a 20 goal guy, max. Bergeron's a 20 goal guy, max. Seguin scored 48 times in 63 games last season. The Bruins are now overweight at center, which in a salary cap environment means that they must be weak somewhere else (and it's on the wings). It might be time to trade Savard. Although Krejci would bring better value. And I'll be frank, Krejci's a bit too inconsistent for my liking. And how many "quarterbacking" centers does a team without "receiving" wingers need? I think one is plenty.

What will Seguin do for the Bruins right away? I think he will likely play, depending on what the Bruins do with their current top 3 centermen. He could score 20 goals right off the bat if given a full season to play. Long-term, the sky's the limit. 35, 40, 50 goal seasons are not going to be impossible for this kid.

2nd ROUND, #32 OVERALL: C, JARED KNIGHT - LONDON KNIGHTS (OHL)

The Bruins surprised a lot of people here. Knight was projected to go much later. His stock fell a few months ago when he was diagnosed with diabetes. But he's gotten that condition under control. He's also got the puck under control, as evidenced by his 36 goals in 63 games. He's only 18, so he's got a few years of developing to do.

2nd ROUND, #45 OVERALL: C, RYAN SPOONER - PETERBOROUGH PETES (OHL)

Another 18 year old center who scores lots of goals. He's not big. 5' 10" and 172 pounds. But he's fast. The Bruins could use some speed, especially if the speedy guy is also the guy who can score.

4th ROUND, #97 OVERALL: LW CRAIG CUNNINGHAM - VANCOUVER GIANTS (WHL)

The Bruins took their first winger, and took him from Milan Lucic's "alma-mater." He'll turn 20 in September. He didn't come into his own until his 4th year with Vancouver. His points totals have increased considerably with each season of experience. He had 5 his rookie season, then 25 his 2nd year, doubled to 50 in his 3rd, and doubled to 97 this last season. Then again, he was a man amongst boys at that age.

5th ROUND: #135 OVERALL: LW JUSTIN FLOREK - NORTHERN MICHIGAN U.

This 6' 3" 195 pound soon-to-be sophomore has a big frame that could one day house a power forward's body. There's some potential there, but he'll need a lot of work to be an NHL calibre guy. He'll also likely need to show some edge (fight), which he won't be allowed to do in college.

6th ROUND: #165 OVERALL: G ZANE GOTHBERG - THIEF RIVER FALLS HS (MN) & U. OF NORTH DAKOTA

He'll turn 18 in August, and he's committed to play at North Dakota, a good training ground for goalies. But it's not like he was a top priority recruit either, so it won't be Zane Zeit (Zeit = German for "time") until maybe 2016.

The Bruins ended the draft with a trade. They sent Vladimir Sobotka for the rights to David Warsofsky. Warsofsky is currently playing at BU. He's 20 years old, from Marshfield, and he's a defenseman. He's only 5' 8" and 160 pounds, but he's an adept offensive player. He scored 12 goals in 34 games for the Terriers last season. He's a sophomore, and should develop well out of BU.

I was hoping Sobotka would find a spot on the 2010-11 Bruins, though. He was a tough guy, solid on the puck, hard to beat when he didn't have the puck. A guy who can play 3rd and 4th line hockey, and maybe even kill a penalty. Not a brawler, but a scrapper and a mucker. Oh well.

Zdeno Chara has 13 inches and 95 pounds on Warsofsky.

-The Commodore

NHL Draft: Bruins Edition

I wanted to do something for the NHL draft, but when I sat down to do a mock draft I figured out it is completely pointless since I don't know a lot of these guys. So instead I will give you the players you should know for tonight's draft.

Taylor Hall, LW, Windsor (OHL)
Hall has everything you are looking for in a wing. He plays physical, he's fast, and he knows how to finish. The only concern with him is injury, since he plays with such reckless abandon, but so does Ovechkin, which makes me like him even more. Too bad it looks like he is going #1 to the Oilers.

Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth (OHL)
There is no reason to even ask who is going #2. Seguin came on strong last year, rising from a borderline top 10 prospect to a 1a/1b guy with Hall. It looks like the Bruins are going to end up with him, which also means Savard, Bergeron, or Krecji will be traded.

Cam Fowler, D, Windsor (OHL)
There are 3 very good defensemen in this draft. He is only 18 years old, but has experience winning in big game (won a gold medal as a member of the American team at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships). He is a great "puck-mover", and could be a real asset on the powerplay in years to come. There have been a lot of rumors the Bruins are trying to land another top pick, so they can land one of these defenseman (We'll get to the other two in a sec). If that is the case expect Thomas and/or Savard to have to go.

Eric Gudbranson, D, Kingston (OHL)
Out of the 3 top defenseman this guy has the least offensive talent, but might be the best defenseman. Expect the Panthers to grab him ealy.

Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton, QMJHL
Scouts say he has the best "hockey sense" of any of the top 3 defenseman, but he doesn't have the same amount of physical skill as Fowler/Gromley, but he is still very solid and will surely go in the top 10. No one has climbed the NHL draft ranking more then this kid.

Brett Connolly, RW, Prince George (WHL)
On a talent level is one of the best in the draft, but there are questions about his desire and willingness to be in shape and last 82 games. Still, with the right coaching staff he should be fine.

Well guys that's the players that I think you need to know if you're a Bruins fan. There are rumors flying all over the place about what the Bruins might do. They are still thoughts that they will pull something off to land Hall, but I still don't believe it. If I am right, it could actually lead to even bigger deals. The Bruins are letting Tim Thomas shop himself to other teams, and there are also rumblings that Boston would love to move Savard if they end up getting Seguin.

Breaking News: Bruins Resign Boychuk

There were rumors that the Bruins were trying to move up in the draft to grab one of the top defensemen, since they traded Wideman, but I believe a lot of that speculation was made based on the Bruins not being able to bring Boychuck back. I am a big fan of his, and I think he is only going to get better. The Bruins gave him a 2 year deal worth $3.75MM, which I think is a fair price.

Even with this singing the Bruins could be very active tomorrow. Rumor has it the Oilers are going to take Hall #1. Which might mean the Bruins are going to heavily look into trading Savard, Bergeron, or Krejci. If they were able to move Savard it would at least give them some cap relief, but I am still holding out hope that somehow they will be able to get their hands on Hall.

Bruins Draw 2nd Pick

There was an 18.8% chance that the Bruins would win the 1st overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. It didn't work out that way. The Edmonton Oilers, who had the worst record in the NHL, won the lottery, and the 1st pick.

The good news is that the 1st and 2nd picks are pretty close in value for this year's draft. Center Tyler Seguin and left winger Taylor Hall are the two top-rated prospects for the draft.

The top of the NHL draft has been remarkably consistent and predictable for teams this past decade. In '08, Steve Stamkos and Drew Doughty went 1-2. Both are excelling the NHL. In '06 it was Erik Johnson and Jordan Staal. In '05 it was Sidney Crosby then Bobby Ryan. In '04 it was Alex Ovechkin then Evgeni Malkin (wow). Some notable #2 overall talents:

2000: Dany Heatley
1999: Daniel Sedin
1997: Patrick Marleau
1995: Wade Redden
1993: Chris Pronger

I'd rather the Bruins draft Taylor Hall, simply because he's a winger. The Bruins have depth at center with Savard, Krejci, and Bergeron. They need wingers. But either of these players would be a fine addition to the Bruins.

-The Commodore

Breaking News: Bruins Trade Morris To Phoenix

Bruins' Derek Morris has been traded to Phoenix for a 2011 fourth-round pick. Morris waived his no trade clause to go back to Phoenix where he owns a home. At first glance this is a terrible trade. Morris is a solid player, and even though I don't like him, he is better then anything you are going to get in the 4th round.

Saying that, this move was made to clear cap space for another deal. Hopefully it is for some fucking offense, because I really can't stand these 1 goal games anymore. The Bruins are going to need to pick up some kind of defenseman too to fill the whole Morris is leaving.

Bruins Looking Good Long Term

This season has been somewhat of a disappointment (mostly because of injuries), but here is something to cheer you up....

"If any Boston Bruins fans get down on themselves, they should just look to see how the Toronto Maple Leafs are doing in the standings. The Bruins own the Leafs' next two first-round picks, and right now, the Leafs are one of three teams stuck in the cellar, along with the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes.

Carolina will likely get the top pick and have their choice of one of the three top prospects, D Cam Fowlers, F Taylor Hall or F Tyler Seguin. NHL Central Scouting has said this is the closest battle for the No. 1 spot that they've seen since 2006.

But that means, if the Leafs stay in the cellar, the Bruins could land a player worthy of the top pick. Not bad for a team that is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference (ESPN)."

With the Bruins seemingly having their goalie of the future in Tuukka Rask and tons of young talent, the Bruins seem seems as if they will be competitive in the Eastern Conference for years to come...

Bruins Looking To Move Savard?

"Marc Savard is being shopped around by the Bruins, the Globe reports. He has one year left on his contract for $5 million (ESPN)."

Savard does have a no trade clause in his contract, but reports say that he would be willing to waive that clause if he could be traded closer to his kids in Ontario. The Bruins do have a lot of centers, and if they were able to move Savard they would have a lot easier of a time resigning Kessel. So, to be honest I would have no problem with this, especially if they could get extra defensive help and/or draft picks.

In other news there are also rumors that the Bruins are going to try to move up in the draft to get Chris Kreider. Here is Peter Chiarelli comments...

"Our guys have an eye on one player," GM Peter Chiarelli told the Boston Globe. "I don't know if we'll get him."

Chris Kreider 18-year-old who is ranked as the 14th best skater in North America by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau. Keep on eye on this developing story.