2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 29 Nov.

Although the Boston Bruins haven't had a great week and are currently sitting in eighth place for the final playoff spot, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been worse.

They have been shutout five times in 22 games this season, the most recent drubbing coming against Ottawa on Saturday, a 3-0 loss that has Leafs Nation in a tizzy.

With no 1st- and 3rd-round picks in 2011, the chances of building through the draft are diminished once again. And, Leafs GM Brian Burke doesn't have a war chest of assets from which to make the kinds of deals that will improve the team in the short term.

Make no mistake-- change is coming to the Air Canada Centre. Coach Ron Wilson is the easier move to make, though a painful one given the extremely close relationship between the two men going back to their Providence College days as members of the Friars. But beyond that, there isn't a lot Burke can do. He sold off myriad assets and players last season to bring in J.S. Giguere and Dion Phaneuf. And then he gave up an excellent young forward in Viktor Stalberg for Kris Versteeg over the summer. The former Boston draft choice and farmhand has been a lightning rod of criticism in Leafs Nation this season for his up-and-down play, and its beginning to look like he was in a nice situation in Chicago as a complementary player, and not a primetime guy who can shoulder the offensive load for the moribund Leafs.

Here are the facts as they stand with November giving way to December: The problems that ail the Leafs are the same as in Boston: scoring goals, not preventing them. And, no matter how good your goalies and team defense are, if you can't put the puck in the net, you're going to lose more than you win.

New Jersey is just one point behind Toronto to push the Leafs into 28th place, and the Oilers and Islanders are just three and four points away from 29th and 30th.

Right now, that's the one thing that gives Boston fans a reason to smile.

1st Round

4th overall- Toronto (19 points; 8-11-3)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
15th overall- Boston (26 points; 12-8-2)


2nd Round

41st overall- Minnesota (24 points;11-9-2)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.

45th overall- Boston


3rd Round

79th overall- Phoenix (27 points; 11-6-5) - Completes Derek Morris trade.

Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal

4th Round

105th overall- Boston

5th Round

135th overall- Boston

6th Round

165th overall- Boston

7th Round

Pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)