The Minnesota Wild pulled it together, winning their last two games of the season to breeze by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the standings, dropping Toronto's draft pick position to ninth overall.
Bruins fans should consider it a moral victory, as the "best" non-playoff club, ie- Carolina and Dallas, who blew win and in scenarios on back-to-back nights and will pick 12th and 14th in a draft that many scouts are saying is about 15-16 deep (Calgary picks 13th with 94 points- three ahead of the 'Canes). Let's face it- 13 and 14 isn't bad, but getting inside that top-10 is bigger for Boston for several reasons.
First, they're going to get a player with a lot of promise there. One NHL scout told me that as far as he's concerned, the kid who possibly goes 11th overall has as much potential to be one of the top three players in this draft as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson or Gabriel Landeskog do- your "consensus" three highest-ranked guys. Will they be the three who hear their names called 1-3 in St. Paul? There is still much time left to decide that.
You have to wonder about the guys who will still be playing deep into the CHL playoffs, such as Jonathan Huberdeau or Sean Couturier and possibly Ryan Strome and Dougie Hamilton or Sven Bartschi and Duncan Siemens out west? What will their extended run bring them in terms of rising on draft day? If you count up those names, that leaves you with nine solid draft options right there. Here are three more: One small but dynamic defender with elite skills in Ryan Murphy, and a pair of power forward bookends Brandon Saad, and Tyler Biggs.
Oh, and there's 2010 CHL Rookie of the Year and two-time 30+ goal guy for Peterborough Matt Puempel. That makes 13. Three players with some size, jam and upside in Mika Zibanejad,Jamie Oleksiak and Nathan Beaulieu round out 16. Big horse with legitimate scoring potential Mark McNeill is 17, but could go inside the top-10 if he has a strong Under-18 tourney next week.
And so, you get the picture. This is not a weak draft. Furthermore, that just happens to be this blog's top-17. Who knows if it actually reflects the guys who will go 1-17 in June? Our best guess is- probably not.
Which leads us to our second point about the value of picking ninth overall: Being inside the top-10 makes a potential move up the board by Boston feasible. Usually, teams sitting at 5 or 6 don't want to leave the top-10 altogether, though it normally comes down to just how many like-ranked players they have on their board. The more there are, the more willing a team is to move down and still get a player they want. If their heart is set on 1 or 2 guys, a team picking fifth probably is not going to move down to nine unless the other GM does some real pot-sweetening.
OK- so it's not second overall. As Mick Jagger once crooned, You can't always get what you want. The ninth pick in 2011, after getting the second and 32nd selections in 2010, is not a bad way to go at all.
Give the Bruins and GM Peter Chiarelli credit, (though we didn't like the Chris Kelly deal when it was made and still don't). The Bruins are picking third from the end in every round (for now- those final four seedings actually go to Stanley Cup champion, finalist, and the two semi-finals teams, and is not based on regular season record as in the old days) but managed to move up 19 slots in the 1st round with Toronto's pick, 18 slots in the second with Minnesota's and 8 slots in the third with Phoenix. Even though the Bruins don't have their own pick in any of rounds 1-3, they effectively moved up the board to non-playoff positions for the first two and upgraded modestly with the third.
That will position the Bruins to add some more legitimate building blocks to the organization just one year after adding some impressive parts in Tyler Seguin, Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner in rounds 1 and 2.
Now, it's up to the scouts to finish their due diligence.
With that, here is the final draft pick update of the season 2010-11 season:
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
9th overall- Toronto (85 points; 37-34-11)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
40th overall- Minnesota (86 points;39-35-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
80th overall- Phoenix (99 points; 43-26-13) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
118th* overall- Boston (103 points; 46-25-11)
*Final four pick positions determined by Stanley Cup winner, finalist, and semi-finalists
5th Round
148th overall- Boston
6th Round
178th overall- Boston
7th Round
183rd overall- Florida (conditional 72 pts; 30-40-12)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
28th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
58th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
88th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
208th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
*(Not affiliated with the Boston Bruins or the New England Hockey Journal)
Showing posts with label 2011 Waffle Watch: Bruins Draft Pick Updates (every Monday). Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 Waffle Watch: Bruins Draft Pick Updates (every Monday). Show all posts
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
2011 final weekend: Bruins will pick 9th, 10th or 11th
We're back on the case after taking a day to honor E.J. McGuire's passing.
Bruins are looking at picking anywhere from 9-11 in the 2011 draft.
Here are the scenarios:
Toronto has one game remaining; they play Montreal tomorrow. They have 85 points, which ties them with the St. Louis Blues, who also have one game remaining. The Blues own the tie-breakers if they finish with the same amount of points, so it will come down to their remaining home contest against Nashville. If the Leafs win and Blues stumble, then the pick will be 11.
Minnesota has lost three in a row and has two games left- tonight in Edmonton and Sunday at home against Dallas. They have 82 points, so if they win both and Toronto loses in regulation, the Wild would push the Leafs down to the 9th selection. Not a great chance of that happening. If the Leafs get one point vs. Montreal, they own the tie-breakers, so the pick will remain at 10.
Now, as far as the Wild go, their swoon benefits the Bruins even if they don't catch Toronto, because the B's own their second-round selection by virtue of the Chuck Kobasew trade in October, 2009. The Wild are currently 9th, meaning that pick will sit 39th. Columbus is just one point behind Minnesota with two games left, so if the Wild bottom out in their final two and the BJ's can pass them, the Bruins will own the 38th overall selection in 2011.
UPDATE: Wild beat Edmonton, so they're one point behind the Leafs. Pointed out to me that if they beat Dallas, and Leafs lose or even get a point, believe that puts Wild ahead of TOR in the standings due to victories. We shall see. Columbus lost to Nashville, so they can't catch Minny. B's fans should pull for Wild to push 1st rounder to 9th by winning. Second pick for Boston would then be 40th assuming of course, that St. Louis does their part against NAS. One way or another, we'll find out by Sunday night where everything shakes out.
That Minnesota second-rounder is a nice pick to hold in this deep draft, or the Bruins can use it as a bargaining chip in a deal to upgrade the NHL roster. Second-round picks are becoming increasingly valuable in the NHL draft, and a top-10 slot is even more desireable.
It's not a lottery selection, but the Bruins still stand to get a good player at 9, 10 or even 11. We've talked to enough scouts who feel that this draft goes 11 or 12 deep in terms of guys with the skill and upside to potentially be one of the top players in class. The Bruins have done their homework, so assuming they hold onto the pick and don't deal it, they'll bring another very nice prospect into the fold on June 24.
Now, the only thing that remains is to see where that selection will be on Sunday night. We'll be back to break it down then.
Bruins are looking at picking anywhere from 9-11 in the 2011 draft.
Here are the scenarios:
Toronto has one game remaining; they play Montreal tomorrow. They have 85 points, which ties them with the St. Louis Blues, who also have one game remaining. The Blues own the tie-breakers if they finish with the same amount of points, so it will come down to their remaining home contest against Nashville. If the Leafs win and Blues stumble, then the pick will be 11.
Minnesota has lost three in a row and has two games left- tonight in Edmonton and Sunday at home against Dallas. They have 82 points, so if they win both and Toronto loses in regulation, the Wild would push the Leafs down to the 9th selection. Not a great chance of that happening. If the Leafs get one point vs. Montreal, they own the tie-breakers, so the pick will remain at 10.
Now, as far as the Wild go, their swoon benefits the Bruins even if they don't catch Toronto, because the B's own their second-round selection by virtue of the Chuck Kobasew trade in October, 2009. The Wild are currently 9th, meaning that pick will sit 39th. Columbus is just one point behind Minnesota with two games left, so if the Wild bottom out in their final two and the BJ's can pass them, the Bruins will own the 38th overall selection in 2011.
UPDATE: Wild beat Edmonton, so they're one point behind the Leafs. Pointed out to me that if they beat Dallas, and Leafs lose or even get a point, believe that puts Wild ahead of TOR in the standings due to victories. We shall see. Columbus lost to Nashville, so they can't catch Minny. B's fans should pull for Wild to push 1st rounder to 9th by winning. Second pick for Boston would then be 40th assuming of course, that St. Louis does their part against NAS. One way or another, we'll find out by Sunday night where everything shakes out.
That Minnesota second-rounder is a nice pick to hold in this deep draft, or the Bruins can use it as a bargaining chip in a deal to upgrade the NHL roster. Second-round picks are becoming increasingly valuable in the NHL draft, and a top-10 slot is even more desireable.
It's not a lottery selection, but the Bruins still stand to get a good player at 9, 10 or even 11. We've talked to enough scouts who feel that this draft goes 11 or 12 deep in terms of guys with the skill and upside to potentially be one of the top players in class. The Bruins have done their homework, so assuming they hold onto the pick and don't deal it, they'll bring another very nice prospect into the fold on June 24.
Now, the only thing that remains is to see where that selection will be on Sunday night. We'll be back to break it down then.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update 28 Mar.
Welcome to the last Waffle Watch draft pick update of March. It's hard to believe, but we're in single digits for games left in the season and less than two weeks away from finishing out the 2010-11 regular season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have continued to win hockey games behind the goaltending of James Reimer and some opportunistic scoring. They aren't going to make the playoffs, but the nonplayoff clubs pick 1-14, so it isn't outside the realm of reason to think that they could end up with the 11th or 12th pick if Carolina and Minnesota go south in the standings over the final 7 games. They both have a game in hand on the Leafs, who have six to go and could finish with 90 points if they go 6-0. Because of Buffalo's recent winning streak, that's not likely going to be enough to get them in- Buffalo only needs six points in 7 games to clinch the eighth spot in the East.
The good news for Bruins fans is that the depth of this draft class is pretty good, so while everyone got spoiled last year with the Tyler Seguin watch, the B's are looking at someone like Ryan Murphy and Dougie Hamilton, or perhaps Brandon Saad or Mika Zibanejad or even Matt Puempel the closer they get to 10th overall.
The CHL playoffs are in full swing, as is the NCAA tournament, which established its Frozen Four bracket over the weekend in shocking fashion with some frontrunners in the Hockey East going down in flames. Michigan, North Dakota, Notre Dame and Minnesota-Duluth are your 2011 contenders for the national championship. Not a Hockey East club in the bunch after UNH lost to the Fighting Irish yesterday.
The weather's getting warmer, the NHL draft lottery will be on April 12th and while the Leafs have played that Boston pick out of the lottery, the Bruins are in the dance officially after beating Philly last night and just need a few more wins to wrap up the Northeast and the third seed in the East.
Life is good.
And that's the weekly commentary- now for the Bruins pick update.
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
10th overall- Toronto (78 points; 34-32-10)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
41st overall- Minnesota (78 points;35-32-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
83rd overall- Phoenix (93 points; 41-25-11) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston (94 points; 42-23-10)
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
184th overall- Florida (conditional 69 pts; 29-36-11)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
The Toronto Maple Leafs have continued to win hockey games behind the goaltending of James Reimer and some opportunistic scoring. They aren't going to make the playoffs, but the nonplayoff clubs pick 1-14, so it isn't outside the realm of reason to think that they could end up with the 11th or 12th pick if Carolina and Minnesota go south in the standings over the final 7 games. They both have a game in hand on the Leafs, who have six to go and could finish with 90 points if they go 6-0. Because of Buffalo's recent winning streak, that's not likely going to be enough to get them in- Buffalo only needs six points in 7 games to clinch the eighth spot in the East.
The good news for Bruins fans is that the depth of this draft class is pretty good, so while everyone got spoiled last year with the Tyler Seguin watch, the B's are looking at someone like Ryan Murphy and Dougie Hamilton, or perhaps Brandon Saad or Mika Zibanejad or even Matt Puempel the closer they get to 10th overall.
The CHL playoffs are in full swing, as is the NCAA tournament, which established its Frozen Four bracket over the weekend in shocking fashion with some frontrunners in the Hockey East going down in flames. Michigan, North Dakota, Notre Dame and Minnesota-Duluth are your 2011 contenders for the national championship. Not a Hockey East club in the bunch after UNH lost to the Fighting Irish yesterday.
The weather's getting warmer, the NHL draft lottery will be on April 12th and while the Leafs have played that Boston pick out of the lottery, the Bruins are in the dance officially after beating Philly last night and just need a few more wins to wrap up the Northeast and the third seed in the East.
Life is good.
And that's the weekly commentary- now for the Bruins pick update.
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
10th overall- Toronto (78 points; 34-32-10)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
41st overall- Minnesota (78 points;35-32-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
83rd overall- Phoenix (93 points; 41-25-11) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston (94 points; 42-23-10)
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
184th overall- Florida (conditional 69 pts; 29-36-11)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Monday, March 21, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update 21 Mar.
The Boston Bruins' recent slide has put them in danger of falling out of the top spot in the Northeast Division for the first time in several months.
The Montreal Canadiens thrashed Minnesota by an 8-1 score Sunday to climb ti within one point of idle Boston. They next play the Buffalo Sabres and could grab first place by Tuesday evening if the B's stumble against the surging New Jersey Devils.
The B's picked a bad time to play as poorly as they did on Saturday, not only missing out on two points, but giving Toronto a decisive win to move them up in the standings. The Bruins looked listless, while Toronto took it to Boston.
Some circles are clamoring for a coaching change, but the season is past the point for that to pay off. The team has proven it can win games and beat the top teams in the NHL (Detroit being the exception), so firing the coach is not the answer right now. Of course, how the team does in the playoffs will ultimately determine whether Claude Julien returns next season. The inconsistency is certainly troubling, and the Bruins GM may have no choice but to make a move if the team continues to swoon or bows out in the 1st or 2nd round of the postseason again.
This is a critical week for the Bruins: with 11 games left in the season, they must not only get back on track to keep Montreal at bay (they will fall to 6th in the conference if they lose hold on the Northeast) but also to get their confidence going if they have any realistic hope of advancing in the playoffs.
Character test, and a big one for Boston. They need more from everyone on the roster, top to bottom.
And that's the commentary. Now for the pick update as of 21 March:
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
9th overall- Toronto (74 points; 32-31-10)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (78 points;35-30-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
83rd overall- Phoenix (89 points; 39-24-11) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston (88 points; 39-22-10)
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
185th overall- Florida (conditional 68 pts; 29-33-10)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
The Montreal Canadiens thrashed Minnesota by an 8-1 score Sunday to climb ti within one point of idle Boston. They next play the Buffalo Sabres and could grab first place by Tuesday evening if the B's stumble against the surging New Jersey Devils.
The B's picked a bad time to play as poorly as they did on Saturday, not only missing out on two points, but giving Toronto a decisive win to move them up in the standings. The Bruins looked listless, while Toronto took it to Boston.
Some circles are clamoring for a coaching change, but the season is past the point for that to pay off. The team has proven it can win games and beat the top teams in the NHL (Detroit being the exception), so firing the coach is not the answer right now. Of course, how the team does in the playoffs will ultimately determine whether Claude Julien returns next season. The inconsistency is certainly troubling, and the Bruins GM may have no choice but to make a move if the team continues to swoon or bows out in the 1st or 2nd round of the postseason again.
This is a critical week for the Bruins: with 11 games left in the season, they must not only get back on track to keep Montreal at bay (they will fall to 6th in the conference if they lose hold on the Northeast) but also to get their confidence going if they have any realistic hope of advancing in the playoffs.
Character test, and a big one for Boston. They need more from everyone on the roster, top to bottom.
And that's the commentary. Now for the pick update as of 21 March:
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
9th overall- Toronto (74 points; 32-31-10)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (78 points;35-30-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
83rd overall- Phoenix (89 points; 39-24-11) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston (88 points; 39-22-10)
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
185th overall- Florida (conditional 68 pts; 29-33-10)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Monday, March 14, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update 14 Mar.
We're in St. Patrick's Day week!
What can I tell ya? The Maple Leafs keep winning, which means the whole draft pick thing will go down to the wire. Give them credit- Brian Burke moved more out at the deadline than he brought in, but those guys are competing hard and getting the goaltending.
Anyway- the New Jersey Devils are just two points behind them. That's the good news. The bad news is that Jacques Lemaire and company have a brutal stretch of four games in six nights and seven games in 12 days overall coming up, which could very well decide whether they catch the Leafs and improve the Boston pick by one, or stay just behind them the rest of the way. They'll have to play five of those seven games on the road, including one next week against the Bruins at the TD Garden.
Went to Devils practice today and asked coach Lemaire about his mindset going into the stretch, and he said that it was about giving his players a rest so that they are prepared mentally and physically for the coming grind. The team's season comes down to the next 10 days or so- he knows that and so do they. That's why it was so encouraging to see how loose they were at practice today. They were skating well, but not uptight and looked like they were having fun.
"It's no fun coming to the rink when you're losing hockey games all the time," veteran forward Brian Rolston told B2011DW after practice today. "We've done a much better job as a team over the past several months and I think a lot of us are realizing just how rewarding it is when you're competing hard and getting results. We're playing with a lot of confidence right now and I think you've seen that in the way we're approaching things, whether we're talking about actual games or practices."
Either way, given where the Devils were back on New Year's Day when they were in the midst of dropping eight of their first nine games under Lemaire, who replaced John MacLean behind the bench just before Christmas, it's amazing that they are even pushing Toronto in the standings at all.
And that's the weekly NHL commentary. Now, for the picks update:
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 14 Mar (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
8th overall- Toronto (70 points; 30-29-10)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
44th overall- Minnesota (77 points;35-27-7)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
80th overall- Phoenix (83 points; 36-23-11) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
114th overall- Boston (85 points; 38-21-9)
5th Round
144th overall- Boston
6th Round
174th overall- Boston
7th Round
185th overall- Florida (conditional 65 pts; 28-32-9)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
What can I tell ya? The Maple Leafs keep winning, which means the whole draft pick thing will go down to the wire. Give them credit- Brian Burke moved more out at the deadline than he brought in, but those guys are competing hard and getting the goaltending.
Anyway- the New Jersey Devils are just two points behind them. That's the good news. The bad news is that Jacques Lemaire and company have a brutal stretch of four games in six nights and seven games in 12 days overall coming up, which could very well decide whether they catch the Leafs and improve the Boston pick by one, or stay just behind them the rest of the way. They'll have to play five of those seven games on the road, including one next week against the Bruins at the TD Garden.
Went to Devils practice today and asked coach Lemaire about his mindset going into the stretch, and he said that it was about giving his players a rest so that they are prepared mentally and physically for the coming grind. The team's season comes down to the next 10 days or so- he knows that and so do they. That's why it was so encouraging to see how loose they were at practice today. They were skating well, but not uptight and looked like they were having fun.
"It's no fun coming to the rink when you're losing hockey games all the time," veteran forward Brian Rolston told B2011DW after practice today. "We've done a much better job as a team over the past several months and I think a lot of us are realizing just how rewarding it is when you're competing hard and getting results. We're playing with a lot of confidence right now and I think you've seen that in the way we're approaching things, whether we're talking about actual games or practices."
Either way, given where the Devils were back on New Year's Day when they were in the midst of dropping eight of their first nine games under Lemaire, who replaced John MacLean behind the bench just before Christmas, it's amazing that they are even pushing Toronto in the standings at all.
And that's the weekly NHL commentary. Now, for the picks update:
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 14 Mar (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
8th overall- Toronto (70 points; 30-29-10)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
44th overall- Minnesota (77 points;35-27-7)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
80th overall- Phoenix (83 points; 36-23-11) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
114th overall- Boston (85 points; 38-21-9)
5th Round
144th overall- Boston
6th Round
174th overall- Boston
7th Round
185th overall- Florida (conditional 65 pts; 28-32-9)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Monday, March 7, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update 07 Mar.
Welcome to the first draft pick update for the month of March. Yes, draft watchers, the season is winding down. We're a little over 30 days from the conclusion of the regular season, and the 2011 lottery will follow soon thereafter.
Unfortunately for the Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs have picked it up considerably since January, while other teams around them have been in steady free fall: Colorado, St. Louis, Florida and Atlanta to name a few. The long and the short of it is this: the Leafs have kept the teams who have been behind them in the standings in the rearview mirror, while moving past clubs ahead of them. They've moved out of the bottom five and are knocking on the door to get out of the top-10.
The way we see it, if the Bruins are picking seventh or earlier, it will be a huge bonus. At this point, it just looks like Toronto is going to be good enough to finish anywhere from 8-11 and possibly even higher if James Reimer keeps stealing games for them. Toronto has a chance to pick up points in the standings with games against the Islanders, Panthers and Avalanche in the next 14 days. They also have some important swing games in the standings vs. Buffalo and Carolina. The Bruins get the Leafs twice this month, too.
So, that's the waffle watch for the week.
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 07 Mar (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
9th overall- Toronto (67 points; 29-28-9)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
46th overall- Minnesota (75 points;34-25-7)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
79th overall- Phoenix (78 points; 34-23-10) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
117th overall- Boston (84 points; 38-19-8)
5th Round
147th overall- Boston
6th Round
177th overall- Boston
7th Round
185th overall- Florida (conditional 61 pts; 26-31-9)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
27th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
57th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
87th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
207th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Unfortunately for the Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs have picked it up considerably since January, while other teams around them have been in steady free fall: Colorado, St. Louis, Florida and Atlanta to name a few. The long and the short of it is this: the Leafs have kept the teams who have been behind them in the standings in the rearview mirror, while moving past clubs ahead of them. They've moved out of the bottom five and are knocking on the door to get out of the top-10.
The way we see it, if the Bruins are picking seventh or earlier, it will be a huge bonus. At this point, it just looks like Toronto is going to be good enough to finish anywhere from 8-11 and possibly even higher if James Reimer keeps stealing games for them. Toronto has a chance to pick up points in the standings with games against the Islanders, Panthers and Avalanche in the next 14 days. They also have some important swing games in the standings vs. Buffalo and Carolina. The Bruins get the Leafs twice this month, too.
So, that's the waffle watch for the week.
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 07 Mar (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
9th overall- Toronto (67 points; 29-28-9)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
46th overall- Minnesota (75 points;34-25-7)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
79th overall- Phoenix (78 points; 34-23-10) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
117th overall- Boston (84 points; 38-19-8)
5th Round
147th overall- Boston
6th Round
177th overall- Boston
7th Round
185th overall- Florida (conditional 61 pts; 26-31-9)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
27th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
57th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
87th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
207th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Monday, February 28, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update 28 Feb.
Well, the NHL trade deadline day is upon us and it looks as if there will be quite a bit of player movement today.
The Bruins made another minor AHL trade last night, sending enforcer Brian McGrattan and defenseman Sean Zimmerman, both in Providence, to the Anaheim Ducks for a pair of forwards and QMJHL grads in David Laliberte and Stefan Chaput. Laliberte was a fourth-round pick of the Flyers in 2004 and was Red Line Report's 104th-ranked player in their '04 draft guide. The former PEI Rocket was hailed as a solid defensive forward and character player who lacked the offensive skills to be seen as much more than a depth/lower line player. As for Chaput, the center was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 out of the Lewiston MAINE-iacs the year they won the Stanley Cup and is a center with some playmaking ability, but is a journeyman minor leaguer who isn't likely to ever make much of an NHL impact.
As for the deadline, things will heat up shortly with some pretty big names in play, and it will be interesting to see if Toronto lands Stephen Weiss as has been rumored, or perhaps John-Michael Liles from the free-falling Colorado Avalanche. Will the Rangers grab Brad Richards from Dallas, or will someone else swoop in? The Broadway Blueshirts appear to be primed to make the most noise today, so we will see if it comes to pass.
As for the draft picks in the 2011 draft, Toronto had a strong week, winning two and then losing two in overtime, adding six points to their record and vaulting from fifth to eighth in the draft position. They're still just a few points from dropping back down (and moving up as well over Buffalo and St. Louis, but the Sabres just got Brad Boyes) and the Blues may not be done dealing, but lousy starts from Pittsburgh (not to mention a horrendous game in net from Marc Andre Fleury) and Atlanta forced those games into overtime when they could have been regulation losses for the Leafs. Bruins fans might want to start looking beyond the names they've gotten used to in the top-five all season and start researching the solid options closer to 10: Jonathan Huberdeau, Brandon Saad, Alex Khokhlachev and possibly David Musil (though his stock could drop him well out of the top-10).
We will soon see where everything sits, but unless something drastic happens, don't expect to see much come out of Boston today.
And with that, we'll look to the draft pick update...
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 28 Feb (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
8th overall- Toronto (63 points; 27-27-9)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
48th overall- Minnesota (72 points;33-23-6)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
82nd overall- Phoenix (76 points; 33-21-10) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston (79 points; 36-19-7)
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 59 pts; 26-29-7)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
The Bruins made another minor AHL trade last night, sending enforcer Brian McGrattan and defenseman Sean Zimmerman, both in Providence, to the Anaheim Ducks for a pair of forwards and QMJHL grads in David Laliberte and Stefan Chaput. Laliberte was a fourth-round pick of the Flyers in 2004 and was Red Line Report's 104th-ranked player in their '04 draft guide. The former PEI Rocket was hailed as a solid defensive forward and character player who lacked the offensive skills to be seen as much more than a depth/lower line player. As for Chaput, the center was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 out of the Lewiston MAINE-iacs the year they won the Stanley Cup and is a center with some playmaking ability, but is a journeyman minor leaguer who isn't likely to ever make much of an NHL impact.
As for the deadline, things will heat up shortly with some pretty big names in play, and it will be interesting to see if Toronto lands Stephen Weiss as has been rumored, or perhaps John-Michael Liles from the free-falling Colorado Avalanche. Will the Rangers grab Brad Richards from Dallas, or will someone else swoop in? The Broadway Blueshirts appear to be primed to make the most noise today, so we will see if it comes to pass.
As for the draft picks in the 2011 draft, Toronto had a strong week, winning two and then losing two in overtime, adding six points to their record and vaulting from fifth to eighth in the draft position. They're still just a few points from dropping back down (and moving up as well over Buffalo and St. Louis, but the Sabres just got Brad Boyes) and the Blues may not be done dealing, but lousy starts from Pittsburgh (not to mention a horrendous game in net from Marc Andre Fleury) and Atlanta forced those games into overtime when they could have been regulation losses for the Leafs. Bruins fans might want to start looking beyond the names they've gotten used to in the top-five all season and start researching the solid options closer to 10: Jonathan Huberdeau, Brandon Saad, Alex Khokhlachev and possibly David Musil (though his stock could drop him well out of the top-10).
We will soon see where everything sits, but unless something drastic happens, don't expect to see much come out of Boston today.
And with that, we'll look to the draft pick update...
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 28 Feb (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
8th overall- Toronto (63 points; 27-27-9)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
48th overall- Minnesota (72 points;33-23-6)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
82nd overall- Phoenix (76 points; 33-21-10) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston (79 points; 36-19-7)
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 59 pts; 26-29-7)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Monday, February 21, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update 21 Feb.
A big night for the waffle watch Saturday put the Toronto Maple Leafs back into the 5th draft position after they had surged ahead on consecutive wins over Boston (with Mikhail Grabovski scoring in the game's last minute) and Buffalo in one-goal games. The newly-acquired Craig Anderson and the Ottawa Senators shut them out on Saturday (though it happened in the shootout- Ottawa couldn't score either) and a win by Florida boosted them into a three-way tie points-wise with Toronto and Colorado, who has gone into the tank. B's fans will hope the blockbuster deal that brought Eric Johnson to Denver will help, but with the Avs giving up Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk in the process, it's going to be tough.
The Devils are surging, just three points behind the Leafs and winners of seven straight and even the NY Islanders are keeping pace (six points behind TOR), though don't expect that to last. I have a feeling the Isles will sell off some assets at the deadline and fall back well behind the Leafs in the standings. If they don't, then it will be a major credit to the young Islanders, because it will mean they didn't roll over. And, Al Montoya got his first NHL shutout the other night after the Isles acquired him from Phoenix, so good on the former 6th overall pick in 2004 for doing something with the opportunity he's been given.
As for the Leafs, they'll be interesting to follow. In the span of 10 days, they've traded away Francois Beauchemin, Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kaberle, getting only Joffrey Lupul back from Anaheim as far as a player who is helping them in the present. Brian Burke now has some future building blocks, having acquired Joe Colborne from Boston, plus a pair of late firsts from the Bruins and Flyers, plus a third-rounder this year and conditional second in 2012 from Boston.
Speaking of the Bruins, they are considerably lighter in the wallet and picks department, having added Chris Kelly, Kaberle and Rich Peverley to the roster over the past week at the cost of a first- and second-round pick plus other assets. Boston is a better team today than they were the last team we posted a Waffle Watch update, but the question is-- are the B's legit contenders? We shall see.
Here is the pick update. I will break out the traded selections in a separate section so as not to confuse. Bruins still have plenty of draft assets to make a splash in June, so things are still pretty solid for the future.
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 21 Feb (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (57 points; 25-27-7)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
48th overall- Minnesota (68 points;31-22-6)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
84th overall- Phoenix (73 points; 32-19-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 57 pts; 25-26-7)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston (73 pts; 33-19-7) pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
The Devils are surging, just three points behind the Leafs and winners of seven straight and even the NY Islanders are keeping pace (six points behind TOR), though don't expect that to last. I have a feeling the Isles will sell off some assets at the deadline and fall back well behind the Leafs in the standings. If they don't, then it will be a major credit to the young Islanders, because it will mean they didn't roll over. And, Al Montoya got his first NHL shutout the other night after the Isles acquired him from Phoenix, so good on the former 6th overall pick in 2004 for doing something with the opportunity he's been given.
As for the Leafs, they'll be interesting to follow. In the span of 10 days, they've traded away Francois Beauchemin, Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kaberle, getting only Joffrey Lupul back from Anaheim as far as a player who is helping them in the present. Brian Burke now has some future building blocks, having acquired Joe Colborne from Boston, plus a pair of late firsts from the Bruins and Flyers, plus a third-rounder this year and conditional second in 2012 from Boston.
Speaking of the Bruins, they are considerably lighter in the wallet and picks department, having added Chris Kelly, Kaberle and Rich Peverley to the roster over the past week at the cost of a first- and second-round pick plus other assets. Boston is a better team today than they were the last team we posted a Waffle Watch update, but the question is-- are the B's legit contenders? We shall see.
Here is the pick update. I will break out the traded selections in a separate section so as not to confuse. Bruins still have plenty of draft assets to make a splash in June, so things are still pretty solid for the future.
2011 Boston Bruins draft picks as of 21 Feb (6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (57 points; 25-27-7)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
2nd Round
48th overall- Minnesota (68 points;31-22-6)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
3rd Round
84th overall- Phoenix (73 points; 32-19-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 57 pts; 25-26-7)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)
1st Round
25th overall- Boston (73 pts; 33-19-7) pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle
2nd Round
55th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly
3rd round
85th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
7th round
205th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks
1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Monday, February 14, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update Valentine's Day edition: 14 Feb.
Not a bad week for the Waffle Watch. Toronto won a few, lost an OT game to the Devils they should have won, and then got shutout in Montreal, but the teams above and behind the Leafs in the standings won (with the exception of the Oilers who seem like a pretty big lost cause at this point). They've lost three in a row and now hold the dubious honor of being in the NHL's basement. Better luck next year, guys, eh? But, if they finish there, they could align themselves for an outstanding defenseman in Adam Larsson, or they might even opt for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has been tearing it up in the WHL for the nearby Red Deer Rebels. If Steve Tambellini and co. take RNH, you can bet it will be because they saw enough of him to truly feel comfortable with making him their go-to pivot for the future. Players in the backyard tend to benefit from that kind of geography if they have the goods.
Colorado is in free-fall as well, having lost 7 in a row. They are just four points ahead of the Leafs, with the Panthers just one spot below them in the standings and three points ahead of Toronto. The good news is, the Leafs are entering a tough schedule stretch, and it all starts with a big head-to-head with the Bruins in Boston Tuesday night.
Now as for the Toronto pick, we're hearing more and more that the Bruins want to load up and make their push for the Stanley Cup this year. Based on what was seen in two back-to-back losses against the Detroit Red Wings, they don't have the horses and even a trade for that all-important PMD won't solve all of Boston's woes. That said, when your goalie is having the kind of season Tim Thomas has, the GM owes it to the players and the fans to have the guts to try (there is a cool story about that last phrase- "the guts to try" related to the failed Iranian hostage rescue attempt in 1980- Google it).
Chicago GM Stan Bowman has emphatically declared Brent Seabrook off the market, but is that the whole truth and nothing but, or one of those endorsements akin to the kiss of death that we've seen in the past. Time will tell, but I would guess that unless a team massively overpays for Seabrook, he'll still be a Blackhawk when the deadline passes. Another defenseman who has obvious appeal to the Bruins is Atlanta's Zach Bogosian, former third overall selection in 2008 who was rumored to be a player the Bruins made an effort to trade all the way up for until Don Waddell politely rebuffed them and took the OHL stud himself. Bogosian has struggled in his third NHL season, and if ever there was a time to trade for him, it is now. Question is-- will Rick Dudley be interested in sending Bogosian away? He's got to know what kind of potential the Thrashers have in that kid. Like Seabrook, he'd have to be blown away by an offer, but Dudley has never been shy about making trades before, so this is one dog that could hunt come deadline day.
That leads to one final rumor that seems to have some appeal with some in the Boston media: Tomas Kaberle and Kris Versteeg back to the Leafs for that Toronto 1st. To me, that deal on the surface looks like a move, but the reality is- it would look better on paper than in reality. Kaberle is Charmin soft and soon to be an unrestricted free agent. Yes, he's an excellent puck mover and PP point man, but how good a fit would he be in Boston? And, would he be a rental player for the team that actually thought they'd acquired him two years ago? Kaberle's play has gone south in the months since Boston had that aborted deal for him in Montreal and even if you look at his career playoff stats, he's got 6 goals and 28 points in 77 games-- is that really the guy you think is going to be a postseason stud? As for Versteeg, he'd be likely better in Beantown than he's been in Toronto, where the B's improved depth would serve him better than he's had to be as one of the Leafs' go-to guys. He's more of an improvement than Kaberle would be, but as much as Versteeg's game is what Boston needs, I don't know that he's worth giving up that top-five pick for. I'm sure some will disagree, but that's my position- Versteeg is more of a luxury and not an essential component, though I believe lots of folks would love to have him back. The fact is- he never should have been traded away in the first place.
All things considered, if the Bruins are going to make a big move, they'd be much better off going with one or the other potential studs in Seabrook and Bogosian. Kaberle and Versteeg carry more risk and who wants to see that pick go right back to Toronto and let the Leafs off the hook? I'm sure Toronto fans would dig it. And ultimately, Peter Chiarelli will have to decide if that's the kind of move he's going to make. Sure, it would allow him to address two areas in one transaction, but don't forget the old Frederick the Great quote: "He who defends everywhere, defends nowhere." What that means is, if you're going to use the key assets to make a big move, then get a stud player at one position or the other, don't get a couple of good players who may or may not be the key to an extended run. If Kaberle were a little tougher, that would be one thing, but the guy has been unable to make himself part of even a playoff solution for the Leafs in five straight years. You'd think the Bruins can do better, especially since he'll turn 33 just a few days after the trade deadline. He's not getting any younger.
Bruins are best served going younger with longer staying power in Seabrook or Bogosian or any other defenseman with upside who might be available on the market. None, however, no matter who they are, will come cheap.
And now, here's the standings watch for the week:
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (52 points; 23-27-6)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (69 points; 31-18-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
47th overall- Minnesota (65 points;30-20-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
79th overall- Phoenix (61 points; 26-19-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 52 pts; 23-23-6)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Colorado is in free-fall as well, having lost 7 in a row. They are just four points ahead of the Leafs, with the Panthers just one spot below them in the standings and three points ahead of Toronto. The good news is, the Leafs are entering a tough schedule stretch, and it all starts with a big head-to-head with the Bruins in Boston Tuesday night.
Now as for the Toronto pick, we're hearing more and more that the Bruins want to load up and make their push for the Stanley Cup this year. Based on what was seen in two back-to-back losses against the Detroit Red Wings, they don't have the horses and even a trade for that all-important PMD won't solve all of Boston's woes. That said, when your goalie is having the kind of season Tim Thomas has, the GM owes it to the players and the fans to have the guts to try (there is a cool story about that last phrase- "the guts to try" related to the failed Iranian hostage rescue attempt in 1980- Google it).
Chicago GM Stan Bowman has emphatically declared Brent Seabrook off the market, but is that the whole truth and nothing but, or one of those endorsements akin to the kiss of death that we've seen in the past. Time will tell, but I would guess that unless a team massively overpays for Seabrook, he'll still be a Blackhawk when the deadline passes. Another defenseman who has obvious appeal to the Bruins is Atlanta's Zach Bogosian, former third overall selection in 2008 who was rumored to be a player the Bruins made an effort to trade all the way up for until Don Waddell politely rebuffed them and took the OHL stud himself. Bogosian has struggled in his third NHL season, and if ever there was a time to trade for him, it is now. Question is-- will Rick Dudley be interested in sending Bogosian away? He's got to know what kind of potential the Thrashers have in that kid. Like Seabrook, he'd have to be blown away by an offer, but Dudley has never been shy about making trades before, so this is one dog that could hunt come deadline day.
That leads to one final rumor that seems to have some appeal with some in the Boston media: Tomas Kaberle and Kris Versteeg back to the Leafs for that Toronto 1st. To me, that deal on the surface looks like a move, but the reality is- it would look better on paper than in reality. Kaberle is Charmin soft and soon to be an unrestricted free agent. Yes, he's an excellent puck mover and PP point man, but how good a fit would he be in Boston? And, would he be a rental player for the team that actually thought they'd acquired him two years ago? Kaberle's play has gone south in the months since Boston had that aborted deal for him in Montreal and even if you look at his career playoff stats, he's got 6 goals and 28 points in 77 games-- is that really the guy you think is going to be a postseason stud? As for Versteeg, he'd be likely better in Beantown than he's been in Toronto, where the B's improved depth would serve him better than he's had to be as one of the Leafs' go-to guys. He's more of an improvement than Kaberle would be, but as much as Versteeg's game is what Boston needs, I don't know that he's worth giving up that top-five pick for. I'm sure some will disagree, but that's my position- Versteeg is more of a luxury and not an essential component, though I believe lots of folks would love to have him back. The fact is- he never should have been traded away in the first place.
All things considered, if the Bruins are going to make a big move, they'd be much better off going with one or the other potential studs in Seabrook and Bogosian. Kaberle and Versteeg carry more risk and who wants to see that pick go right back to Toronto and let the Leafs off the hook? I'm sure Toronto fans would dig it. And ultimately, Peter Chiarelli will have to decide if that's the kind of move he's going to make. Sure, it would allow him to address two areas in one transaction, but don't forget the old Frederick the Great quote: "He who defends everywhere, defends nowhere." What that means is, if you're going to use the key assets to make a big move, then get a stud player at one position or the other, don't get a couple of good players who may or may not be the key to an extended run. If Kaberle were a little tougher, that would be one thing, but the guy has been unable to make himself part of even a playoff solution for the Leafs in five straight years. You'd think the Bruins can do better, especially since he'll turn 33 just a few days after the trade deadline. He's not getting any younger.
Bruins are best served going younger with longer staying power in Seabrook or Bogosian or any other defenseman with upside who might be available on the market. None, however, no matter who they are, will come cheap.
And now, here's the standings watch for the week:
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (52 points; 23-27-6)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (69 points; 31-18-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
47th overall- Minnesota (65 points;30-20-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
79th overall- Phoenix (61 points; 26-19-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 52 pts; 23-23-6)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update: 7 Feb.
The Waffle Watch is back for its regularly scheduled Monday run.
It's been an interesting week in the standings, and the latest out of Toronto surrounds the DRAMA between Phil Kessel and coach Ron Wilson in the wake of the Leafs' embarrassing 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
The Leafs had won two straight coming out of the All-Star break, and when goalie James Reimer shutout Carolina on Thursday, hope began to spring eternal in Leafland. That is, until Reimer got lit up by the Sabres (and ultimately pulled). But the real story was Kessel's postgame comments, where he said "Maybe it's not working out here" and said something to the effect that maybe a "change" was needed.
Now, I ask you, and Kessel sycophants need not apply here, because to be frank, not interested in the continued free passes given to the guy by that segment of folks who are incapable of being objective, but is anyone surprised at what is going on with Kessel in Toronto?
He's never been all that great at handling adversity, and that Leafs team has been a petri dish of discontent and underperformance ever since he arrived two Septembers ago. He wasn't crazy about the Boston environment and pressures associated with being a pro player in the Olde Towne, but being on the Leafs when things aren't going well has to be crushing for him. In retrospect, Brian Burke made the wrong call with Kessel- he's a complimentary piece, not a cornerstone. And Wilson has his own role to play in this, as his aloof, often combative style is not the best fit for a guy like Kessel who often needs some coddling from his coach.
Wilson demoted Kessel to the third line, which no doubt prompted Kessel to make his controversial postgame remarks-- red meat for the Toronto media and everyone else who felt that Kessel was a bad fit there.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but as of right now, Kessel is being outscored by the guy who was taken 45 spots after he was- Milan Lucic. Did anyone see that one coming in Vancouver back in '06? I sure didn't!
It doesn't appear that the Kessel-Leafs marriage is going to end well. Unfortunately for Burke, he's over a barrel; to trade Kessel would be to admit that he made the colossal mistake of surrendering three prime picks that would have been critical for his team's rebuild for a player whose faults are magnified when he's not doing what he does best: putting the puck in the net. Burke won't get anywhere near the kind of return for Kessel that he needs, so cutting bait is probably not feasible. His best option is probably to replace WIlson and hope that the next coach can connect with Kessel and get him going in the right direction, because as of right now, the player once known as "the Thrill" is really not much more than a "pill" now.
The New Jersey Devils are only five points from catching the Leafs in the standings, and are coming off a big statement win over Montreal on Sunday after blowing a late lead Friday to Florida (which in hindsight helped the waffle watch by giving the Panthers a bigger lead over Toronto). Ottawa is in free-fall plummet mode, and the Islanders and Oilers probably aren't going to mount much resistance. So, from a Boston perspective, ending up with the fourth overall selection come June would be a moral victory in of itself. Chances of winning the lottery are slim, but stranger things have happened. Finishing fourth still puts them in position to come away with Gabriel Landeskog, especially with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ripping it up of late with Red Deer. You could easily see a top-three of RNH, Adam Larsson and Sean Couturier when all is said and done.
Here's the latest in the standings if the season ended today:
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (47 points; 21-26-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (67 points; 30-16-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
45th overall- Minnesota (59 points;27-20-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
77th overall- Phoenix (61 points; 26-19-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 52 pts; 23-23-6)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
It's been an interesting week in the standings, and the latest out of Toronto surrounds the DRAMA between Phil Kessel and coach Ron Wilson in the wake of the Leafs' embarrassing 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
The Leafs had won two straight coming out of the All-Star break, and when goalie James Reimer shutout Carolina on Thursday, hope began to spring eternal in Leafland. That is, until Reimer got lit up by the Sabres (and ultimately pulled). But the real story was Kessel's postgame comments, where he said "Maybe it's not working out here" and said something to the effect that maybe a "change" was needed.
Now, I ask you, and Kessel sycophants need not apply here, because to be frank, not interested in the continued free passes given to the guy by that segment of folks who are incapable of being objective, but is anyone surprised at what is going on with Kessel in Toronto?
He's never been all that great at handling adversity, and that Leafs team has been a petri dish of discontent and underperformance ever since he arrived two Septembers ago. He wasn't crazy about the Boston environment and pressures associated with being a pro player in the Olde Towne, but being on the Leafs when things aren't going well has to be crushing for him. In retrospect, Brian Burke made the wrong call with Kessel- he's a complimentary piece, not a cornerstone. And Wilson has his own role to play in this, as his aloof, often combative style is not the best fit for a guy like Kessel who often needs some coddling from his coach.
Wilson demoted Kessel to the third line, which no doubt prompted Kessel to make his controversial postgame remarks-- red meat for the Toronto media and everyone else who felt that Kessel was a bad fit there.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but as of right now, Kessel is being outscored by the guy who was taken 45 spots after he was- Milan Lucic. Did anyone see that one coming in Vancouver back in '06? I sure didn't!
It doesn't appear that the Kessel-Leafs marriage is going to end well. Unfortunately for Burke, he's over a barrel; to trade Kessel would be to admit that he made the colossal mistake of surrendering three prime picks that would have been critical for his team's rebuild for a player whose faults are magnified when he's not doing what he does best: putting the puck in the net. Burke won't get anywhere near the kind of return for Kessel that he needs, so cutting bait is probably not feasible. His best option is probably to replace WIlson and hope that the next coach can connect with Kessel and get him going in the right direction, because as of right now, the player once known as "the Thrill" is really not much more than a "pill" now.
The New Jersey Devils are only five points from catching the Leafs in the standings, and are coming off a big statement win over Montreal on Sunday after blowing a late lead Friday to Florida (which in hindsight helped the waffle watch by giving the Panthers a bigger lead over Toronto). Ottawa is in free-fall plummet mode, and the Islanders and Oilers probably aren't going to mount much resistance. So, from a Boston perspective, ending up with the fourth overall selection come June would be a moral victory in of itself. Chances of winning the lottery are slim, but stranger things have happened. Finishing fourth still puts them in position to come away with Gabriel Landeskog, especially with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ripping it up of late with Red Deer. You could easily see a top-three of RNH, Adam Larsson and Sean Couturier when all is said and done.
Here's the latest in the standings if the season ended today:
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (47 points; 21-26-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (67 points; 30-16-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
45th overall- Minnesota (59 points;27-20-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
77th overall- Phoenix (61 points; 26-19-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 52 pts; 23-23-6)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update the Game on! edition; 1 Feb.
We;ll kick February's postings off with another look the waffle watch.
The NHL resumes its 2010-11 season tonight after the festive All-Star break in Raleigh.
The Bruins are in Carolina, which made it pretty convenient for Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas and Tyler Seguin, not to mention the Boston media down in Raleigh for the event.
Big night for the standings watch:
Florida at Toronto-- Head-to-head between the team the Leafs are hoping to catch and push down in the standings. The Panthers, despite not having a ton of talent, have not laid down and tanked this season. The guys appear to be playing hard for Peter DeBoer, who is on the coaching hot seat. A Florida win gives them an eight-point lead on the Leafs-- huge ground to make up in only 32 games (after tonight). Leafs win pulls them to within four and gets them out of a three-game winless rut.
Ottawa at New Jersey-- This game is a winner for Boston no matter what. Either Ottawa leapfrogs Toronto (assuming the Leafs lose in regulation) or the Devils gain some ground (again assuming the loss). Best case scenario is an OT game where both teams gain a point.
Islanders at Atlanta-- Doesn't look good for the Isles, but stranger things have happened. A win gets them to within four points of Toronto.
St. Louis and Calgary are the closest teams in the West to Toronto- eight points ahead. Wins for both extend that to a five-game lead, making it even more difficult for the Leafs to advance. Edmonton is idle, but even they are just five points away from Toronto.
Here's the re-posted picks one more time:
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (43 points; 19-25-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (63 points; 28-15-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (55 points;25-19-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
78th overall- Phoenix (59 points; 25-17-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
The NHL resumes its 2010-11 season tonight after the festive All-Star break in Raleigh.
The Bruins are in Carolina, which made it pretty convenient for Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas and Tyler Seguin, not to mention the Boston media down in Raleigh for the event.
Big night for the standings watch:
Florida at Toronto-- Head-to-head between the team the Leafs are hoping to catch and push down in the standings. The Panthers, despite not having a ton of talent, have not laid down and tanked this season. The guys appear to be playing hard for Peter DeBoer, who is on the coaching hot seat. A Florida win gives them an eight-point lead on the Leafs-- huge ground to make up in only 32 games (after tonight). Leafs win pulls them to within four and gets them out of a three-game winless rut.
Ottawa at New Jersey-- This game is a winner for Boston no matter what. Either Ottawa leapfrogs Toronto (assuming the Leafs lose in regulation) or the Devils gain some ground (again assuming the loss). Best case scenario is an OT game where both teams gain a point.
Islanders at Atlanta-- Doesn't look good for the Isles, but stranger things have happened. A win gets them to within four points of Toronto.
St. Louis and Calgary are the closest teams in the West to Toronto- eight points ahead. Wins for both extend that to a five-game lead, making it even more difficult for the Leafs to advance. Edmonton is idle, but even they are just five points away from Toronto.
Here's the re-posted picks one more time:
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (43 points; 19-25-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (63 points; 28-15-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (55 points;25-19-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
78th overall- Phoenix (59 points; 25-17-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update the All-Star break edition; 27 Jan.
Well, the NHL regular season schedule is shut down until next week for the All-Star festivities in Raleigh, N.C. starting tomorrow.
I figured this was as good a time as any to update the Waffle Watch, given that there won't be any changes in the standings until Tuesday.
Toronto has lost three consecutive games and sits at 19-25-5 with 49 games in the books. They are only two points ahead of where they were a season ago, but the big difference between this year and last is the poor performances of Ottawa and New Jersey, which were not anticipated coming into the '10-11 campaign.
Tuesday night is a big deal in the standings watch because the Leafs are facing the Florida Panthers, who own a six-point lead and lost a 2-1 game to the Bruins last night, unable to solve Tim Thomas at the very end, though the Bruins certainly gave them their chances. I like the way the Panthers are playing right now-- they don't have much in the way of talent, but Tomas Vokoun keeps them in every game, and they work harder than most. Sheer work alone won't get you into the playoffs these days, but it will keep you ahead of Toronto in the standings.
That head-to-head matchup creates a four-win cushion for the 'Cats or moves Toronto to within two victories of moving into the 6th draft position and out of the lottery.
New Jersey, whose five-game winning streak was snapped by Detroit in a close game last night, is taking on Ottawa, in another huge game that will only help. If NJ wins, they pull to within six points of Toronto (assuming the Leafs lose to Florida). If Ottawa wins, they leapfrog Toronto (if the Leafs lose in regulation) into the fifth slot and the Leafs drop to No. 4. Edmonton is only five points from Toronto, but I don't see them doing very well this winter- just a feeling that they will go into the tank like they did a year ago. Islanders...well, let's just say that they have an incentive to not move up in the standings, and even with rookie Kevin Poulin playing well for them in net, the chances of them pushing past Toronto are pretty slim.
So, with that in mind, here are your updated draft standings as we do the All-Star break.
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (43 points; 19-25-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (63 points; 28-15-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (55 points;25-19-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
78th overall- Phoenix (59 points; 25-17-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
I figured this was as good a time as any to update the Waffle Watch, given that there won't be any changes in the standings until Tuesday.
Toronto has lost three consecutive games and sits at 19-25-5 with 49 games in the books. They are only two points ahead of where they were a season ago, but the big difference between this year and last is the poor performances of Ottawa and New Jersey, which were not anticipated coming into the '10-11 campaign.
Tuesday night is a big deal in the standings watch because the Leafs are facing the Florida Panthers, who own a six-point lead and lost a 2-1 game to the Bruins last night, unable to solve Tim Thomas at the very end, though the Bruins certainly gave them their chances. I like the way the Panthers are playing right now-- they don't have much in the way of talent, but Tomas Vokoun keeps them in every game, and they work harder than most. Sheer work alone won't get you into the playoffs these days, but it will keep you ahead of Toronto in the standings.
That head-to-head matchup creates a four-win cushion for the 'Cats or moves Toronto to within two victories of moving into the 6th draft position and out of the lottery.
New Jersey, whose five-game winning streak was snapped by Detroit in a close game last night, is taking on Ottawa, in another huge game that will only help. If NJ wins, they pull to within six points of Toronto (assuming the Leafs lose to Florida). If Ottawa wins, they leapfrog Toronto (if the Leafs lose in regulation) into the fifth slot and the Leafs drop to No. 4. Edmonton is only five points from Toronto, but I don't see them doing very well this winter- just a feeling that they will go into the tank like they did a year ago. Islanders...well, let's just say that they have an incentive to not move up in the standings, and even with rookie Kevin Poulin playing well for them in net, the chances of them pushing past Toronto are pretty slim.
So, with that in mind, here are your updated draft standings as we do the All-Star break.
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (43 points; 19-25-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (63 points; 28-15-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (55 points;25-19-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
78th overall- Phoenix (59 points; 25-17-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 24 Jan.
Pretty good week for the Waffle Watch--
The Maple Leafs managed just one win in three, while the New Jersey Devils gained some ground, winning three and pulling to within eight points of Toronto. If only the Devils hadn't tanked so badly after Jacques Lemaire's arrival, losing seven of eight in late Dec./early Jan. to fall deep into the cellar. They're now just one point behind Edmonton and two behind the Islanders...playing themselves out of that top overall pick.
The Florida Panthers are four points ahead of the Leafs for the sixth draft position, and Buffalo has a three-win lead. The bad news is that the Ottawa Senators look like they are solidly in the tank, along with Edmonton. The chances of Ottawa finishing higher than Toronto seem to be right where the New York Jets visions of a Super Bowl parade this year are- not happening.
As for the Islanders, they put in a claim for goaltender Evgeni Nabokov after the Detroit Red Wings signed him, but the Russian veteran has refused to report. Nabokov on Long Island likely would have helped them gain some points in the standings, but it appears that ship has sailed. As a side note, Nabokov's lack of professionalism almost makes you hope he never plays another NHL game again. Yes, he signed to play with Detroit, but he handled the situation about as poorly as anyone could, refusing to take Islanders GM Garth Snow's calls yet trumpeting his intentions to sit out to media sources who tracked him down. Weak. Sauce.
So that means that in all likelihood, the best Boston can hope for is the 5th overall selection, which will probably put them square in the running for defensemen Dougie Hamilton or Ryan Murphy, or power forward Brandon Saad. If they want to get Gabriel Landeskog, they'll need to win the lottery or make a trade up a few spots to get the Kitchener captain.
Worst case is the Bruins falling to 7th or 8th, but Toronto would need to go on a heck of a run to catch the teams ahead of them. Possible, but harder to do for them to gain that kind of ground with the team they have.
We shall see.
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (43 points; 19-23-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (61 points; 27-14-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
43rd overall- Minnesota (53 points;24-19-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
78th overall- Phoenix (57 points; 24-16-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
The Maple Leafs managed just one win in three, while the New Jersey Devils gained some ground, winning three and pulling to within eight points of Toronto. If only the Devils hadn't tanked so badly after Jacques Lemaire's arrival, losing seven of eight in late Dec./early Jan. to fall deep into the cellar. They're now just one point behind Edmonton and two behind the Islanders...playing themselves out of that top overall pick.
The Florida Panthers are four points ahead of the Leafs for the sixth draft position, and Buffalo has a three-win lead. The bad news is that the Ottawa Senators look like they are solidly in the tank, along with Edmonton. The chances of Ottawa finishing higher than Toronto seem to be right where the New York Jets visions of a Super Bowl parade this year are- not happening.
As for the Islanders, they put in a claim for goaltender Evgeni Nabokov after the Detroit Red Wings signed him, but the Russian veteran has refused to report. Nabokov on Long Island likely would have helped them gain some points in the standings, but it appears that ship has sailed. As a side note, Nabokov's lack of professionalism almost makes you hope he never plays another NHL game again. Yes, he signed to play with Detroit, but he handled the situation about as poorly as anyone could, refusing to take Islanders GM Garth Snow's calls yet trumpeting his intentions to sit out to media sources who tracked him down. Weak. Sauce.
So that means that in all likelihood, the best Boston can hope for is the 5th overall selection, which will probably put them square in the running for defensemen Dougie Hamilton or Ryan Murphy, or power forward Brandon Saad. If they want to get Gabriel Landeskog, they'll need to win the lottery or make a trade up a few spots to get the Kitchener captain.
Worst case is the Bruins falling to 7th or 8th, but Toronto would need to go on a heck of a run to catch the teams ahead of them. Possible, but harder to do for them to gain that kind of ground with the team they have.
We shall see.
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (43 points; 19-23-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (61 points; 27-14-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- Northeast Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
43rd overall- Minnesota (53 points;24-19-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
78th overall- Phoenix (57 points; 24-16-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Monday, January 17, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 17 Jan.
One silver lining to the New England Patriots' abrupt dismissal from the playoffs by the New York Jets on Sunday is that the Boston Bruins are now in a position to grab a great deal of the spotlight, with only the Boston Celtics to compete with.
It wasn't a great week for those watching Toronto in the standings. The Leafs did a nice job on their road trip and put together a nice four-game win streak before getting trounced by Phoenix to close it out.
Ottawa has joined the NY Islanders and New Jersey in the tank, meaning that Boston's hopes of a top-three pick in the June draft are fading fast. The Leafs have a one-point advantage over the Sens, but also have a pair of games in hand over their lackluster provincial rivals, who had a lead on Washington, only to give up two goals in 45 seconds for their second consecutive defeat. Cory Clouston looks to be on borrowed time behind the bench there.
As for Toronto, they've found some scoring mojo with Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel of late, and got some strong netminding from James Reimer until he turned into a pumpkin against Phoenix. He's gone back down because of the cap situation, but don't be surprised if you see him back with the Leafs again soon. The team played hard in front of him and he was unexpectedly good for them; he might be the next never-say-die goalie who comes out of nowhere to become an NHL success story.
Minnesota went 1-2 on the week, keeping the 2nd-rounder they owe Boston for Chuck Kobasew last year right around 40th overall. Phoenix went on a tear, going 4-0 and moving up with Boston in the standings with 55 points. One of those wins was against the aforementioned Leafs, so I don't think B's fans mind too much. Phoenix is a team to watch because they gave up their third-rounder to Boston when they re-signed Derek Morris in July. This is key, because the Bruins owe Florida their own third to close out the trade for Nathan Horton. So long as Phoenix finishes below Boston in the standings, the B's will make out in that third round with a higher draft position.
Here are the picks if the season ended today (not taking the lottery into account):
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (41 points; 18-21-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (55 points; 24-13-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- NE Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (49 points;22-18-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
81st overall- Phoenix (55 points; 23-13-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
187th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
It wasn't a great week for those watching Toronto in the standings. The Leafs did a nice job on their road trip and put together a nice four-game win streak before getting trounced by Phoenix to close it out.
Ottawa has joined the NY Islanders and New Jersey in the tank, meaning that Boston's hopes of a top-three pick in the June draft are fading fast. The Leafs have a one-point advantage over the Sens, but also have a pair of games in hand over their lackluster provincial rivals, who had a lead on Washington, only to give up two goals in 45 seconds for their second consecutive defeat. Cory Clouston looks to be on borrowed time behind the bench there.
As for Toronto, they've found some scoring mojo with Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel of late, and got some strong netminding from James Reimer until he turned into a pumpkin against Phoenix. He's gone back down because of the cap situation, but don't be surprised if you see him back with the Leafs again soon. The team played hard in front of him and he was unexpectedly good for them; he might be the next never-say-die goalie who comes out of nowhere to become an NHL success story.
Minnesota went 1-2 on the week, keeping the 2nd-rounder they owe Boston for Chuck Kobasew last year right around 40th overall. Phoenix went on a tear, going 4-0 and moving up with Boston in the standings with 55 points. One of those wins was against the aforementioned Leafs, so I don't think B's fans mind too much. Phoenix is a team to watch because they gave up their third-rounder to Boston when they re-signed Derek Morris in July. This is key, because the Bruins owe Florida their own third to close out the trade for Nathan Horton. So long as Phoenix finishes below Boston in the standings, the B's will make out in that third round with a higher draft position.
Here are the picks if the season ended today (not taking the lottery into account):
1st Round
5th overall- Toronto (41 points; 18-21-5)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (55 points; 24-13-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- NE Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
42nd overall- Minnesota (49 points;22-18-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
81st overall- Phoenix (55 points; 23-13-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
187th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 10 Jan.
The Waffle Watch took a couple of steps back this week with Toronto's two wins, one of them a decisive thrashing of Atlanta (like how I did that?)
One blog friend emailed me to quietly express his feelings that the Maple Leafs are going to pick it up over the second half of the season and play well enough to get out of the lottery. I still don't think they have the horses, but with Phil Kessel and Mikhail Grabovski playing like the team expected them to, they're going to put some distance between themselves and the basement dwellers. The key will be how the teams above them play in the standings.
Won't go into Boston's collapse in Montreal. That was a game they should have won, period. Plenty of blame to go around from top to bottom. But, they're still in 1st by virtue of tie-breakers. Weak, but that's reality.
They've got a tough test tonight in Pittsburgh vs. the Penguins.
Here are the picks if the season ended today (not taking the lottery into account):
1st Round
4th overall- Toronto (36 points; 16-20-4)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (49 points; 21-12-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- NE Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
43rd overall- Minnesota (47 points;21-16-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
75th overall- Phoenix (47 points; 19-13-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
One blog friend emailed me to quietly express his feelings that the Maple Leafs are going to pick it up over the second half of the season and play well enough to get out of the lottery. I still don't think they have the horses, but with Phil Kessel and Mikhail Grabovski playing like the team expected them to, they're going to put some distance between themselves and the basement dwellers. The key will be how the teams above them play in the standings.
Won't go into Boston's collapse in Montreal. That was a game they should have won, period. Plenty of blame to go around from top to bottom. But, they're still in 1st by virtue of tie-breakers. Weak, but that's reality.
They've got a tough test tonight in Pittsburgh vs. the Penguins.
Here are the picks if the season ended today (not taking the lottery into account):
1st Round
4th overall- Toronto (36 points; 16-20-4)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
25th overall- Boston (49 points; 21-12-7) (Boston moves to 25th by virtue of third seed- NE Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
43rd overall- Minnesota (47 points;21-16-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
55th overall- Boston
3rd Round
75th overall- Phoenix (47 points; 19-13-9) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
115th overall- Boston
5th Round
145th overall- Boston
6th Round
175th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 03 Jan.
The Boston Bruins are in Toronto tonight, so we'll get another look at two crucial points to keep the Leafs down in the standings and the Waffle Watch humming along.
Talked with an NHL scout over the weekend who thinks Edmonton is going in the tank the second half, especially with Jordan Eberle now out with an ankle injury.
Also, with the Islanders trading Dwayne Roloson away, they're incurring huge risk if Rick DiPietro's knee goes south. Credit the Isles for quietly creeping to within three points of Edmonton and four of Toronto for 28th and 27th, but there isn't a huge payoff for that team to do well enough to finish 7th or 8th in the season.
Buffalo's shootout win over Boston on New Year's Day gave them a four-point lead over Toronto which is a silver lining for those watching the standings closely, but the Bruins were 28 seconds from winning that one in regulation and should have closed it out. Pretty inexcusable for things to develop the way they did.
I don't want to hear any garbage about Tuukka Rask's flagging confidence, either. That kid is one of the most confident guys you'll ever meet. Furthermore, he's an NHL goalie and it's time to start doing the job like he proved he could last season. I would point out that few wanted to hear any excuses from Tim Thomas last season, as well (and we now have learned he was playing on one good leg). What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. Before we start giving Rask every free pass under the sun for what was, a pretty lousy showing in not one, but TWO starts against Buffalo in the last month, some of us need to step back and remember how we approached Thomas's struggles last season. If you were one of those folks clamoring for more playing time for Rask last year because he played better than Thomas did, then it's time to shut it. Thomas has outperformed his counterpart and Rask has been mediocre at best in what has been albeit a limited opportunity. Them's the breaks, though. Let's stop blaming the coach (although I do believe he can do a better job of managing the playing time) for the goalie's inability to stop the puck at crunch time, or treating Rask like an infant with this Johnny Hates Jazz "Shattered Dreams" business. Every goalie has ups and downs- it's how they handle it that matters and Rask simply hasn't played enough to start playing the "woe is me" card for his confidence yet. If it keeps up, then maybe we'll have a point, but from a goaltender's perspective, it's pretty simple: make the routine saves first, and the rest will follow. Rask will be fine.
Just my .02 on the matter-- I would imagine that there are folks who both agree and disagree. What can't be disputed is that one goalie in Boston has stolen games for his team while the other has not. Last year, Rask was the man of the hour-- so it's time for him to step up. If you're the excuse-making type, you're probably better off not opining on this space, because I'm not moving on this one bit. Sick and tired of seeing a double standard when it comes to Rask and Thomas in Bruins Nation.
OK- off the soapbox- and back to the standings watch.
Here are the picks if the season ended today (not taking the lottery into account):
1st Round
4th overall- Toronto (32 points; 14-19-4)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
24th overall- Boston (46 points; 20-11-6) (Boston moves to 24th by virtue of third seed- NE Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
40th overall- Minnesota (41 points;18-15-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
54th overall- Boston
3rd Round
71st overall- Phoenix (42 points; 17-13-8) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
114th overall- Boston
5th Round
144th overall- Boston
6th Round
174th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Talked with an NHL scout over the weekend who thinks Edmonton is going in the tank the second half, especially with Jordan Eberle now out with an ankle injury.
Also, with the Islanders trading Dwayne Roloson away, they're incurring huge risk if Rick DiPietro's knee goes south. Credit the Isles for quietly creeping to within three points of Edmonton and four of Toronto for 28th and 27th, but there isn't a huge payoff for that team to do well enough to finish 7th or 8th in the season.
Buffalo's shootout win over Boston on New Year's Day gave them a four-point lead over Toronto which is a silver lining for those watching the standings closely, but the Bruins were 28 seconds from winning that one in regulation and should have closed it out. Pretty inexcusable for things to develop the way they did.
I don't want to hear any garbage about Tuukka Rask's flagging confidence, either. That kid is one of the most confident guys you'll ever meet. Furthermore, he's an NHL goalie and it's time to start doing the job like he proved he could last season. I would point out that few wanted to hear any excuses from Tim Thomas last season, as well (and we now have learned he was playing on one good leg). What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. Before we start giving Rask every free pass under the sun for what was, a pretty lousy showing in not one, but TWO starts against Buffalo in the last month, some of us need to step back and remember how we approached Thomas's struggles last season. If you were one of those folks clamoring for more playing time for Rask last year because he played better than Thomas did, then it's time to shut it. Thomas has outperformed his counterpart and Rask has been mediocre at best in what has been albeit a limited opportunity. Them's the breaks, though. Let's stop blaming the coach (although I do believe he can do a better job of managing the playing time) for the goalie's inability to stop the puck at crunch time, or treating Rask like an infant with this Johnny Hates Jazz "Shattered Dreams" business. Every goalie has ups and downs- it's how they handle it that matters and Rask simply hasn't played enough to start playing the "woe is me" card for his confidence yet. If it keeps up, then maybe we'll have a point, but from a goaltender's perspective, it's pretty simple: make the routine saves first, and the rest will follow. Rask will be fine.
Just my .02 on the matter-- I would imagine that there are folks who both agree and disagree. What can't be disputed is that one goalie in Boston has stolen games for his team while the other has not. Last year, Rask was the man of the hour-- so it's time for him to step up. If you're the excuse-making type, you're probably better off not opining on this space, because I'm not moving on this one bit. Sick and tired of seeing a double standard when it comes to Rask and Thomas in Bruins Nation.
OK- off the soapbox- and back to the standings watch.
Here are the picks if the season ended today (not taking the lottery into account):
1st Round
4th overall- Toronto (32 points; 14-19-4)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
24th overall- Boston (46 points; 20-11-6) (Boston moves to 24th by virtue of third seed- NE Division lead with fewest points of division leaders even though technically lower than other teams in standings)
2nd Round
40th overall- Minnesota (41 points;18-15-5)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
54th overall- Boston
3rd Round
71st overall- Phoenix (42 points; 17-13-8) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
114th overall- Boston
5th Round
144th overall- Boston
6th Round
174th overall- Boston
7th Round
186th overall- Florida (conditional 36 pts; 17-17-2)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
B2011DW "Waffle Watch" Makes Sports Illustrated Column
I wasn't aware that the "Waffle Watch" had gained national traction, but it has.
That said, a little disappointed that I am characterized as a "Bruins fan" since anyone who has followed and read this blog knows that the content transcends fanboy-dom, but yes, I still have my Bruins fancard, so he isn't wrong, either.
That said, it's precisely why the "Bruins 2011 Draft Watch" is going to be no more and this blog will become a much more generic "NHL Draft Watch" site after this season so that fans of the NHL's other 29 teams aren't scared away by all the logos and Bruins-centric coverage. I want this blog to be one of the most talked-about and referred when it comes to talk of each impending NHL draft, so certain changes must be made.
But, it's nice to get some exposure and as always, I immensely appreciate all the great support I've gotten from those who have been here since Day 1 (Columbus Day '09 for those keeping track) and those who are just hopping on the bandwagon.
That said, the tenor of the blog won't change all that much, my dear readers.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Waffle Watch: 2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 20 Dec.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a tough week in their Western Canada road swing, getting manhandled by Calgary and Vancouver.
Things don't get any easier with white-hot Ondrej Pavelec (sporting a .944 save percentage right now) and the surging Atlanta Thrashers coming to town tonight. Looks like J.S. Giguere might be done for the season, which puts a lot of pressure on Johan "the Monster" Gustavsson. He's a good goalie with some real talent, but he still lacks big league experience and this team isn't going to score him many goals. The immense pressure he'll be under every night not to allow more than 1 goal will be a huge test for the immensely talented Swede. Might we see a move for free agent veteran Evgeni Nabokov?
Again, goaltending and defense isn't as big a problem as the lack of offense is. Even if they do get Nabokov, the Leafs still need to find a way to score goals more than preventing them.
Tough test tonight for the fragile Leafs-- as his agent, Allan Walsh likes to say, Altlanta's netminder is "Pavelectric" and when you're getting hat tricks from Eric Boulton, then you know your offense is firing on all cylinders. This Thrashers team is going to give the Washington Capitals a run for their money in the Southeast Division.
Here's the draft pick update if the season ended today. The Leafs are actually one point behind their pace from last season at the same time, but the poor performances by the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils, and inability of the teams around the Leafs to put any distance between them in the standings, makes the draft watch (or is it the Waffle Watch?) this season a much more iffy proposition. Still, this draft is four deep (Couturier, Larsson, Landeskog Nugent-Hopkins), so if the Leafs can't keep up, the B's have got a very good chance to land another high-end player for the second consecutive season.
Time to head to the store for more Eggos, perhaps?
1st Round
3rd overall- Toronto (28 points; 12-16-4)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
16th overall- Boston (38 points; 17-10-4)
2nd Round
16th overall- Boston (38 points; 17-10-4)
2nd Round
39th overall- Minnesota (32 points;14-13-4)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
46th overall- Boston
3rd Round
3rd Round
73rd overall- Phoenix (37 points; 15-9-7) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
106th overall- Boston
5th Round
136th overall- Boston
6th Round
166th overall- Boston
7th Round
4th Round
106th overall- Boston
5th Round
136th overall- Boston
6th Round
166th overall- Boston
7th Round
184th overall- Florida (conditional)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Monday, December 13, 2010
2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 13 Dec.
It was a tough week for the tank.
The Leafs got some more wins, and the guys chasing them in the standings lost ground. The Washington Capitals were perhaps the most egregious of epic fails, blowing a 4-1 lead in the third (the second time they blew a lead against the Leafs at home in the final 20, btw- I've said it before, I'll say it again: the Caps are NOT winning the Stanley Cup with Michal Neuvirth in net for them. Ever. He's mentally soft, soft, SOFT! But enough of that- the Caps have enough problems of their own, having lost six in a row.)
It's a long season, but as is sometimes the case when you're looking at a tough stretch of games, teams like the Leafs find a way to win. They got smoked by Pittsburgh, but recovered with a home win against Montreal.
It's a long season-- Dion Phaneuf is back (to boos I might add), but the Leafs will win some and lose their share of games. The problem from a Boston draft watcher's perspective is how bad the New York Islanders (shutout tonight by Nashville) and New Jersey Devils are. They can't get out of their own way. Losers of six- and five-games straight, they are.
So, the watch marches on.
1st Round
3rd overall- Toronto (26 points; 11-14-4)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
23rd overall- Boston (36 points; 16-8-4)
2nd Round
23rd overall- Boston (36 points; 16-8-4)
2nd Round
40th overall- Minnesota (30 points;13-12-4)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
53rd overall- Boston
3rd Round
3rd Round
76th overall- Phoenix (34 points; 14-8-6) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
113th overall- Boston
5th Round
143rd overall- Boston
6th Round
173rd overall- Boston
7th Round
4th Round
113th overall- Boston
5th Round
143rd overall- Boston
6th Round
173rd overall- Boston
7th Round
184th overall- Florida (conditional)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th
Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
Monday, December 6, 2010
2011 Boston Bruins draft pick update; 06 Dec.
The Boston Bruins blew a golden opportunity to move up in the standings while keeping the Toronto Maple Leafs down when they allowed a late power play goal and then lost the shootout despite a sensational performance from Tim Thomas (see below). It was clearly a missed opportunity after Toronto had suffered demoralizing losses to Tampa Bay and Edmonton last week.
Even with the win, however, Toronto's move from 27th to 26th was short-lived, because the Florida Panthers won their own shootout to leapfrog back over the Leafs in the standings by virtue of having more wins (they are tied with 22 points each).
The problem for those hoping for a top-three pick for the Bruins is that a good number of teams around the Leafs have failed to get wins and put some distance between them (Florida, Calgary, Edmonton, Buffalo to name a few). The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders are fading fast, and it appears that nobody is going to challenge the Isles for hapless futility this year. They've lost three games in a row and are just 1-6-3 in their last 10. How's that coaching change working out?
1st Round
3rd overall- Toronto (22 points; 9-12-4)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.
19th overall- Boston (31 points; 14-8-3)
2nd Round
19th overall- Boston (31 points; 14-8-3)
2nd Round
40th overall- Minnesota (26 points;11-11-4)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.
49th overall- Boston
3rd Round
3rd Round
81st overall- Phoenix (32 points; 13-7-6) - Completes Derek Morris trade.
Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal
4th Round
109th overall- Boston
5th Round
139th overall- Boston
6th Round
169th overall- Boston
7th Round
4th Round
109th overall- Boston
5th Round
139th overall- Boston
6th Round
169th overall- Boston
7th Round
Pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)
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