Someone is going to fall in love with a top5 pick and I think the kings will rake a good player for their #5.

He should try to pull a sign and deal with Kessel, if at all possible. You know you are losing the guy, and you know that you are allowed to go over the Cap during the off-season as long as it is all aligned come Game 1 of the season. Offer Kessel and the 25 pick to Colorado for the #3 Pick (Duchene) and see if they bite. Its essentially trading a guy who has proven he can produce in the Show for a guy who is only potential at this point. Not sure it would fly, but its a deal that would HAVE to with at least ONE team in the Top 10, no?

Great, I am craving Dunkin Donuts now!!!

"Sturm to Tampa for their pick"!, With ownership fighting and Brian Lawton the G.M maybe no one will notice!

QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 09:34 AM ET  06.24 by goCanada!

He should try to pull a sign and deal with Kessel, if at all possible. You know you are losing the guy, and you know that you are allowed to go over the Cap during the off-season as long as it is all aligned come Game 1 of the season. Offer Kessel and the 25 pick to Colorado for the #3 Pick (Duchene) and see if they bite. Its essentially trading a guy who has proven he can produce in the Show for a guy who is only potential at this point. Not sure it would fly, but its a deal that would HAVE to with at least ONE team in the Top 10, no?

I think they would prefer to keep Kessel. Sign him and trade Saverd. They have alot of depth at centre and want to keep a younger core group.

I really like Ryan Ellis in this draft I think he has the most upside of anyone in the draft. He maybe small but man can he play. Watched him all year with the Spits, he was awesome all year.

No way they get a top 3 pick.

I have a hard time believing they would rather have Kessel than Savard. Maybe in 4-5 years, but now? Are you joking? This team is on the cusp of something really good, and Savard has been their offensive leader throughout the Boston Renaissance. A safe bet to score 90+ (88 this year) points in a year, and a top 3 passing centre in the world for a guy who scored 60 some odd points? Savard is over a point a game player, Kessel not so much. If you want a top 3 pick, throw Savard in there and you should have Duchene on your team when the season starts. Cripes, if Tampa needed forwards at all, I'd go so far as to say they could make a trade with TB for THEIR pick! Ohh, speaking of which, how about Savard and change for Lecavalier? No cap space for him, but what a move that would be, eh?

Just to qualify - when I said Savard is a Top 3 passing centre, I meant that only Sidney Crosby and Joe Thornton play that role as good or better

QUOTE(#7):

Originally posted 10:57 AM ET  06.24 by goCanada!

I have a hard time believing they would rather have Kessel than Savard. Maybe in 4-5 years, but now? Are you joking? This team is on the cusp of something really good, and Savard has been their offensive leader throughout the Boston Renaissance. A safe bet to score 90+ (88 this year) points in a year, and a top 3 passing centre in the world for a guy who scored 60 some odd points? Savard is over a point a game player, Kessel not so much. If you want a top 3 pick, throw Savard in there and you should have Duchene on your team when the season starts. Cripes, if Tampa needed forwards at all, I'd go so far as to say they could make a trade with TB for THEIR pick! Ohh, speaking of which, how about Savard and change for Lecavalier? No cap space for him, but what a move that would be, eh?

Kessel is 10yrs younger, he was not as good last year, but who knows for next. If they can get that much for Savard, than why not do it. The kings have alot of youth and want a quality veteran, and to move their #5 pick is something they want to do.

Kessel also played 10 less games, and while that does not equate to the 22 point difference this season the age does. Savard has 3-4 yrs at the top of his game before it starts to go downhill.

I would rather have either Zetterberg or Datsuk over Savard as well going on your top 3 passing/playmaking centres.

I need to also say that I am not a wings fan, but I have alot of respect for Holland and the job he has done in the D.

good point on the need for a centre, bgm, no doubt they have to plan things that way.

I had no idea that LA had officially put the #5 pick in play. I kinds figured it would be, but had never heard it was confirmed. LA needs some veteran on that squad, but it sounds from everything I've read lately that they are pouch deep in the effort to bring Heatley to Hollywood, so I'm not sure how that would affect this move.

In the end, sign and trades are awfully tough to pull off in this day and age. Especially with so little time left before Kessel is a free agent anyway. But, to me, its the only way Boston can get any return on him, because he IS the one who has to go to make the Cap work in Boston. And I fully agree with bgm's assessment on him being one-dimensional. I don't think he's a major fan of mucking it up in the corners either, and if you are a "scorer" in the league who doesn't play "D", isn't overly physical, and doesn't go in the corners, you'd better be potting 50 goals a year. Haven't seen that yet in Boston.

There are solid points to be made for both players. In the end though, if I'm Pete Chiarelli (which I am not, last I checked), I look at this team and realize that is it ready to win NOW. This is not a rebuilding effort, this is a 2-3 year window to win the Cup. As such, I take the guy in his prime and is a point scoring machine right now, over the guy that looks like he will be in a few years. I know you gotta keep your eyes on the long-term as well, but sometimes you gotta look short-term, and these Bruins are as good as anybody in the East that doesn't share their colour scheme. If this were the Thrashers, you keep Kessel to build for your future, but its First Place Boston, and they need results now, not later.

Malkin is a better passing center than Savard.

QUOTE:

Originally posted by

Well Heatley is more established than Kessel.......but Kessel's only looking for a 5 million per year contract compared to Heatley's 7.5 million per year contract. Looks like LA's going to be busy.Kessel is also a RFA.....we also still have to re-sign Hunwick and Bitz after Kessel. You're pretty much correct on Kessel too. I think on another team he'll rack up 40 goals but he'll also be a -25 as well.

Since Heatley has come up: Kessel, Bergeron, Sturm and our #1 pick for Heatley and Ottawa's 1st and 2nd round picks. This allows us to get Ellis (replenishing the D prospects), provides a near lock 50 goal scorer with Savard, lowers our salary commitments (to sign Savard, Lucic and Wheeler after this season) and gets the 2nd round pick Chiarelli is looking for. For Ottawa it gives them secondary scoring in spades with potential upside (Kessel and Bergeron) and they still can get a decent prospect from the draft. It all depends on Bergeron- a strong two way player with good face off ability, but can he get back to form to justify the contract and is it worth the risk.

He has that "Poindexter" look and when you first see him you don't expect much - but this guy is a "snake in the grass". Glad we have him !!!

QUOTE(#21):

Originally posted 05:25 PM ET  06.24 by Life After Sports 1

He has that "Poindexter" look and when you first see him you don't expect much - but this guy is a "snake in the grass". Glad we have him !!!

He looks like a skinnier version of Jim Balsillie's spokesman/lawyer, or Balsillie's spokesman looks like a fat version of Chiarelli.

Ultimately if the Bruins want to keep Kessel, Bitz and Hunwick their going to need to get rid of Sturm. I think they could care less what they get for him just as long as someone is willing to take his entire contract I think they'll be happy

Am I crazy to think that Kessel is worth the 5th pick almost straight up. Boston shouldnt have to throw in the 26th as well. Maybe a second or third rounder but not Kessel and the first. I think thats over-payment, unless the Kings are extorting a desperate Chiarelli because of the Cap-situation.

QUOTE:

Originally posted by

Kessel,Sturm AND Bergeron? Thats crazy talk. No way they land anywhere in my division.

Why: Same division or not willing to give up all three? It'd be just as viable coming from the other side: Heatley to another team in the division and a top 10 draft selection. And that's why it isn't so crazy (even though there's no way it'd happen).

Wait, does Heatly, Kessel , Sturm or anyone else really make the Bruins relevant? I seem to recall them getting bounced by Carolina? Right? Who in turn was trounced by the eventual Cup Champion! Trade up, trade down, do what you want. What's the best you can hope for as a Bruins fan....to lose in the playoffs to a nobody?!

QUOTE:

Originally posted by

He is a top 3 passing center. He's up there in distributing the puck.

yeah savard was doing some crazy ass passes when kessel and lucic and other guys were out for a couple of games