The NHL draft will take place in just four days, and the Bruins own the No. 9 overall pick (cue the "Thank you, Phil Kessel" chants, if you'd like). While this year's draft lacks the drama and hype of last year's never-ending Taylor Hall–Tyler Seguin debates, the Bruins do stand in position to make a solid addition early in the first round for the second straight year.
At this point, it's still anyone's guess how the first round plays out, but many mock drafts have the Bruins selecting one of two defensemen: Duncan Siemens of the Saskatoon Blades or Ryan Murphy of the Kitchener Rangers.
Siemens is a big-bodied Canadian (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) with a lefty slap shot that's described as "excellent" by Jeff Bomben of MyNHLDraft.com. Bomben also compares Siemens to Jay Bouwmeester, while the Internal Scouting Services 2011 Draft Guide says Siemens is "a very difficult player to play against," a trait that both Chiarelli and Cam Neely always say they want in a player. Siemens posted 5-38-43 numbers in 72 games for the Blades last season. He notched a goal and four assists in 10 playoff games as well.
Murphy certainly has the name to fit in well in Boston, but he also brings the puck-moving element that Chiarelli values so dearly on his blue line. With Tomas Kaberle possibly walking away in free agency, the B's will likely need to add a similar player to the defensive corps (Steven Kampfer will be ready to step in, but injuries and rest will certainly require backups to fill in throughout the year). Murphy led all OHL defensemen in scoring with 26 goals and 53 assists in just 63 games, and he added two goals and 11 assists in seven playoff games. At 5-foot-10, 166 pounds, he'll need to bulk up before stepping into the NHL (the lightest Bruins blueliners last season were Kampfer at 188 pounds and Andrew Ference at 189 pounds).
While both players certainly fit the mold of what the Bruins need from an outsider's perspective, there are no guarantees with this year's draft, as there were with last year's. For Chiarelli and his crew, that means there's a bit more homework to be done in the days leading up to the draft.
