For the first time in his career, Tyler Seguin will take the ice at TD Garden wearing a jersey that doesn’t sport a Spoked-B.
The former first-round draft pick, who was once viewed as the cornerstone of the franchise, was sent packing to Dallas over the summer after just three seasons with the B’s. Seguin now joins the likes of Phil Kessel and Joe Thornton, rounding out the group of first-rounders that Boston traded away. But which former Bruin will go on to have the best NHL career?
A fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft, Kessel spent three seasons in Boston before being traded to the Maple Leafs in a blockbuster deal. In his first three seasons with Toronto, the winger logged consecutive 30-goal seasons, recording a career-high 82 points in the 2011-12 season. Since joining the Leafs, Kessel has scored 128 goals and 167 assists for the club, playing an integral role in the Leafs’ securing a playoff spot during the 2013 season — the first postseason appearance the team made since Kessel came over. After finishing in the top-10 in the league for scoring the past two seasons, Toronto signed Kessel to an eight-year, $64 million extension — the richest in franchise history — on Oct. 1, 2013.
In arguably San Jose’s biggest acquisition, the Bruins traded Thornton to the Sharks in a four-player deal during the 2005-06 season. Racking up 92 points in 58 games with the Sharks during his first season with the team, Thornton would go on to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer. Jumbo Joe has since become the face of the franchise, helping the Sharks become one of the best teams in the West. The first overall pick has been a mostly consistent 20-goal scorer for the squad, leading the team in goals and assists last season.
Seguin has gotten off to a hot start in Dallas, notching six goals and nine assists through 14 games this season. While the young star underwent his fair share of struggles on and off the ice in Boston, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft has taken his raw offensive talent to the last-place Stars. A change of scenery could’ve been all the 21-year-old needed to become the player the B’s envisioned when they drafted him, but whether or not he can maintain this pace remains to be seen.
Who do you believe will have the best NHL career? Voice your opinion in the poll below.
