Late Tuesday night, the Bruins acquired the 30-year old forward from the Ottawa Senators, as the Sens continue to unload their high-priced talent in anticipation of the Feb. 28 trade deadline. The 6-foot, 198-pound center has 12 goals, 11 assists and 27 penalty minutes this season.
Not a bad resume, but not the one that Bruins fans had expected out of a trade acquisition this month. That resume, however, will belong to a defenseman, and it's a deal that Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli expects to get done in the near future.
Kelly adds depth, character and playoff experience to the Bruins' roster, and he only cost the Bruins their own 2011 second-round draft pick. But he won't answer the daunting questions that have been lingering over the B's as they have lost four of their last five games. He's no Marc Savard on offense, and he's not going to revamp the brutal power play.
Tomas Kaberle, on the other hand, can. With trade rumors surrounding the veteran blueliner obvious and outspoken, it appears Toronto and Boston are minutes away from sealing the deal. Or are they?
Names like Brad Richards and Rick Nash have lost speed in the past few days, while Kaberle, Zach Bogosian and Chris Phillips have picked up momentum. But until the final horn sounds on a deal, no one will truly know what is going on in the offices on Causeway Street.
The bottom line is that the Boston Bruins need to bolster their lineup for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Kelly isn't the answer. Cam Neely said the team is "very close to something" when asked about a deal. Chiarelli has said he is confident he will seal the deal for a defenseman.
The Bruins' lack of effort on the ice and poor play recently can possibly be attributed to players gripping their sticks in anticipation of the trade deadline and the 24/7 trade rumors surrounding the team. Hopefully, for that matter alone, a deal is done soon before the Bruins lose any more ground. They currently are tied for first place in the Northeast Division in points with Montreal, with a game in hand. But the Eastern Conference is a tight one, and the Bruins' recent record does not help their position in the least.
Expect a move by the Bruins way before the clock strikes 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28.
The B's are now embarking on a six-game road trip, beginning Thursday in New York against the Islanders. The team that Bruins fans recognized on Tuesday night at the Garden will not be the same Black and Gold team that B's fans will see on March 3, when the Bruins return to home ice against Tampa Bay.
The question is: Will they be a better team ready to make a long playoff run?
