When the Bruins dealt for Chris Kelly a few days ahead of the trade deadline, it wasn't a move that attracted a lot of attention. Bruins fans were waiting for the big move, which eventually came when the club acquired their long-sought, puck-moving defenseman with a trade for Tomas Kaberle.
But Kelly proved to have a much more dramatic impact in Boston, providing much-needed depth up front, solid defense and penalty killing and even some surprising timely scoring in the postseason.
2010-11 stats: 24 games, 2-3-5, minus-1, 6 PIMs with Boston; 81 games, 14-14-28, minus-13, 33 PIMs overall
Playoffs: 25 games, 5-8-13, plus-11, 6 PIMs
Contract status: Signed through 2011-12, $2.125 million cap hit
Preseason expectations: Kelly began the season in Ottawa, where he had spent his entire seven-year NHL career after being taken in the third round by the Senators all the way back in 1999. But with Ottawa languishing at the bottom of the Northeast Division standings, Kelly became part of the Senators' fire sale and ended up in Boston for a second-round pick. The Bruins brought him in to add some depth down the middle with Marc Savard lost for the season, and Kelly's versatility and playoff experience made him an attractive option.
Regular-season evaluation: In his 24 regular-season games with the Bruins, Kelly didn't do a lot to change perceptions that he was just going to be a spare part in Boston. His solid defensive-zone play, strong penalty killing and faceoff work (53.7 winning percentage) all came as advertised, but he struggled to score in a more limited role with the Bruins. After putting up 12-11-23 totals in 57 games with Ottawa, he managed just 2-3-5 totals in 24 games with the Bruins. Most of that came at the very end of the season, with 2-1-3 totals in the final four games after a 14-game stretch without a point. Kelly averaged 14:51 of ice time in Boston, down from 15:38 with Ottawa, but still chipped in 30 hits, 19 blocked shots and had 13 takeaways to just four giveaways as he got accustomed to Claude Julien's system and his new teammates.
Playoff evaluation: Few realized it at the time, but that modest late-season scoring surge was a sign of things to come for Kelly, who came into his own in the postseason. Despite suffering a facial injury in Game 3 of the opening round when Montreal's Scott Gomez shoved him face-first into the post from behind, Kelly didn't miss a game. He came out for Game 4 wearing a full cage to protect the injury and proceeded to collect three points, scoring with 6:18 left in the third to force overtime, then assisting on Michael Ryder's game-winner in the extra session to even the series at 2-2. Kelly finished that Montreal series with six points, and had 13 points overall in 25 playoff games, nearly tripling his regular-season output with Boston. Kelly clicked with fellow newcomer Rich Peverley and Ryder to form one of Boston's most effective lines in the early rounds. Even with the increased offense, Kelly didn't forget his primary responsibilities, finishing the postseason a plus-11 with 29 hits and 28 blocked shots as his ice time went back up to 15:28 a game. The one area he struggled a bit was on draws, winning just 47.9 percent, and he ended up switching with Peverley and playing wing for much of the later rounds, though he did fill in for Patrice Bergeron at center on the second line when Bergeron missed the first two games of the conference final with a concussion.
2011-12 outlook: As with frequent linemate Peverley, part of Kelly's appeal to the Bruins at the trade deadline came from the fact that he wouldn't be just a rental. Kelly is signed through this season at a $2.125-million cap hit. He'll likely be a fixture on the third line and penalty kill again, though Kelly could fill in on a higher line if injuries strike and his game is compatible with an energy role on the fourth line if some of the talented youngsters in the system make a case for sticking around and Julien shuffles the lines. This will be a big year for Kelly, as he'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer and will have to try to prove his worth for what might be his last shot at a lucrative multi-year deal as he turns 31 in November.
Coming Monday, July 25: Gregory Campbell
