ESPN Boston interviewed Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli earlier today, and Chiarelli -- though not bluntly -- gave some insight in regards to the upcoming draft that is expected to change the face of the Bruins' franchise.
"After speaking with Steve [Oilers GM], I think he's probably as close, or he has these two guys as close as we do," Chiarelli said. "Neither of us is committed to moving forward on that type of discussion. I would think that we're going to talk again at some point, but right now if the draft was tonight, I'd say there would be no deal."
Many Boston fans were hoping the Bruins would at least give a shot at a small package -- the likes of lower picks or Tim Thomas -- to offer Edmonton in exchange for a swap of draft position. Chiarelli, though, has made it clear that he loves both players and will be happy with either one. Don't jump to conclusions, though; just because he likes both players, that doesn't mean one isn't higher than the other in his book.
"After speaking with Steve [Oilers GM], I think he's probably as close, or he has these two guys as close as we do," Chiarelli said. "Neither of us is committed to moving forward on that type of discussion. I would think that we're going to talk again at some point, but right now if the draft was tonight, I'd say there would be no deal."
Many Boston fans were hoping the Bruins would at least give a shot at a small package -- the likes of lower picks or Tim Thomas -- to offer Edmonton in exchange for a swap of draft position. Chiarelli, though, has made it clear that he loves both players and will be happy with either one. Don't jump to conclusions, though; just because he likes both players, that doesn't mean one isn't higher than the other in his book.
"I would say, right now as of today, we have one guy over the other," Chiarelli said during a conference call with reporters. "It's very, very close."
You would have to think that Taylor Hall would be the player ranked higher in Chiarelli's opinion, given all of the factors we've previously discussed in recent weeks. Either way, though, the Bruins' GM believes he is in a win-win situation that will ultimately net him with a very good player to add into the black and gold mix.
While he's made it clear that he doesn't have an eager intention to move up to the #1 slot, Chiarelli has given hints that he may be interested in moving up or down from his #15 selection. Most believe that he will make an effort to vault into the top 6 or 7, where he can scoop up one of the top defensive prospects to add a nice balance to his set of first-round selections.
I can blog and debate about this topic until there's no tomorrow, but ultimately, it won't change a thing. Fans of the hub will just have to patiently wait out the rest of this week until Friday comes around at last. And by the time you tuck yourself in for bed on Friday night, you should have somewhat of an idea of which direction this transformed franchise is headed.
Here's hoping somehow we get Hall. There's just something about the way he plays. This year when their teams faced each other in the playoffs, Seguin was shut down, when Hall stood out. I'm sure both will be great, but to Quote Bill Parcells, Hall appears to have "It"
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely a solid chance we can still get him. Again, Edmonton hasn't said which player they're going to take. Plus, the Bruins have some pieces they can afford to give up. They're trying to trade Thomas. Maybe that's enough for the Oilers to swap. You never know. But yes, despite both players being phenomenal, I would rather have Taylor Hall. He does have something about him.
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