The 4 year 169 game Chris Kelly experiment for the Boston Bruins was a productive one and yet, the time might be now to terminate that experiment and move on from their streaky 33 year old center.
Originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators back in 1999, Kelly spent 7 years in the Canadian capital making himself useful with a 50+ face off win percentage and a near perennial scoring output of 15 goals and around 20 assists. He certainly was not a guy comparable in skill to the Senators greats he played with, Danial Alfredsson in particular but was a decent compliment to a Senators team devoid of any talent at center whatsoever. However, as the Senators began to contend in the east once again the Boston Bruins slowly came into the picture.
With their situation at goal-tending rapidly solidifying and their homegrown talents including Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Milan Lucic and David Krejci turning into that of superstar proportion the Bruins seemed to be moving towards having their best chance as a cup run since the late 1980's to early 90's. With guys like Bergeron, Recchi and Lucic they were a stacked team when it came to working in the corners and playing physical through the neutral zone however they were also a team that knew very well that they needed to be able to score goals in clutch points in a hockey game.
GM Peter Charelli remedied that need prior to the 2010-2011 season signing Nathan Horton during the off-season and trading for Gregory Campbell and of course Chris Kelly during the season. Kelly's 49th game in Boston was Game Seven of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.
In the 4 years since that day in February of 2011 that brought Kelly to Beantown Chris has scored just 28 times. Once you average that out, it begins to seem strange how he has lasted this long. In 169 games with Boston, Chris Kelly has averaged just .165 goals per game. By comparison, DEFENCEMEN, Zdeno Chara has averaged .17 goals per game in 563 caps with Boston.
Kelly's strongest attribute is one that frankly is not as needed in Boston as would be anywhere else. He wins face-offs but due to Patrice Bergeron's proficiency in improving that statistic his talents at the dot are expendable. With all this coming together it is time that a case be made for the movement of an inept Chris Kelly.
When you look at the present day Bruins roster there is no longer a need for goal scoring, between Jarome Iginla, Reilly Smith and Milan Lucic, the Bruins have already scored 111 goals. There has never been a need for face off help and as it stands the Bruins has a certain man named Ryan Spooner ready to take over as a possible 20 goal scorer. Furthermore, there is a more urgent need to trade Kelly than just having a place to put Ryan Spooner. All season long, the Bruins defensive core has been absolutely inundated as they have been forced to fight through injuries to guys like Dougie Hamilton, Johnny Boychuck and most recently, Dennis Sidenberg.
Even Zdeno Chara who has not been injured this season has averaged 25:03 minutes of ice time per game meaning that his chances of getting injured or at least burning out especially with the Olympics this season are even higher. Much like 2010 the Bruins have a need and GM Peter Charelli seems to have recognized it. When it was announced today that defencemen Dennis Sidenberg had torn his ACL, instead of making the decision to put Kevin Miller up on wavers the Bruins called up mediocre replacement, Zach Trotman to serve has his short term replacement. Such a decision shows that the Bruins are planning something and that something could very well be a trade of someone on their current roster.
In 2010 the Bruins were a team in desperate need of goals. 4 seasons later they need defense and if it takes the loss of a streaky Chris Kelly to get that, than that is what must happen.
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