Amidst the constant banter about rumors of so-and-so packing his bags for a more desirable destination, the Bruins find themselves in a conundrum. Peter Chiarelli finds himself staring at a fork in the road, and he doesn’t have much time to make a decision. Some believe that the Bruins need to sell off an asset or two in order to avoid future cap casualties down the road. Others are inclined to trade for a rental player who can provide consistently strong play and give the Black and Gold better odds at making the playoffs and perhaps pulling off an upset or two.
This decision is a very difficult one to make. The Bruins have looked stellar at times, and have left the entire world shaking their collective heads and wondering what happened at others. Due to a variety of reasons (poor goaltending, bad luck, defensive meltdowns, lack of hustle, and offensive shortcomings), the Bruins dropped six in a row, and many were left up in arms. After total domination of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Bruins appeared to have realized their approaching demise, and kicked everything into gear. The same team that destroyed Chicago one game prior lost to the Vancouver Canucks for the second time in two weeks. Then (pauses to gasp for air) the Bruins won against NHL basement dwellers, the New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes.
Whew…got all that?
The bottom line is that the Bruins haven’t found their identity yet. A wildly inconsistent team, no one knows if we will see the team who battles and beats up opponents or the one who gets away from their game and can’t help but make defensive mistakes. Because of this inconsistency, the Bruins management might hold off on making a deadline deal.
If the Bruins continued to tear through the rest of the league as they did in January, the decision would be obvious: buyers. Boston would address the need for a right wing and/or a defenseman and look to compete in the tournament in spring. On the flip side, if they had extended upon the ghastly display of hockey that plagued people’s eyes in February, the answer would also be apparent: sellers – take the bloated contracts of Milan Lucic and company and find a way out of the misery that are the confines of the salary cap.
Arguments can be made for all three parties: standing pat and going into war with the troops that the Bruins currently boast, selling for the future, or hulking up for the playoff push. One thing is for sure: it’s anyone’s guess as to what the Bruins do tomorrow.
Got an opinion? Comment below!
Cam can be reached on Twitter, @camkerryPRS