Q. Murph, could you please explain to me why David Krejci and Milan Lucic are considered "untouchable" by the Bruins' front office? There's no doubt both show flashes of brilliance, and Lucic especially provides a rare skill set. But both are historically prone to long droughts, followed by a two-week explosion, followed by another drought -- hardly the kind of consistency Claude Julien preaches. I'm very fond of both, but explain to me why a Krejci for Bobby Ryan deal is a non-starter for GM Peter Chiarelli? People point to the fact that Tyler Seguin might not be ready to be a full-time center, and while I agree, that doesn't mean that we don't have tremendous depth down the middle. Krejci is a terrific playmaker, but somebody has to put the puck in the net. Bobby Ryan has four consecutive 30-goal seasons. Can we really expect Nathan Horton (a guy who's had his past two seasons end prematurely) to be that top-flight goal scorer? With the Rangers getting better and the Penguins getting Sidney Crosby back for 82 games, can we agree that we're going to need to score some goals this year? -- Joe O. (Los Angeles)First off, I don’t know why anyone that covers the Boston Bruins or is a fan of the Boston Bruins would want the Bruins to trade Milan Lucic. The rest of the Eastern Division has played into the Boston Bruins hands and have added toughness/fighters in the off season. There is no reason to trade a player that is not only a feared fighter but also a legit top six forward can score 25-30 goals a year. Trading him away would be downright silly but also incoherent.
A. Joe, I agree with you that David Krejci and Milan Lucic shouldn't be considered "untouchable," and I'm not sure they have been put in that category by Peter Chiarelli and the Bruins' brass. What I do know is that both players were brought up in trade discussions with Columbus for Rick Nash and with Anaheim for Bobby Ryan, and that Chiarelli decided for whatever reason the package he was getting versus what he was receiving wasn't worth it. I think that with the exception of Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Tuukka Rask, any Bruins player is fair game for the right price.
The other aforementioned player David Krecji – while probably not untouchable – players of his skill set do not come around every day. That being said, you just don’t trade him away like him without getting a player of his skill set back. I would also be very surprised if the Ducks offered a team like the Boston Bruins a Bobby Ryan type players without demanding draft picks, prospects and a player that is “at least” David Krecji’s skil set.
Lastly, I erg the Boston media and fans to have patience with the current roster of the Boston Bruins, I think there is a good core of players that could go very deep into the NHL playoffs. Also, players like Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin are still very early in their careers and could have break out season this year.
