The David Krejci injury was just the icing on the multi-tiered, fondant roses and Conelli Lace blanketed failure cake that has become this frustrating Boston Bruins season.
Krejci, reportedly out at least four to six weeks with a partially torn MCL, had been almost the sole source of consistent offense for the goal-challenged Bruins currently fighting just to hold off the Panthers and Flyers for the final playoff spot in the East.
NHL rumors have already begun to swirl that GM Peter Chiarelli could be in danger of losing his job should the team flame out early in the playoffs or worse, miss them altogether, meaning that his desire to enact a trade - already considered serious - has now become frantic.
"Judging from conversations with rival team executives around the league over the past few days, it's certainly not from a lack of trying by Peter Chiarelli that the Boston Bruins GM hasn't made a trade yet," writes Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.
"Chiarelli is contacting lots of teams trying to find a fit, both for a traditional hockey deal (harder to do at this time of year) and a rental deal (more likely). But so far nothing, as the prices are still too high."
Despite the high prices, Chiarelli is almost forced to act due to his reeling team and his demanding, ready-to-clean-house bosses.
LeBrun reports that sources told him that Chiarelli has again inquired on Buffalo Sabres pending UFA Chris Stewart, but that Sabres GM Tim Murray wants a second-rounder and a prospect.
Likewise, the Columbus Blue Jackets aren't interested in moving diminutive forward Cam Atkinson unless it's a "home run" for them.
"Another name to keep in the back of your mind is veteran winger Erik Cole, another pending UFA winger," writes LeBrun. "If the Dallas Stars decide to pull the plug over the next week, Cole is yet another name on the Bruins' shopping list."
Perhaps, as Adam Proteau of The Hockey News muses, the combination of a stagnant lower-tier trade market and Chiarelli's desperation could mean a bigger deal for a player like the Avalanche's Ryan O'Reilly or the Coyotes Antoine Vermette.
With Krejci out until April and other GM's fully aware of both Chiarelli's desperate desire to enact a trade and fear over his job security, the odds seem increasingly stacked against the Bruins finding a way to turn this season around.
