Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli did both the expected and the unexpected when he traded for right winger Brett Connolly from the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, surrendering second-round picks in both the 2015 and 2016 NHL Drafts in the process.
The expected - he acquired a rugged forward with scoring ability. Connolly has a career-high 12 goals this season.
The unexpected - he added a young player not slated to become an unrestricted free agent at year's end.
It was assumed Chiarelli would look for a short-term rental piece to help the team over the playoff hump this season. Instead, he added a player he can audition for a larger role now and into the future.
But don't think that Chiarelli's NHL trade deadline work is done.
Darren Dreger of TSN tweeted early Monday that he believes the Bruins aren't done and are, in fact, "open to something bigger."
He reports that Chiarelli is looking to add a depth defenseman as well.
Joe Haggerty of CSN New England surmises that the move to acquire Connolly could free the team to trade a player like Loui Eriksson or Reilly Smith if it helps them in their efforts to add a defenseman.
As for Connolly, it's not certain how or where he'll fit into the Boston lineup - Haggerty notes that he could theoretically fit anywhere from the third-line to the top unit.
With David Pastrnak playing so well and Smith and Eriksson still in the fold, it may force Chiarelli to do another deal just to make room on the now-crowded Bruins roster.
