Boston Bruins forward Chris Kelly has had a colorful six seasons with the Boston Bruins. During his tenure, Kelly earned a reputation as a solid secondary support player who was excellent for the Bruins special teams, especially while on the penalty kill. The 35-year old ended up earning himself an alternate captain’s position as a member of the Black and Gold.
Last November, Chris Kelly broke his leg in a game against the Dallas Stars. The break seemed to be symbolic of his eventual break with the Boston Bruins organization. He was in the final year of his (overpriced) $ 3 million dollar a year contract, and he was spending his time primarily on the Bruins fourth line.
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It seems ludicrous that the Bruins would think about re-signing Kelly. The Bruins have a lot of young players who could end up in the fourth line next season. Factor in the Providence Bruins trying out for roster spots, and it seems highly unlikely for a man who hasn’t skated in the last nine months would end up getting a new contract.
Believe it or not, the Bruins organization might be doing just that. When I heard about this a week ago, I chalked it up to idle speculation that all teams seem to have circling them just before the draft. This is turning into less and less speculation, and more and more “only in Boston” fact.
“I’m actually going to speak with Chris Kelly’s representative,”said Sweeney according to CSNNE.com “We had great news that he was physically and medically cleared, so we’re going to have a discussion with them in short order.”
There are two scenarios that I can live with
Chris Kelly is brought back as part of the player development staff. That would be a good role for Kelly. From the moment he joined the team, he helped the coaches get the young guns up to speed. He played a minor part in the development of Tyler Seguin and a larger one in the progression of Brad Marchand.
The Bruins organization already seem his a leader and a teacher. This would just be the next logical step in Chris Kelly’s hockey career.
Chris Kelly is given a one year/one million(ish) deal. If Chris Kelly gets through training camp, and the Bruins organization still believe he’s the best choice for being part of the bottom-six, then so be it. But after seriously overpaying for the services of both Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid, they’re going to need be thrifty to an often-injured player who has put in only 21 goals in the last four seasons.
The Boston Bruins got through the Entry Draft by making (for the most part) pretty solid choices for developing players down the road. It would be a shame if the Bruins front office started going back down the road of questionable choices.