Bruins receive: Brandon Bochenski
Blackhawks receive: Kris Versteeg, 2008 Conditional 5th round pick
Brandon Bochenski was an incredible player…in the AHL. Before landing in Boston, Bochenski had put up incredible numbers for the Binghamton Senators and the Norfolk Admirals. In ’04-’05, ’05-’06, and ’06-’07, Bochenski played 143 AHL games, and scored a whopping 89 goals and 93 assists for 182 points. Obviously, it looked like he may be the real deal.
However, in those same three seasons while in the NHL (in Ottawa, Chicago, and Boston), Bochenski played a total of 81 games and only mustered 21 goals and 20 assists. After starting the ’07-’08 season with the Bruins and playing 20 games with only 6 assists, the Bruins shipped Bochenski out to the Anaheim Ducks for Shane Hnidy. Talk about a short stay in black and gold. Shortly thereafter, he left the NHL for the KHL.
Kris Versteeg is not a superstar by any means. But the NHL journeyman is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, and a 4-time 20 goal scorer. The 2004 5th round pick of the Bruins put up solid numbers in his only year in the organization, the ’06-’07 AHL season, which ended up being a partial season due to the trade.
Versteeg played 43 games for the Providence Bruins, scoring 22 goals and 27 assists, for 49 points and a more than a point-per-game average. After he was dealt to the Chicago organization, he put up an additional 23 points in 27 games for a season total of 72 points in 70 games. Not too shabby, especially since he followed it up with a 49 point in 56 game performance in the AHL the next season, before he made his jump to the NHL.
Next: The Bruins and the Curse of the President's Trophy
Overall, playing 10 (currently in his 11th) seasons in the NHL for 7 teams, Versteeg has 149 goals and 209 assists, for 358 total points. Not a hall-of-fame career, but definitely a serviceable NHL forward and a MUCH better career than that of his trade counterpart. Add in the fact that a draft pick also went with Versteeg (it was conditional, and didn’t end up exercised), and the Bruins clearly lost this deal.