WOULD A TRADE BENEFIT THE B'S?

With the March 1 trade deadline rapidly approaching, many GM's are looking for that one extra piece that could get their team over the hump. One of those teams, the Boston Bruins, are in an ideal situation. At 39-8-6, Boston has a 14-point lead on second place Washington in the Eastern Conference standings, and an acquisition certainly isn't a necessity, but more of a luxury for Peter Chiarelli's team. While one addition could key a long playoff run, the Bruins certainly shouldn't overpay for a two month rental.

One of the names being bounced around the rumor mill is Eric Cole of the Edmonton Oilers. Despite the Oilers still being in the playoff hunt, trading Cole might benefit them if they are unable to come to terms with the left wing on a long term deal, as his contract expires at the end of the season. According to ESPN.com, an Edmonton scout has been watching the Bruins as of late and Boston may have to part with defenseman Matt Hunwick and/or Vladimir Sobotka to complete any deal. Instead of trading two talented young players for a rental player (Cole is making $4 million this season and the Bruins don't have the cap space to re-sign him), I'd rather see Chiarelli move just one prospect for someone like Keith Tkachuk. If St. Louis would be willing to take Sobotka for Tkachuk straight up, or even Sobotka and a mid-level prospect like Johnny Boychuk, the Bruins would benefit greatly.

Another name being thrown around is Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers, and Boston would be flat out stupid to trade for the 6'4 blue-liner. Not only do the Bruins not have the cap space to sign Bouwmeester, with Phil Kessel, David Krejci, Tim Thomas, and (possibly) Manny Fernandez needing to be re-signed, but they would be forced to mortgage their future as well. The Boston Globe speculates that the B's would have to part with either Milan Lucic or Blake Wheeler in a package for Bouwmeester, which they absolutely should not do.

With such a big lead in the standings, any move the Bruins make would be strictly to get them over the hump this season. With a left-handed shot for the power play as their top priority, Tkachuk, Cole, or even Nik Antropov of the Leafs would be great additions to Boston's roster. Whatever happens, the Bruins shouldn't gamble their future, so they should only deal if the price is right.

JULIEN AND CHIARELLI HAVE BOSTON IN THE HUNT AGAIN

The Boston Bruins haven't won a Stanley Cup Championhip since 1972. During the drought, the B's have had some good teams, they've even had some great teams, but haven't had that extra something that propells some teams to titles. Horrid ownership, poor decision making upstairs, and flat out cheapness have contributed to the decline in one of the original six teams, and attendance figures and fan support have waned.

But now, the big bad Bruins are back. I know that during the past 36 years there have been some good Boston clubs, but the 2008-09 incarnation just seems different. Head coach Claude Julien and general manager Peter Chiarelli have the Bruins on top of the league again, and poised to make a run for that long awaited next Cup.

The potent combination of system and smarts are why Boston is in such good shape. When Chiarelli took over the Bruins, he vowed to make them younger and quicker. Julien's system has worked perfectly for the players that Chiarelli acquired, and the team has really bought in to their head coach's pleas.

The Bruins are much better defensively now, keeping pucks out of their own net. Smart neutral zone plays (not a full out trap, but getting there) lead to offensive rushes, and the B's have certainly been able to convert.

The combo of smart free agent signings (Savard, Chara, Ryder, Stephane Yelle, Blake Wheeler) and perfect drafting (Lucic, Kessel, Krejci), with a few trades thrown in (Dennis Wideman for Brad Boyes) have produced one of the deepest, most talented teams in hockey.

With Chiarelli upstairs (with Cam Neely) making the personnel decisions, and Julien on the ice with the players, Boston is, as NESN so often reminds us, a hockey town once again. The B's, who lead San Jose by five points in the race for the President's Trophy, certainly have captured the city's imagination and have Boston thinking Stanley Cup once again.