Sens Keep Selling; Send Chris Kelly to Boston

Last week the Ottawa Senators started their fire sale, shipping Mike Fisher to Nashville for a first round pick.

This week, the sale continues, as they sent servicable checking-line center Chris Kelly to the Boston Bruins for a second round pick.

While Kelly will be remembered as a hard worker and dependable depth scorer, this move likely fails to excite. Kelly never topped more than 20 goals in a season and although he played on a scoring line earlier in the year, he excels in a checking role.

Expect more of the same for Kelly in Boston as he likely fits into their rigid defensive system. Neither Kelly nor Fisher for that matter should be viewed as the problem since they both would be defined as strong character players. However, the Sens find themselves in a rebuild, making aging and depreciating role players a luxury.

By moving Kelly, the Sens get even younger while stockpiling even more draft picks. With him off the team, the Sens can now try out Colin Greening, Jim O’Brien or even Corey Locke.

Meanwhile in Boston, trading for Kelly replaces Marc Savard as a top-9 center while putting pressure on players like Tyler Seguin and Daniel Paille– neither of which should be handed a roster spot. The team tried both Jordan Caron and Zach Hamill last week and clearly would rather not rely on rookies down the stretch.

Good move for both teams as the Sens continue to establish a strong sellers market. Stay tuned for more trade info as we approach the February 28th trade deadline and make sure to follow us on Twitter @dailyfaceoff.