Bad idea!!! it is (almost) always a bad idea to trade away first round draft picks. In 1998, the B’s traded a 1st round pick that could have been Simon Gagne, Robyn Regehr, or Scott Gomez…They received a very similar player in return as well…Landon Wilson…A power forward with potential who didn’t quite put it all together….Horton maybe a more effective player than Wilson, but this is still a very bad trade.

In 2004 they traded away a first round pick that could have been Mike Green. It just isn’t worth trading away a potential franchise player for immediate gratification. Toronto is likely wishing they could take back the trade that cost them a chance at Hall or Seguin. This is irresponsible.

In 2003 they traded down in the draft and missed out on the chance to draft Zach Parise or Ryan Getzlaff.

You can say what you want about Harry Sinden, but he almost never traded away first round picks, and often traded for then….See…Bourque, Kluzak, Wesley, Samsonov, Mclaren, et al. Good GM’s DO NOT trade away first round draft picks, especially in a draft as good, and deep as this one. This move shows us that this team is (as always) in it just to make the playoffs and put on a good show. They have no intention of putting together a team with a realistic chance at a Stanley cup.

The draft maybe a crap shot, but you have to take your shots if you are serous about building a championship team. the Bruins clearly are not.

Eric:

Good analysis. The flip side, of course, is what good is it to keep your No. 1s when you tend to trade them away when they start to come into their prime (See Samsonov, Kessel, McLaren) because they are too expensive.

The point is well taken though that the idea is to win the Stanley Cup, not just try and make the playoffs next year. It seems that this trade is a quick “fix” for the enimic offense put out by the B’s front office last year. I am ok with Wideman leaving (he specialized in horrifying turnovers, although he was never as bad as the fans made him out to be last year), but in the end I would rather just live with Tyler Seguin (or even better, Taylor Hall) and a No. 15 who the B’s were committed to keeping around, even if it meant no playoff berth next season, rather than a few more home games in May or June at the Garden.

I don’t like the deal. The Bs will be better next year, but further away from a bonafide “Bring the Cup back to Boston because we haven’t won since Watergate” plan.

I disagree with the comments from my fellow Bruins fans above. I guess you have the potential to miss a future star in the first round. However, if you look at past drafts, most players drafted in the 15 or below range have become average NHL players at best. Only the first five players in the NHL draft are the most likely ones to become stars or at the very least a top six forward or a top four defenseman.

Nathon Horton is 25 years old and was selected third overall in the 2003 draft. He has a modest contract that expires in 2013. Horton played for an organization that was not committed to winning and has played for over five coaches in the course of his short NHL career. He has the potential to become one of the best “power” forwards in the game. To me, Nathan Horton helps the Bruins now and for the future. I am not sure what you get with the 15th overall pick – maybe another Mark Stuart (not saying that’s bad) three years from now?

The other piece to this trade is Gregory Campbell. I think the Bruins may have found a diamond in the rough here. Here’s a player who plays a defensive minded game and with some toughness. These attributes are perfect for the Bruins. Don’t forget the little guys like Campbell when building a champion.

Look at the trade this way – would you rather have; (1) Seguin (or Hall), Wideman, and pick 15; or (2) Seguin (or Hall), Horton, and Campbell?

The answer has to be #2.

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