Bruins Organizational Report Cards 2010-11: Peter Chiarelli
The following article featuring former Harvard standout Peter Chiarelli appeared August 10 on the SB Nation Web site.
By Phunwin
Grade: A
When a team wins a Stanley Cup, and that team was the product of a multi-year construction effort by the general manager, it's pretty clear what his grade should be.
Chiarelli got the big decisions right on this team: he built the core of the team around Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Milan Lucic and his goaltending. He stole Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbellfrom Florida shortly after the end of the 2009-10 season, and Horton became a core player while Campbell was one of the best fourth line centers in the NHL. He added Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley and Tomas Kaberle in-season, all of whom helped the team in the playoffs. He dumped Marco Sturm's contract, creating cap flexibility the team needed. He held onto Tim Thomas when many (myself included) called for him to deal his goaltender for another scorer. He stuck by Claude Julien when fans demanded Claude's head on a pike. And he didn't strip-mine his minor league system or fritter away his cap flexibility to win a Cup, setting Boston up for potential long-term success. And of course, long-term success is the best kind.
Complete article can be accessed via the SB Nation Web site by clicking here.
