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Bruins Acquire Drew Stafford From Jets For Sixth-Round Pick

BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Bruins made a trade just before the NHL's trade deadline. They acquired winger Drew Stafford from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick.

The 31-year-old Stafford scored just 4 goals and 13 points in 40 games for the Jets this season. He has also battled various injuries; he missed nearly a month with an upper-body injury, as well as six games with a lower-body injury. He is averaging 13:18 of ice time this season, the lowest since his rookie year in 2006-07.

Stafford scored 21 goals and 38 points in 74 games for the Jets just last season. His best season came in 2010-11 as a 25-year-old with the Sabres, when he scored 31 goals and 52 points in just 62 games.

When healthy, the 6-foot-2, 214-pound Stafford will provide the Bruins with size and the potential to finish scoring chances, most likely on the third or fourth line. He will push the likes of Jimmy Hayes, Riley Nash, and Matt Beleskey for ice time. But there's also the chance that injuries and inconsistency continue to plague Stafford as they have for much of his career.

With the Bruins sending just a conditional sixth-round pick to the Jets for Stafford, the move was worth the gamble to see if Stafford can contribute in a meaningful way. More importantly, the Bruins did not make an unnecessarily drastic move or give up any valuable assets, while also keeping pace with other teams that they are battling for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

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