Report: B's Offer Kessel To Leafs For Kaberle, 7th Overall Pick

This stove's already heating up in the early hours of the morning here on Draft Day.

According to sources from TSN.ca, it's being reported that the Bruins have offered RW Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defensemen Tomas Kaberle and the seventh overall pick in the 2009 Draft. Kessel, is set to become a restricted free agent come July 1 and it appears that his rumored asking price of $5 million per season is simply too much for the Bruins to add onto their salary cap. Assuming that this report has accuracy to it, it may appear as if Kessel's negotiations have not gone in the Bruins favor and they're not utilizing all options to get the most worth in return for Phil The Thrill.

Kaberle is coming off a season where he battled injuries to his right hand, an injury that kept him out of the lineup for 25 games. However, Kaberle still put together a solid year for the blue and white with his 31 points, 19 of which coming on the powerplay. Kaberle's last healthy season came in 2007-08 where he posted 53 points, including 45 assists in 82 games for the Maple Leafs. Since the lock-out, the Bruins have been highly criticized by analysts and fans alike for their lack of a puck moving defensemen, and Tomas Kaberle could be the perfect fit for filling this void on the Boston blue-line.

It's no secret that new Leafs GM Brian Burke is a fan of North American players and Phil Kessel may just be what the Leafs need. Although with his youth, Kessel's a fast and lethal scorer and his price tag is sure to be less expensive than fellow free agents Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik making him an even more friendly option to Toronto's needs. If Toronto can lock-up the 22 year old Wisconsin native long term, it'll certainly be an upgrade and key building block in the rebuilding of Toronto into a contending team for many years to come.

Along with Kaberle, the Bruins would receive the seventh overall pick in this year's very deep draft, addressing the issue of moving up in the draft, a topic which Chiarelli had touched on in a radio interview earlier this week. If this move is to happen, the Bruins would likely be in the position to select Zach Kassian, Brayden Schenn, or perhaps Jared Cowen.

I'll be following this story along with the other developing stories on draft day in Montreal.