TIME TO TRADE ZACH HAMILL?
As many of you already know, center Zach Hamill of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League was the Bruins 1st round selection in the 2007 NHL draft. Hamill was drafted at a time when the center position in Boston was in flux. Marc Savard was clearly the #1 center, coming off a 96 point season the year before. Following Savard was Patrice Bergeron, who enjoyed a 70 point season and was becoming one of the better defensive forwards in the league. David Krejci began the year in Providence before being called up to the big club. After Krejci, depth at the center position tailed off. Hamill looked like he had a bright future in Boston.
Hamill’s outlook with the Bruins began to change with the hiring of Claude Julien. Julien brought to the Bruins a defense oriented system, built around team play and support. His system demands that forwards support the defense and cover as much of the ice as possible. Prior to joining the Bruins, Savard had the reputation of being about goals and assists, not team play. He quickly bought into the system, going from a -19 in 2006/2007 to a +3 in 2007/2008 and +25 in 2008/2009. Bergeron continued to blossom as one of the leagues best defensive forwards. Krejci exploded on the NHL scene with the Bruins. He put up 27 points in 56 games in 2007/2008 and followed that up in 2008/2009 by playing in all regular season games, scoring 73 points and putting up the one of the best plus/minus numbers in the league at +37. The fact that Savard was in his early 30s and Bergeron and Krejci were in their early 20s made it apparent that the Bruins would have few, if any, openings at center in the near future. Additionally, Claude Julien prefers to have a hard working, gritty, get in your face type of fourth line. Hamill is a scorer and playmaker, not typical of your fourth line center. Hamill’s chances to make the big club began to dim.
Hamill continued to play for the Providence Bruins of the AHL. He left the Everett Silvertips with many of the team’s scoring records. Much was expected of him in Providence. However, his impact with the team was less than that expected of a 1st round pick. His first full season in Providence, he posted 26 points in 65 games. He followed that up with 44 points in 75 games and then 43 points in 68 games. He enjoyed one game with the Bruins in 2010, scoring his first NHL point with an assist against the Capitals. He never seemed to capitalize on the potential the Bruins saw when they drafted him.
This year, Hamill made the move to wing with Providence. So far, he’s been one of the bright spots for the little B’s. He’s put up 14 points in 25 games. His plus/minus is a respectable 0 for a team that’s been outscored by 26 goals. This year, he’s earned two call ups to Boston. Each time I’ve watched him, he plays with confidence, speed and skill. He’s played 6 games with Boston, registering 2 points and a very good plus/minus of +5. However, Hamill seems destined to return to Providence once the Bruins are healthy again. That’s why I think it’s time to trade Zach Hamill.
Zach Hamill has done everything the organization has asked of him. He helped lead younger players through Bruins development camp. He plays his butt off in training camp. He moved to wing to try to improve his chances of joining the big club on a permanent basis. Zach has done enough for this team that I believe he’s earned the right to be traded to a team that will be able to give him an everyday slot.
The Bruins have a bunch of youth in Providence and around the junior leagues fighting to make the NHL team. Many of them are younger than Hamill and appear to have brighter futures (Jordan Caron, Jared Knight, Ryan Spooner, Maxime Sauve, and more). According to Hockey Futures, Hamill is the 18th ranked prospect in the Bruins system. His chances of sticking with the big club look slim.
I don’t think the Bruins should trade Hamill because he’s a bad hockey player. I think the Bruins should trade him to give him an opportunity to make it with another team. This year, he’s demonstrated the skills and talent required of a top 9 NHL forward. Boston’s minor league teams need some help in the goalie position. Make a trade that’s best for all
Hamill deserves the chance to make it in the NHL. Send him to a team that will give him the best chance to make it.
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