Interim general manager Jeff Gorton said the Bruins had coveted Rask, and feel a change of scenery will be beneficial to Raycroft. Gorton said he believes Raycroft playing little during the lockout, coupled with a contract holdout at the start of training camp, derailed his season, and injuries made it worse.
``I think it got to Andrew, to be quite honest," Gorton said. ``I think the situation got to him. I think the trade of Joe Thornton got to him. I think a lot of things got to him. I can't say they wouldn't have gotten to me, either. It's a move we had to make."
Gorton said the Bruins won't rush the 19-year-old Rask, who played this past season for Ilves Tampere in his native Finland. They were very impressed with Rask's performance in the world junior tournament this spring.
``It was a hard decision but it was an opportunity that came out that we just couldn't miss out on," Gorton said. ``We really liked [Rask] in the [2005] draft. We had him as a top-five pick and Toronto took him right before we picked [at 22]."
Kessel was the fourth center taken in the first five picks, following Jordan Staal (No. 2 to Pittsburgh), Jonathan Toews (No. 3 to Chicago), and Nicklas Backstrom (No. 4 to Washington). In the second round, the Bruins picked smooth-skating defenseman Yuri Alexandrov (37th overall) and rugged left wing Milan Lucic (50th overall). Small (5 feet 9 inches, 183 pounds) but feisty center Brad Marchand was tabbed by Boston in Round 3, after Gorton sent fourth- and fifth-round pick to the Islanders to move up. In the fifth round (128th overall), Boston opted for defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk, and the Bruins rounded out their selections with center Levi Nelson at No. 158.
Kessel's biggest assets are his speed, shot, and scoring ability. He has been compared to former NHL star Pat LaFontaine.
``It's unbelievable when you get compared to anyone who has played in the NHL and who has a reputation like he has," said Kessel. ``I'm not the player he is, so maybe I can try and prove it."
The 18-year-old native of Madison, Wis., was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association rookie of the year this past season and believes he could be a candidate to make the jump to the NHL as early as this fall.
