Bruins acquire Johnny Boychuk

The Bruins announced today they they have traded F Matt Hendricks to the Colorado Avalanche for D Johnny Boychuk.

The 6-2, 225 pound Boychuk spent the majority of the 2007-08 season with Colorado's minor league affiliate, Lake Erie of the American Hockey League, where he posted 8-18-26 totals in 60 games. His 26 points ranked second highest among Erie defensemen and he led all blue-liners on the squad in power play scoring with 17 points.

Boychuk saw action in four games for the Avalanche in 2007-2008, which marked the first NHL appearances of his career.

A year earlier, the 24-year-old Boychuk suited up for the Albany River Rats, also of the AHL, and was the only player on the team to see ice-time in all 80 games during the 2006-07 season. He was second amongst defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points.

Boychuk was originally drafted in the second round (61st overall) by Colorado in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Hendricks appeared in 67 regular season games for the Providence Bruins in 2007-08 and tallied career highs in assists (30), points (52) and penalty minutes (121). He also skated in 10 playoff contests for the P-Bruins, scoring 0-3-3 totals with 6 PIM. He signed with Boston on July 9, 2007 as a free agent after originally being drafted by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round (131st overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

This is the 2nd Bruins move today, and it seems they are shaping up for some more player movement this week.  Boychuk looks like a offensively minded defenseman who can man the PP.  Hendricks was nothing more than a career minor leaguer.