The Bruins acquired forward Chris Bourque, son of B’s legendary defenseman Ray Bourque, from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Zach Hamill on Saturday.
The 26-year old Bourque has spent much of his professional career in the AHL, where he has excelled, but hasn’t proven himself to be a consistent NHL player. This past season, he appeared in 73 games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, recording 27 goals and 66 assists for a league-high 93 points.
Between Washington and the Pittsburgh Penguins, he has appeared in just 33 career games, collecting one goal and three assists. The 5-foot-8-inch, 180-pound Bourque will likely have a chance to compete for a fourth line roster spot this fall, especially if the B’s decide to let Daniel Paille walk as an unrestricted free agent.
With this move, the Bruins split ties with Hamill, their eighth overall pick in 2007. Hamill was expected to be a talented playmaker but has yet to consistently the show that potential at the NHL level. Hamill appeared in a career-high 16 NHL games this past season, recording two assists.
