I'm reading a lot of "The Bruins need to win now" stuff. I don't agree with this. Even if this is how you are thinking, you should like this deal even more.
They have Bergeron, Ryder, Krejci, Sturm, Kobasew, Chara, Wideman, Hunwick, and Thomas signed through at least 2011. Many others are young and under restricted free agent control, including Bitz, Lucic, Wheeler, Rask, and Stuart.
The Bruins management since Chiarelli has arrived has shown a total willingness to spend the money necessary to win in the NHL, as shown by winning the bidding wars for Chara and Blake Wheeler, and ponying up for Savard, Thomas, Krejci, and Michael Ryder.
Some hockey prospects take time to contribute, certainly, but others don't. It all depends on who you get and what you're looking for.
However, if the Bruins (with their 4 first round picks in the next two years) decide there are too many projects in the 2010 or 2011 drafts, then they have assets they can send away at the trade deadline for an expiring contract. 30 guys this year have expiring contracts and had at least 40 points last year, and a partial list of expirings is below:
Ilya Kovalchuck, Nicklas Lidstrom, Patrick Marleau, Paul Kariya, Evgeni Nabokov, Scott Niedermayer, Sergei Gonchar, Olli Jokinen, Marty Turco, Kim Johnsson, Pavel Kubina, Paul Martin, Alexander Frolov, Pavol Demitra, Milan Hejduk, Ray Whitney, Fredrick Modin, Mike Van Ryn, Lee Stempniak, Thomas Holmstrom, Brendan Morrison, Jere Lehtinen, Mike Comrie, Kyle Wellwood, Richard Park, Derek Armstrong
That massive list is only about half the serviceable players the Bruins could target and go after with one of those picks. Need a center? Marleau, Jokinen, Demitra, etc. High scoring wing? Kariya, Kozlov, Frolov, Holmstrom, etc. Everything's there... Defensemen, scorers, goaltenders. Instead of having Kessel's big contract and his all offense, no defense style, you can take those assets and get basically whatever type of player you need/want for them.