Taking Stock: A look at the Boston Bruins's prospect trade chips for the deadline

For a time this season, the Boston Bruins could only tread water. They looked like a team whose best days were far behind them.

It wasn't until about Christmas that the Bruins started to erase the doubts concerning their form and to remind the league of their credible Stanley Cup aspirations. They won 11 of their 15 games in January. They created a sizeable cushion between themselves and the next best team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, one that seems insurmountable at this juncture.

With this push, the Bruins' core sent a clear message to their management that they're ready for one more run at a Cup. Their supporting cast, however, may not be up to the task. If there's one clear need for this Bruins roster, that's it.

The team's management has to approach the trade deadline carefully. Their recent work at the draft has given them the necessary pieces, the top-end prospects, to make big moves, to reshape their team for what could be the last dance with some of the team's elite players. Adding a centre and defensive depth could allow the team to go toe-to-toe with some of the best formations in the league, but going all-in could also significantly delay the reconstruction that will inevitably follow the departure of those elements. 

Here's an inventory of what the team's farm system has to offer to sellers ahead of the trade deadline.