Looking for someone great at No. 8

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- By his admission, Peter Chiarelli hasn't been paying full attention to draft preparation.

"That's life," the Bruins' general manager, thick in his pursuit of new coach Claude Julien, said Monday. "You have to learn to multitask."

Tonight, the Bruins complete a yearlong process of viewings, interviews, evaluations, and meetings when they make the eighth overall pick of the NHL draft (if they don't trade out of the position), the second straight year in which they own a top-10 selection.

But the bulk of their draft work was supposedly completed long before Dave Lewis's firing.

"It's dangerous to stray from your list," said Chiarelli. "That list is a compilation of the whole year. You always get the itch to change that based on your last viewing. But you have to be careful not to. We always talk about the sanctity of the list. You can't stray from the list. That's the year's piece of work."

Yesterday, Chiarelli said he was open to trading the No. 8 pick for an established NHL player. Currently, seven teams (the Thrashers, Sabres, Stars, Devils, Islanders, Sharks, and Lightning) do not own first-round picks.

Chiarelli also has been inquiring about moving into the top tier of talent, which, according to the Boston GM, levels off after six players. Chiarelli could package the eighth pick with current prospects, such as Hannu Toivonen, Matt Lashoff, or Petr Kalus.

However, if the Bruins remain at No. 8, draft experts believe they'll get a solid player -- albeit one who won't help right away.

"This year's top 10," said Central Scouting director E.J. McGuire, "is as even as it's ever been."

Here's a six-pack of possible targets for the Bruins at No. 8:

Keaton Ellerby (defenseman, fourth-ranked North American skater). Two weekends ago, Ellerby visited the Bruins, one of only two teams (the Maple Leafs being the other) he met with after the combine. Ellerby was suffering from strep throat and didn't perform physical testing with Boston, but he met with Chiarelli and said they had a good conversation. The 6-foot-4-inch, 186-pound Ellerby, who can jump up in the play, is expected to be the second defenseman picked after stay-at-homer Karl Alzner. "If teams drafting in front want forwards," said McGuire, "he could very well be there."

Angelo Esposito (forward, No. 8 North American skater). Esposito also visited with the Bruins, performing bench press, sit-ups, and shuttle runs. Like Phil Kessel, Esposito was the top-ranked player in Central Scouting's midterm rankings, but fell to No. 8 because of a decrease in production. "He was a real profile guy going into the year," said Chiarelli of Esposito (79 points in 60 games last season). "He's had a little bit of a dip, but sometimes that's where you get your bargains."

Zach Hamill (forward, No. 9 North American skater). One of the highlights of Hamill's Boston visit was touring Fenway Park and touching the grass. Hamill most recently played under ex-NHL bench boss Kevin Constantine, a defensive-minded coach. "I was a one-dimensional player going into junior, but he taught me both ends of the ice," said Hamill, a center who scored 93 points last season. "It might help in the long run. Hopefully, I can make the NHL one day with what Kevin taught me."

Alexei Cherepanov (forward, No. 1 European skater). Cherepanov, who broke Pavel Bure's Russian Super League rookie goal-scoring record by netting 18 strikes in 2006-07, is the draft's wild card. Cherepanov is considered the most skilled prospect, but because there is no transfer agreement in place with the Russian federation, there's no guarantee the winger will play in the NHL. Because of the uncertainty, there is a chance -- albeit slight -- Cherepanov could drop to No. 8.

Nick Petrecki (defenseman, No. 21 North American skater). The 6-3, 213-pound Petrecki, who will attend Boston College in the fall, plays a similar style to an ex-Eagle defenseman. "He reminds me of Andrew Alberts at the same stage," said BC coach Jerry York. "I certainly think he offers the size and physicality that a lot of teams are looking for." The defensive-minded defenseman had 25 points and 177 penalty minutes for the USHL's Omaha Lancers in 2006-07. "The Bruins are wisely notorious for picking kids who they can keep a close eye on in their neighborhood," said McGuire. "What better university than BC and coach than Jerry York?"

Kevin Shattenkirk (defenseman, No. 34 North American skater). The captain of the US National Team Development Program's Under-18 team will attend Boston University this fall. "He'll absolutely help us offensively, on the power play, and on the blue line," said BU coach Jack Parker. "He's very solid in all three zones. He's a real mature player." According to McGuire, Shattenkirk would be a better fit in the second round, but Shattenkirk (34 points in 48 games last season), who visited the Bruins, was the No. 13 North American skater in the midterm rankings.