The Bruins missed the boat on McCabe

Now under 24-hours away from the NHL trade deadline (3 p.m. EST), the Boston Bruins have been one of the more active teams thus far.

Addition by subtraction, there’s no doubt this Bruins team is more equipped for the post season than the one of two-weeks ago. But has the management and brass done enough?

IN: F Chris Kelly, OTT
OUT: Second-round pick in 2011 (Still own Minnesota’s second-round pick from Chuck Kobasew)

IN: F Rich Peverley, Boris Valabik, ATL
OUT: F Blake Wheeler, D Mark Stuart

IN: D Tomas Kaberle, TOR
OUT: F Joe Colborne, first-round pick in 2011 (Still own Toronto’s first-rounder from Phil Kessel deal) and a conditional second-round pick.

IN: D Shane Hnidy (free-agent)

Injuries on the backend have killed the Bruins’ playoff runs over the past two seasons. While adding Kaberle helps the B’s move the puck out of their own zone, and Hnidy adding extra veteran depth to the blue-line, but plugging in another wouldn’t hurt.

In 2008-09, the Bruins thought they were deep enough on defense until Matt Hunwick and Andrew Ference were limited to a total of five playoff games.

Last year, No. 2/3 defenseman Dennis Seidenberg was sidelined for the entire post season, while Ference was no way near 100 percent, and Mark Stuart dressed for just five playoff games.

Here are some options:

The Bruins missed the boat on former Black-and-Gold D, Nick Boyton. The rugged 32-year-old was picked-up off waivers by the dangerous Philadelphia Flyers for a whopping (joke) $500,000.

Kurtis Foster, Edmonton Oilers: 29, $1.8M cap-hit, 2012 UFA
Fedor Tyutin, Columbus Blue Jackets: 27, $2,843,750, 2012 UFA
Bryan Allen, Florida Panthers: 30, 2.9M cap-hit, 2012 UFA

General manager Peter Chiarelli has done a great job thus far at making this Bruins team a legitimate contender while working around the always-tight salary-cap. He has plugged some key vets on the backend while creating competition for McQuaid, Boychuk and Kampfer.

If I were GM for the day, I’d be shopping for another D. What do you think?