If you were expecting Peter Chiarelli and the Boston Bruins to sell at the deadline like Ben Cherington did with the Red Sox in 2012 to clear some cap space, dream on. The Bruins General Manager made some minor deals on the afternoon including  the acquisitions of Brett Connolly and Max Talbot from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche, respectively.

With injuries and players not meeting expectations plaguing the Black and Gold, head coach Claude Julien has been juggling lines as of late. Now, with two NHL-ready players ready to start their careers in Boston, where do they fit?

Connolly is a 22 year-old right winger with a strong shot that the B’s have been desperately trying to find. He was only drafted four slots lower than old friend Tyler Seguin, so the talent is there.

The sixth overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft registered 15 points (12 goals, 3 assists) in 50 games this season, but didn’t get enough of an opportunity to showcase his talents due to the Lightning’s depth at wing.

“I see a top six forward and then if you look at all his goals, he’s a shooter,” Chiarelli said referring to where he thinks Connolly fits in. “I think he’s a shooter first. He’s a net front guy. He’ll go and get goals at the top of the blue. He’s a rangy guy. He makes plays, but he’s a shoot first guy. I really like his release and he’s young and he’s growing. He’s going to be a top six player.”

Chiarelli figures Connolly to be an asset right away. The GM likes his build, his wrist shot and quick release.

It’s possible he could be slotted in alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, but Chiarelli declined to comment on that situation.

“On what line? I haven’t had the complete discussion with our coach,” Chiarelli said.

The other acquisition of the day was Max Talbot in exchange for bust Jordan Caron. Chiarelli reiterated a few times that the addition of Talbot was not in direct correlation to Gregory Campbell’s health.

“Campbell’s very close,” Chiarelli said. “And Talbot, it doesn’t — if you’re suggesting that I got Talbot because Campbell might be out longer, that’s not the case. He’s close.”

Talbot projects to fit in on the fourth line, but the bonus with him is that he plays all three forward spots so he isn’t locked in anywhere. He’s a type of player that grinds and shows grit. He’s the type of guy that can lead in the locker room in the absence of Johnny Boychuk and Shawn Thornton.

The former Penguin has a good amount of postseason experience under his belt. He’s won a Stanley Cup and scored twice in Pittsburgh’s 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.

That is something Chiarelli and company coveted in Talbot.

“I talked to Max earlier today and he’s excited to come here,” Chiarelli said. “I would characterize him as a glue guy who has played in a lot of playoffs, plays all three positions, is a gritty guy, plays all-out and we believe he’s a good add to our forward group.”

Chiarelli put the B’s in a tough spot right from the get-go when he traded away Boychuk. He went on to say this was the first move of many, but it was almost as if the Black and Gold stood pat.

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It’s easy to point the finger at Chiarelli. He was never going to make a big deal on deadline day. He was just trying to improve his team so they could make the playoffs and take their chances with the group that is already inside that locker room.

Still, the B’s are in a better place with the additions of Brett Connolly and Max Talbot.