With the All-Star break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month and a half away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Boston Bruins.
Not quite as dominant as last season, the Bruins are still looking like one of the best regular season teams in the NHL, currently knocking on the door of back-to-back President’s Trophy victories, an accomplishment that has not been done since the 2016-17 Washington Capitals. Unfortunately, even though Boston has been one of the best regular season teams over the last several years, they have failed to move past the semi-finals in the postseason since their 2018-19 Stanley Cup Final loss to the St.Louis Blues. Nevertheless, with some long-term cap flexibility created this past summer, the Bruins could look to acquire players with term; something they have been unable to do for the last several years.
Record
31-9-9, 1st in the Atlantic
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$862.5K on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: BOS 1st*, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th
2025: BOS 1st*, BOS 3rd, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th
*On March 2, 2023, Boston traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings with a top-10 protection placed on it. If the pick falls within the top 10 of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Bruins would then send the Red Wings an unprotected 2025 first-round pick instead. On July 9, 2023, Detroit conditionally traded the draft pick to the Ottawa Senators, with the Red Wings having the option of trading Ottawa their own 2024 first-round pick, or the Bruins’ 2024 first-round pick, with the original top-10 protections still in place.
Trade Chips
Having only eight draft picks over the next two years, it is unlikely that the Bruins will use their draft capital to make any major additions to their roster come the trade deadline. With Boston more than likely not picking until the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, it would not be a surprise to see the Bruins acquire an obscure fourth- or fifth-round pick in any trade over the next few weeks, even as a buyer.
Furthermore, with a need for young and cheap talent, it would be unlikely to see the Bruins part with any of Matthew Poitras, Mason Lohrei, Georgii Merkulov, or John Beecher, given their long-term importance to the continuing success of the organization. The one asset that Boston does have, however, is long-term cap space beyond this season. If they were to pursue a player with term on their contract, the Bruins may be able to dangle pieces off of their active roster, without sacrificing too much of their future.
With many teams in desperate need of goaltending, Boston is in the envious position of having two All-Star goalies able to start for them every game, and the Bruins could certainly dangle one of them to improve other weak spots on their roster. Signed for this season and next at $5MM a year, Linus Ullmark has put together another quality season, securing a 15-6-2 record in 24 games, holding a .913 save percentage and 2.78 GAA. On the flip side, Jeremy Swayman will once again be arbitration-eligible next summer and has been one of the best goaltenders in the league with a 16-3-7 record in 27 games played on the year, also achieving a .924 SV% and 2.30 GAA.
Outside of their excess between the pipes, the Bruins may also be willing to listen to offers on Jake DeBrusk, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Once again being an effective goal-scorer for Boston, DeBrusk has scored 12 goals and 25 points in 47 games this season. It would not be a major surprise to work out a deal to improve their roster with DeBrusk as the centerpiece going the other way, especially if DeBrusk is willing to sign an extension with the acquiring team.
Team Needs
1) Center Help: Ever since the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, it was a foregone conclusion that the Bruins would need to improve their center depth if there was any hope of a serious playoff run. The team has played well with the combination of Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle centering the top-two lines, but with a team faceoff percentage of 49.3% (19th in the NHL), Boston will need to improve down the middle to win big draws in the playoffs at the very least. All three of Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan, and Adam Henrique would allow the Bruins to add more punch down the middle, as well as strengthen their ability in the dot.
2) Stay The Course: Losing in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs after breaking the record for wins in a regular season will be a blight on the Bruins’ history for years to come. However, it is important to remember that Boston was only two shots away from reaching the second round, losing in overtime in Game 5 as well as Game 7 to the Florida Panthers. Outside of the need for help down the middle, it is tough to point out any point of the game that the Bruins are truly lacking. Rather than deal out any of their remaining draft capital, or move on from young prospects ready to make an impact, Boston should trust in his team to get over the hump, as they have shown they can beat nearly any team they play against over the last several years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
I’m curious as to how the current Bruins coaches/front-office view DeBrusk. He’s a streaky secondary scorer that wanted out of Boston under Cassidy, but seems to have calmed down under Monty. His last two deals have been mostly team-friendly so at 27 I don’t picture him settling for anything that isn’t a max-pay type of deal. And I don’t know if Boston is interested in that sort of long-term big-$$$ deal.
Sweeney should’ve traded Ullmark this past offseason at the height of his tradeability. At worst, you could’ve gotten a young impact player and possibly a 2nd or 3rd rd pick. Regardless, Sweeney needs to trust his team and not get caught up in trading young players or more picks we don’t have for someone like Lindholm. You have cap space this summer – just sign Lindholm as a FA, without giving up the few assets that you have. Unfortunately, we know that Sweeney could care less about the future and is only in “right now” mode, so I see him giving up assets like he does every trade deadline, to the detriment of the team in the future..
Ullmark has a 16-team no-trade clause. The team’s that could afford him, he wouldn’t are on his no trade list & most of the teams that he’d go to either already have a goalie or can’t afford him. Some people said trade him to Edmonton, but the Oilers are on his no-trade list
Money & terms will change his mind, that’s part of the reason(s) why no-trade clauses are implemented. It’s all part of negotiating process/leverage.
I don’t see a problem with help down the middle, but you have 2 very (objectively) capable 2c/3c players already. so unless you bring in someone “top-tier”, I don’t know that you go that route at the deadline. if anything they should look at a 2nd/3rd paring stay-at-home Dman. Ullmark/Swayman have been doing an incredible job, and some of that is masking hiccups/mishaps by defencmen.
I completely agree. Albeit rare to see the two teams connect on a trade, my feeling is that the Bruins should have Monahan at the top of their list instead of Lindholm/Henrique.
I dunno, he’s a guy who has had: wrist surgery, two herniated discs, thumb surgery, groin operation, torn hip labrum, torn other hip labrum, broken foot, multiple fractured ribs. All since 2017. I wouldn’t be giving away assets to a dude with that sort of mileage.
The Bruins aren’t trading a goalie at the trade deadline. I also don’t see them trading DeBrusk. More likely it will be a pending UFA defenseman like Grzelyck or Forbort
I could see Grzelyck and Lysell as being part of deal for Monahan in some type of a 3 team deal.
The Bruins aren’t trading Lysell for Monahan. It would have to be a bigger catch than Monahan.
Again part of a three team trade.. getting more than just Monahan
Don’t really want Monahan. Rather have Henrique.
Carlo for Savard and Monahan (retain half)
Carlo is far too valuable to make that trade. He’s Boston’s best penalty killer & best defensive defenseman. That’s a hard pass.
hahahaha good one!