Kirill Kaprizov

While the Boston Bruins will be dealing with injuries to major players for the start of the 2021-22 season, a new head coach and the potential return of captain Patrice Bergeron on an extension provides optimism for the Bruins’ 2022-23 outlook. One major need the team needs to fill is their second-line center spot. Erik Haula filled the role with moderate success this past season, scoring 44 points in 78 games, but his production in the playoffs (three points in seven games) and overall inability to factor in as a true difference-maker has left many with the belief that the Bruins will need a stronger second-line center in order to return to cup contention. The Bruins had long relied on David Krejci as the consistent second center behind Bergeron, but with Krejci now out of the picture GM Don Sweeney may need to find an upgrade on Haula this summer.

This summer’s free-agent market is not without options for the Bruins, and one player they are now specifically connected to is Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Bruins are “believed to have interest” in Trocheck, who has spent most of his career playing for the Bruins’ division rival, the Florida Panthers. Trocheck’s pure offensive production would be a sure upgrade over Haula’s (94 points in 128 games over the last two seasons compared to Haula’s 65 in 129) and Trocheck may even reach new offensive heights when paired with former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall. Trocheck would surely cost more than the $2.375MM the Bruins owe to Haula, but since the Bruins’ old second-line center, Krejci, cost $7.25MM against the cap for many years, one has to assume that the Bruins are willing to pay up in order to get a higher quality player. Boston will have to compete with other teams vying for Trocheck’s services, but at the very least they should be in the mix for the established top-six centers that are set to hit the market.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

• Some eyebrows were raised on social media a few days ago when Russian winger Kirill Kaprizov was tagged in a social media post from what appeared to be a Russian doctor wishing him, per the translation, a “speedy return to the ice.” The Athletic’s Michael Russo calmed any fears of any major unannounced injury issues for Kaprizov, clarifying that the post was about a “minor procedure” that Kaprizov had undergone and that he would be “ready well in advance of camp.” That’s certainly a relief for any worried Wild fans because the team will need Kaprizov to hit the ground running next season. Kaprizov led the Wild with 108 points in 81 games in 2021-22 and figures to be the Wild’s most important player for the foreseeable future.
• The Chicago Blackhawks have made it no secret that they will be embarking on a scorched-earth rebuild under new GM Kyle Davidson. Nearly every player on their roster has seen his name surface in trade rumors, including star winger Alex DeBrincat. One player less frequently mentioned is 2019 third-overall pick Kirby Dach, likely because as a 21-year-old highly-drafted center most believe that Dach is the player a rebuilding club should hold on to, not deal. But per Friedman, a Dach trade might not be fully out of the question, and there is reportedly “a lot of research being done” on Dach by teams interested in acquiring him. Dach, who is still just 21 years old, has had an up-and-down NHL career thus far. He showed flashes in an injury-filled 2020-21, scoring 10 points in 18 games, but his past year was a disappointment (nine goals 26 points in 70 games) and there are some who look at him as a player in need of a change of scenery. Whether or not that’s true is still yet to be determined, although we now know that there are teams preparing for the possibility of Dach becoming available in a trade.