Acording to reports, the Boston Bruins might make a big statement before Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
Sources have told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that the Bruins are “plotting something big” to ensure that they are Stanley Cup contenders.
With 87 points, Boston is second in the Eastern Conference, but their record is 5-4-6 since the All-Star break.
According to Kevin Weekes of ESPN, there is a chance that Boston, the Vancouver Canucks, and the Pittsburgh Penguins could be involved in a three-team deal.
Under that scenario, forwards Jake Guentzel (Penguins) and Jake DeBrusk (Bruins) would trade places, while forward Elias Lindholm (Canucks) would trade places with the Bruins.
The 29-year-old Lindholm led the Calgary Flames in scoring two seasons prior with 42 goals and 82 points. This season, after being dealt by Calgary to Vancouver, the 2024 All-Star has tallied 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points in 64 games between the Flames and Canucks.
The 27-year-old DeBrusk has played in the NHL for all seven of those years, and he had a career year with 50 points last season after finishing with 27 goals and 23 assists.
DeBrusk has 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points in 62 games this season, which is comparable to Lindholm’s output.
Considering that Lindholm for DeBrusk would only be a marginal improvement, it appears plausible that Kaplan is hearing murmurs about more transfers.
With an NHL record 65 victories and 135 points in the previous season, the Bruins took home the Presidents’ Trophy. They were aggressive at the trade deadline, adding defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Tyler Bertuzzi, despite their domination.
The Florida Panthers, who advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, stunned Boston in the opening round of the playoffs, proving that the moves were ineffective.
Boston hopes to avoid a similar outcome this season, and considering their recent performance, some deals might be required.
It might be said that the Bruins have not sufficiently replaced their two best centers, David Krejčí and Patrice Bergeron, who retired during the winter.
Though none of them are truly a No. 1 center, Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha, Trent Frederic, and Morgan Geekie have stepped up and are all on track for career years.
The Bruins could have a great chance of winning the Stanley Cup if they can find a way to add a top center to go along with their two best wings, Brad Marchand and David Pastrňák.