Less than a month remains until the NHL trade deadline.
And even though Jim Montgomery’s team has a 32-11-10 record and leads the Eastern Conference, the Bruins may still use a few upgrades before the deadline on March 8.
It’s a midseason task that Don Sweeney and Boston’s front management find more difficult to do.
After years of making win-now decisions that cost Boston dearly, the team’s stockpile of draft picks has been exhausted. Not until the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft will Sweeney and company be subject to clocking out.
The Boston Bruins also lack the financial flexibility to add impact players because of the anticipated budget constraint, which is likely to deprive them of $61,558 in available salary space, according to CapFriendly. This is especially true if they have to trade away NHL players and their contracts.
Even still, before making another exhausting postseason run, Boston’s squad could need some upgrades in a few areas.
Let’s prioritise Boston’s needs before the trade deadline.
How much can change in a few of months.
This would not have been a very close need if we had asked this question back in September.
Yes, since David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron gave up skating in the summer, things haven’t been ideal.
However, Boston’s current duo of Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle has proven to be more than capable of driving plays in the top six this season.
Boston may still make calls for pivots like Elias Lindholm in free agency despite its fourth-place ranking.
Boston may have been considering a trade for Lindholm, despite the Canucks having to give up a number of important assets to sign him last month, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
However, this deadline doesn’t seem like the right time for the Bruins to be contenders for a C like Adam Henrique, considering Boston’s constrained draft capital and cap space.
By March, Boston isn’t going to be producing any blockbusters.
This season, the Bruins might not need to make any changes to their middle-of-the-pack talent. However, an uneven B’s depth chart might require the insurance of another established scorer on the wing.
Montgomery’s team can break apart a D-zone structure with nearly any trio that crosses the boards when his lines are clicking.
When it comes to their offensive contributions, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak are tried and true commodities.
However, following that? Although the Bruins have a few impact wingers, there are concerns about the inconsistent play of a few of them.
With all the necessary skills, Jake DeBrusk could be a productive 30-goal scorer in the NHL. However, his performance on the scoresheet is as predictable as a Nor’easter in mid-February.
Following an eight-goal, 14-point explosion in 14 games following Christmas, DeBrusk has now missed six games in a row without a point.
Despite having a fantastic season, Trent Frederic has not scored a point in his last four games since the All-Star break. In his last seven games, Morgan Geekie has just one goal and zero assists.
Similar to Boston’s acquisition of Marcus Johansson in 2019, having a reliable, two-way winger can help to stabilize a crucial position in the lineup.
Boston might find it interesting to sign Jason Zucker or Anthony Duclair, but signing those contracts will still be problematic due to cap gymnastics.