The Boston Bruins are expected to make a huge move ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, insiders say the Bruins are “plotting something big” to solidify their status as Stanley Cup contenders.
Boston has the second-most points in the Eastern Conference (87), but it has struggled since the All-Star break, finishing 5-4-6.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported Wednesday that Boston may be involved in a three-team deal with the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins.
In that scenario, forward Jake Guentzel would move from the Penguins to the Canucks, forward Jake DeBrusk from the Bruins to the Penguins, and forward Elias Lindholm from the Canucks to the Bruins.
Lindholm, 29, had a career best of 42 goals and 82 points with the Calgary Flames two seasons ago. This season, Calgary traded him to Vancouver, and in 64 games with the Flames and Canucks, the 2024 All-Star has 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points.
The 27-year-old DeBrusk has spent his entire seven-year NHL career with Boston, and he had a career year last season, scoring 27 goals and 23 assists for 50 points.
In 62 games this season, DeBrusk has 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points, which is comparable to Lindholm’s production.
Given that exchanging DeBrusk for Lindholm would be a minor upgrade at most, it appears that the rumors Kaplan is hearing are about additional transactions.
Last season, the Bruins set an NHL record with 65 victories and 135 points, earning the Presidents’ Trophy. Despite their domination, they were active at the trade deadline, acquiring forward Tyler Bertuzzi and defenseman Dmitry Orlov.
The adjustments did not pay off, as the Florida Panthers stunned Boston in the first round of the playoffs and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Boston hopes to avoid a similar fate this season, and considering how the team has performed recently, some moves may be required.
The Bruins’ best two centers, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí, retired during the offseason, and it might be claimed that they were not effectively replaced.
Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha, Trent Frederic, and Morgan Geekie have all stepped up and are on track for career years, but none of them are legitimate No. 1 center candidates.
If the Bruins can locate a quality center to match their top wingers, David Pastrňák and Brad Marchand, it may go a long way towards placing them in the championship discussion.
