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The Boston Bruins arrived at the NHL All-Star break with a league-leading 39-7-5 record.
There are no obvious weaknesses in this roster, and it can be argued that its depth hasn’t been as strong at each position in a long time. Don’t just sit quietly before the trade deadline.
The Bruins have a great chance to win their second Stanley Cup title with a veteran core, and given how well they’ve played in the first 51 games of the regular season, it makes sense for those players. A certain upgrade is required.
Here’s a ranking of the Bruins’ biggest needs that must be addressed before the trade deadline.
1. Veteran Defenseman
The Bruins are pretty healthy on the blue line. Charlie McAvoy has returned from offseason surgery rehab earlier than expected and continues to play better. Humphus his Lindholm is on pace to record his career-high points and looks like a legitimate top-off his pairing his defense. Brandon Carlo has been a defensive rock and a key part of the league’s top-ranked penalty kills outside of a few games last week, with Matt Grzelcyk driving his possessions in the pack with high odds and his scores have been on the rise recently. Derek Forbort had a hand injury that kept him out for most of November, but he was a great defensive presence, especially on penalties. Conor Clifton is already scoring career-highs and making impressive progress on defense.
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Boston’s blue line is generally healthy and playing really well. That said, when it comes time to playoffs, injuries are almost inevitable. These guys have a lot of wear and tear deep in the playoffs, and having the extra depth and fresh bodies can be a huge boost.
Eliminating penalties and adding a tough, physical presence that can serve as a third pairing would be ideal for B. Luke Shen of the Vancouver Canucks, who has won the Stanley Cup twice recently, is one of the contenders. The B’s and the Tampa Bay Lightning reportedly “reached out” to the Canucks to discuss Shen.
If the Bruins want to do well on the blue line, Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chiklun and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Vladislav Gabrikov can play top-four roles on the left flank.
Another option for the Bruins is to use Anton Stralman as a seventh defenseman, but it’s not a scary scenario. But it would be better for the Bruins to get another defense that can play in multiple scenarios and take on tough defensive duties.
It takes just one injury to weaken the blue line in any meaningful way, so the Bruins need quality players who can step up when needed and thrive in key roles.
2. Side goalscorer
The Bruins are first with 190 goals and second in 5-5 goals with 122.
David Pasternak (20 goals), Patrice Bergeron (9), Pavel Zacha (8), Brad Marchand (8) and Jake Debrasque (8) have scored 53 goals in their last 26 appearances. He scored 25 points combined for the rest of the team’s forwards in that time frame.
Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, AJ Greer and Craig Smith only scored 11 goals in the period after a strong start to the season.
Pasternak and Craig Smith are the Bruins’ only two natural right-wingers in the top three line. Jake Debrasque is a natural left winger, having played on the right wing alongside Bergeron and Marchand. Pavel Zacha is as good a left winger as Hall is.
The Bruins have a lot of players who can play center. Bergeron, Foligno, David Krejci, Charlie Coyle, Tomas Nosek, Trent Frederic, and Pavel Zacha can all do it. What they need is another right winger who can score goals.
Which player fulfills that desire?
Kevin LeBlanc of the San Jose Sharks can play on the right side. LeBlanc has 10 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances this season, and his contract value through the 2023-24 season is $4.725 million. St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev can play center and both wing spots. His scoring prowess has slipped this season, but he recorded a career-high 26 goals and 34 assists last season. Who’s on the Bruce’s coaching staff for the 2022-23 season? Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery. Will Monty be able to resume Barbashev’s attack? It’s worth exploring.
Three of the top potential players are right wingers. Timo Meyer of the San Jose Sharks, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and Vladimir Tarasenko of the Blues. Meier is 26 years old and in the summer he will be RFA. He will probably have the biggest impact of these three players of his. Meyer is on pace to score his 45th goal, surpassing his career-high 35th last season. But will the Bruins be able to get him an extension, which could make him more than $8 million per season on his next deal, and B should already re-sign Pasternak . Kane and Tarasenko are cheaper to rent than Meyer, both have more playoff experience, and at least he has one Stanley Cup in his ring.
3. Bottom Six Center
As noted above, bruins have considerable depth in the center. There aren’t many, if any, teams centering his three-headed monster better than Bergeron, Krejci, and Coyle. Here are three of his two-way centers that are really good, able to play and face off in every situation.
That said, you can’t have enough depth in the center. It’s like starting to pitch in baseball. Nosek doesn’t offer a ton of offense, with 3 goals in 42 games, but he’s a very good penalty killer and a shorthander with 2:39 per game. Leading B forwards. He also has 58.1% wins in face-offs, which is his second best on the team behind Bergeron. Nosek is currently out of the lineup after breaking his leg when blocking a shot against the Rangers on January 21.
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Adding another forward who can play in center or on the wing would be a great bottom 6 addition for the Bruins. Nosek is also the team’s only left-shot center. Ideally someone who can face off on the left side.
Which centers may be available in Boston?
Max Domme of the Chicago Blackhawks, Nick Bujagstad of the Arizona Coyotes and Barbashev are worth chasing. Another interesting option is Blues Center’s Noel Acciari. He started his career with the Bruins, playing from 2015-16 until his 2018-19. He has won 54.6% of his faceoffs this season, playing a heavy, physical style of hockey and contributing to his kills on penalties. He provides a nice bottom 6 boost and being familiar with many of his B players is a bonus.
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