After 60 games, the Boston Bruins are tied for the league’s most points. With the wounds of last season’s playoff defeat following a spectacular regular season still fresh in everyone’s minds, it’s difficult to see general manager Don Sweeney and president Cam Neely sitting idle with another playoffs participation looming. The past week or so has also created a sense of urgency. The Bruins have dropped three straight games and are 3-2-5 over their last ten. They’ve also gone to overtime in seven of their previous eight games, and the NHL’s policy of providing one point for overtime losses has been Boston’s saving grace.
Boston’s front staff may have their sights set on numerous trade targets around the league, but the well is practically dry when it comes to trade assets. The Bruins’ farm system ranks 28th in the NHL, and they have no first, second, or third-round picks in the upcoming draft. Boston is close up against the hard cap, and they may have to part ways with NHL contracts (Jake DeBrusk? Linus Ullmark? Derek Forbort) to make room on the roster for postseason reinforcements.
This trade deadline will also provide valuable insight into how the front office evaluates this team. Prior to this season, the 2023-24 Bruins were commonly regarded as a bridge squad. How does exceeding expectations through 60 games affect Sweeney and Neely’s perception of the team? The team exemplified “all in” at last year’s deadline. At the deadline, the Celtics traded a 2023 first-round pick, a top-10 protected 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, a 2024 third-round pick, and a 2023 fifth-round pick.
Do Sweeney and Neely pivot based on their regular season success thus far, or do they stick with the bridge year that they presumably expected heading into the campaign? With the Bruins leading the standings at this point in the season, it’s difficult to picture them taking the “stand pat” approach, but they can’t generate trade funds out of thin air either. As the deadline approaches, it is clear that Boston is paying the price for their “all in” mindset from previous seasons.
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With more than two-thirds of the season over, the Bruins are already Cup contenders. If they want to win the Stanley Cup, here are four trade targets that they must
4. Anthony Duclair, LW, San Jose Sharks.
Boston must be hopeful that Anthony Duclair, a member of the Florida Panthers team that shattered the Bruins’ hearts last playoffs, can once again be on the winning side of a lengthy playoff run, this time wearing Black & Gold.
The 28-year-old was traded to the dreadful San Jose Sharks this offseason, who are tied for the NHL’s lowest point total this season. Duclair has exploded since the All-Star break, possibly knowing in the back of his mind that a solid performance could land him a lifeline out of San Jose and onto a playoff contender. He has scored twice in five games.
Since the break, he has quadrupled his number of quality chances each game. Duclair claims he “feels like a new player” after his time off, and his play reflects that. Obviously, the Bruins would hope that if he joins them, he can maintain his current trajectory.
In 51 games with the Sharks, Duclair has 11 goals and eight assists. His goal total is excellent for third place in San Jose. Duclair would give a faster-paced position for the Bruins while also adding another potential power play contributor, but he lacks the physical and defensive presence that can be so important in the playoffs.
Duclair has been the epitome of a suitcase during his 10-year NHL career. If he gets dealt, the Bruins will be his eighth team. His contract ends after this season, and his $3 million cap charge would be negotiable in a trade.
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