A week into NHL free agency, the Bruins have already checked off one major item on Don Sweeney’s offseason to-do list. Boston landed a top-six wing in JJ Peterka, sending a pair of first-round picks to the Utah Mammoth on June 26.
The rest of the picture, though, is still incomplete.
Sweeney was also linked to another big swing on July 1, when a trade with the Edmonton Oilers for right-shot defenseman Darnell Nurse was said to be nearing the finish line. That move reportedly collapsed when a Bruins player declined to waive his no-movement clause. Boston then turned to the New York Rangers and added Will Borgen on the blue line.
Even after those moves, the Bruins still have work to do on defense and at top-six center, and any meaningful fix there likely has to come via trade. That’s the reality Sara Civian of Bleacher Report laid out when she assigned one word to each team’s offseason so far. For Boston, she went with “wanting.”
“The Bruins have made some solid moves so far, like acquiring JJ Peterka for two first-round picks. The generally productive forward has a great chance at a bounce-back season under fellow German Marco Sturm,'' wrote Civian. "Trading for Will Borgen and signing Connor Clifton were decent moves to shore up the defense, but the Bruins will need more high-end help on the blue line if they are to remain competitive.''
That’s the crux of it. Boston has added pieces, but not enough to fully patch the holes.
If the roster on defense stays as it is now, that unit could become a major problem for second-year head coach Marco Sturm. Jeremy Swayman carried a heavy workload last season, and the current defense group doesn’t look dramatically better.
The Bruins still need help across the roster, but the blue line stands out as the clearest priority.
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