Training camp is closing in on the Bruins, and the roster still has a couple of holes that need attention. General manager Don Sweeney already checked one major box by landing wing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for two first-round draft picks just before the Entry Draft in June, but Boston still could use help on the back end and down the middle.
That leaves the Bruins in the market for a defenseman and a top-six center, and a few names are still floating around as possible trade fits.
Alexander Nikishin is one of the most intriguing options on defense. Boston tried to solve that need with a deal for Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers, but that trade reportedly fell apart on July 1.
The Bruins did bring in Will Borgen from the New York Rangers, though that move does not amount to the big swing they still seem to need on the blue line. Nikishin, 24, has been the subject of rumblings around the Carolina Hurricanes because he still does not have a contract.
If Boston had to part with Mason Lohrei or Matthew Poitras - who also remains unsigned - to make it happen, it is at least a conversation the Bruins would have to take seriously.
Kent Johnson is another name to watch at center. The 25-year-old has been mentioned in trade chatter throughout the summer, even if there is no clear sign the Columbus Blue Jackets are eager to move him.
Still, Boston has enough prospects to potentially make Columbus listen. Johnson’s production dipped last season to seven goals and 15 assists after he put up 24 goals and 33 assists the year before.
A fresh start might be exactly what he needs.
Then there is Shane Wright, a former fourth overall pick who has not yet lived up to that draft slot with the Seattle Kraken. He is the kind of change-of-scenery candidate that can draw real interest, especially for a Bruins team looking for help in the middle.
Boston has seen players arrive and unlock more than they showed elsewhere, with Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie standing out as examples. Wright has been tied to trade rumors before, and the sense is that a move could be coming sooner rather than later.
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Bruins Are Trying To Protect Charlie McAvoy From One Major Drain
Charlie McAvoy has become the kind of defenseman Boston leans on in every situation, but the Bruins are trying to be a little more careful with how much they ask of him. Coach Marco Sturm and executive Don Sweeney have both signaled a plan to trim back McAvoys penalty-killing workload, a move that fits the broader push to manage his overall ice time without asking him to do less of what makes him valuable.
The urgency makes sense after McAvoy carried a heavy shorthanded burden last season while still producing career highs in assists and power-play points. Boston added Will Borgen with an eye toward spreading out the penalty-killing responsibilities, and how quickly that adjustment takes hold could matter for a blue line that wants McAvoy fresh enough to keep driving play at both ends. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Have A Camp Roster Squeeze Already Taking Shape
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Frederic Brunet is waiver-eligible for the first time, making his spot part of the early squeeze, while prospect Dans Locmelis is back from late-season shoulder surgery and could at least make the opening competition more interesting. For a team trying to sort out depth before camp even gets rolling, those are the kinds of decisions that can shape not just the roster, but the path of a young player trying to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Face A February Stretch That Could Define Don Sweeney
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The stretch starts and ends against the Maple Leafs, which gives the month an immediate sense of symmetry and pressure for a team trying to define its direction. How Boston handles those games, along with the rest of the February slate, figures to weigh heavily on general manager Don Sweeney as he decides how aggressive to be with the trade deadline approaching. [Read more 🡒]