As of today, the Bruins are limping their way through the rest of the regular season. Subpar performances and devastating injuries are taking a toll on the once dominant team. Even worse is that those who are expected to be top performers, such as Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk, and David Krejci, are struggling to find their games. The trade deadline is in five days, and GM Peter Chiarelli has been sitting on his hands for the most part. The team is one of the three on Columbus superstar Rick Nash's list of teams he would accept a trade to, with the Rangers and Flyers being the other two. The Bruins have had some preliminary talks with Columbus GM Scott Howson about Nash, but it appears the starting point for any deal for the franchise cornerstone would have to start with goalie Tuukka Rask, an asset the Bruins do not want to part with any time soon. Sources say the Bruins have also had some discussions about Columbus forward Jeff Carter, some dating back to the days of Phil Kessel, when a Kessel for Carter swap was discussed. But, the Bruins may not have to shoot for the stars if they want to hit a homerun. There are plenty of options on the trade market, and although the prices may be somewhat inflated, it may be worth it to sacrifice a small part of the future to help in the present.
There are a few players that could be beneficial additions to this Bruins squad, including rugged forward Tuomo Ruutu out of Carolina, whom GM Peter Chiarelli has received multiple reccomendations on from former Carolina players currently playing here in Boston. The Finn could be a great fit playing wing alongside power forward Milan Lucic and struggling center David Krejci, who may be able to find his stride if given the right assets. With Nathan Horton out for presumably the rest of the season, adding a top 6 forward appears to be a necessity for the B's, who continue to struggle with putting the puck in the net. Other targets on the forward front could be Edmonton winger Ales Hemsky, although a trade for Hemsky could prove to be costly, as he has a history of injury issues. When healthy, Hemsky is one of the most underrated socrers in the league. He has a nose for the net and has put up many high scoring seasons. But, again, his health is a major factor in any trade. Ray Whitney, Shane Doan, and Ryan Smyth are also options the Bruins could pursue, but with Phoenix making the lives of every NHL GM interested in their players a living hell and Ryan Smyth stating his intentions to remain in Edmonton, those could prove to be unattainable assets for the B's.
On the defense front, Joe Corvo has turned into the second coming of Tomas Kaberle. Corvo's play has dropped significantly from where it once was this season, and with the recent extension of Johnny Boychuk, it appears he is heading out the door at season's end. While it may not be possible to deal Corvo anywhere, picking up another defenseman who can give Corvo some real competition as well as improve both the defense's offensive capabilities and their defensive play. Carolina defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, acquired in a deal with Montreal earlier this season, could be a good pickup. The Bruins have long had interest in the 37 year old defenseman, dating back to his free agent status in 2009, where the Bruins showed strong interest in Spacek, but were ultimately trumped by the Canadiens. Spacek is known for his comic touch in the locker room, and he could provide some good two way play, as well as job competition. He's an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Bruins wouldn't be tied down to his $2.5M cap hit. Other targets could include Carolina's Joni Pitkanen, who could bring some much needed life to this powerplay, and possibly Edmonton blueliner Ryan Whitney, a Boston native who could add a bit of offensive spark as well as some leadership intangibles in the locker room.
One wild card around the league is the Anaheim Ducks. The team hasn't responded to the hiring of former Washington bench boss Bruce Boudreau, and most of the league seems to be keeping an eye on whether GM Bob Murray decides to deal star players Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf. Murray has openly stated that everyone is available, with the exception of veterans Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, and any one of the three aforementioned players could draw major interest on Causeway Street. The price would likely be steep though, probably requiring at least one core roster player, such as Milan Lucic or David Krejci, and a top flight prospect such as 2011 draftee Doug Hamilton, which is a price Chiarelli probably will not want to pay.
All of these are legitimate possibilities, so keep your eye on the market Bruins fans. We may be in for a surprising deadline.
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