Status Uncertain For Boston Bruins As Trade Deadline Nears

The Boston Bruins have officially hit rock bottom.

Wednesday night’s loss against the Edmonton Oilers was the latest hole blown through Boston’s rapidly sinking ship. Claude Julien saw his team fight back from a 3-1 second-period deficit only to suffer a shootout loss against the Western Conference cellar dwellers.  The loss was Boston’s sixth is seven games so far this month. Defensive miscues and complacency have possessed the Bruins lately after an 8-1-3 record gave fans reason to be optimistic heading into the stretch run. January optimism has been replaced by February frustration only the MBTA could compete with.

Boston finds themselves in a precarious position with only six games separating them from the trade deadline. They find themselves in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Florida Panthers and resurgent Philadelphia Flyers not far behind. The Bruins front office, specifically general manager Peter Chiarelli, know that time is running out to upgrade their hockey club. The paramount concern, however, is the limited amount of resources they have to work with. According to NHLnumbers.com, Boston has just under $2 million in cap space as March 2 approaches ($1.787 million to be precise). A top-six forward and top-four defenseman are pressing needs for a team that saw Jarome Iginla leave for Colorado and Johnny Boychuk traded to Long Island over the summer.

Will they look to add pieces and gear up for a playoff push? Is there a chance Boston will begin to shed their higher-priced assets? Does Chiarelli keep the club as is? These are questions that fans will demand an answer to in the coming days.

Chris Stewart Buffalo Sabres
(Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

If the Bruins consider themselves as buyers, the market for top-six forwards, specifically wingers, is thin. One of the most prevalent names that has been often mentioned in trade rumors this season is Buffalo’s Chris Stewart. The Sabres will be keen to find a buyer for the 27-year-old as the club is in full-on tank mode after acquiring the injured Evander Kane from Winnipeg and dealing starting goaltender Jhonas Enroth to Dallas. Stewart’s $4.15 million cap hit this season, coupled with his disappointing on-ice performance, make him a less desirable option for Boston to pursue unless Chiarelli clears a significant contract off the books. Cam Atkinson of the Columbus Blue Jackets has been recently discussed in trade rumors as well. At 25, the Connecticut native is a restricted free agent with a modest $1.15 million cap hit this year. He has 13 goals and 24 points this season for a Columbus team that has been battered by injuries all year. Other names worth watching are former Bruin Jaromir Jagr, Martin Erat, and Arizona Coyotes center Antoine Vermette.

(Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)
(Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

The pool of available defensemen at this year’s deadline is led by Andrej Sekera. The 28-year-old is averaging close to 23 minutes of ice time per game this season while scoring 19 points from the blue line. His $2.75 million cap hit is affordable for several clubs that are inquiring about his services. Boston would have to engage in a bidding war for what may seem to be a rental player as Sekera will hit the open market this summer. Jeff Petry of the Edmonton Oilers is another candidate the Bruins may look at. The Michigan native is averaging over 21 minutes a night of ice time, scoring 15 points this season on Oil Country. His cap hit of slightly over $3 million makes him coveted by several teams scouring for help on defense, therefore Chiarelli would have to outbid his compatriots for Petry’s services as Edmonton looks to continue their rebuild. Zbynek Michalek, Chris Phillips, and Tim Gleason are other names that bear watching on Boston’s radar.

If the Bruins want to reverse course and begin to “rebuild on the fly”, this year may be the time to do it. The only problem is that several of their big-name players are protected by no-trade/no-movement clauses, meaning the player would have to authorize any potential trade. Boston has several contracts they will look to unload, most notably the $6 million cap hit of Milan Lucic. The Vancouver native has one more year left on his contract after this season and could prove to be a valuable asset for a playoff team looking for a true power forward. His 31 points are fifth on the team while his 73 penalty minutes lead the Bruins. Chiarelli has quoted as saying he is reluctant to lose a piece of his “core”, but Lucic has been a shadow of the player that posted 30 goals and 121 PIMs in 2010-11. Boston should at least be fielding calls on what Lucic’s market value is.

The recent call-up of 2012 first-rounder Malcolm Subban has sparked a firestorm of controversy of whether Boston is showcasing him in a potential deal. The younger brother of Montreal defenseman PK Subban has posted a 10-10-3 record with a 2.47 goals against and .920 save percentage with Providence (AHL) in 24 appearances this year. Some would argue the 21-year-old is Boston’s biggest asset, but it makes no sense to trade such a highly-touted prospect that has not played a minute in the NHL. Given Niklas Svedberg’s recent struggles in spot starts, Subban may be auditioning for the backup job behind Tuukka Rask next season instead of showcasing himself for a potential deal.

Carl Soderberg Bruins
(Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

A name that bears watching is pending unrestricted free agent Carl Soderberg. The Swedish center’s cap number is just over $1 million and is second in team scoring with 33 points. His chemistry with Chris Kelly and Loui Eriksson has made for one of the best third lines in the league, yet his consistent play will make it tough to sign Soderberg to a contract over the summer. “The Yeti” is expected to sign for top-six money ($3+ million) in the offseason and the Bruins will be reluctant to pay their third-line center with younger restricted free agents (Hamilton, Krug, Smith) waiting for new deals. Chiarelli would not clear enough money off the salary cap by trading Soderberg, but what is his market value. In a recent discussion with a source close to the Bruins, he stated “an AHL prospect and second-round pick” is what the Bruins are likely to get back. If trading Soderberg does not merit a player who can fill one of Boston’s pressing needs in return, it is a proposition that should not be considered.

The third option for the Bruins is by keeping the roster as is. This is a risky ploy as Chiarelli and Julien will undoubtedly put their jobs on the line, given the current state of the team. Cap constraints are likely to force Boston into small acquisitions, but that will not sit well with fans of the club that are seeking an impact player who can help the team now. The GM and coach will be at the mercy of the roster they assembled, depending on the team to make a deep playoff run that Black and Gold faithful believe is not possible. Another early postseason exit could lead to sweeping changes in the front office, therefore Chiarelli will be pegged with the responsibility to ensure that does not happen or else he may not be around to build next year’s team.

The Boston Bruins are caught in the crossfire of this season’s trade deadline. Do they try to add pieces, or begin to deal off their own?

The only sure thing is that Chiarelli and the front office is under immense pressure to do something before the clock strikes 3pm on March 2.

13 thoughts on “Status Uncertain For Boston Bruins As Trade Deadline Nears”

  1. are you talking about the same chiarelli that took the bruins out of the gutter of the harry sinden era and made the boston bruins a championship team? because i think he knows a little about putting together a good team that wins

  2. I blame it on the crappy Canadian dollar. If it weren’t for that, everything would be ok. The cap would have went up and everything would be good. But instead we’re stuck with this scenario going forward. I would leave it the way it is and deal what you can this summer. You can’t argue that some of the higher priced players haven’t played up to they’re salaries this season. I think the best thing would be to not make the playoff’s and then get rid of some of the dead wood. And get something for some of the UFA’s now or at the deadline. Beats letting them go for nothing.

  3. plan and simple the bruins are done it started way back when they traded seguin and Boychuk who was the real work horse on D this team trades all their number ones away

  4. THE BRUINS LOST 10 STRAIGHT IN 2010…FANS WERE CALLING FOR HEADS THEN…THE NEXT YEAR THEY WIN A CUP…PC AND CJ HAVE BEEN PRETTY DAMN PRODUCTIVE SINCE 2008,,,REALLY PEOPLE?….IT’S JUST THE WAY WE ARE(BOSTON FANS TAKE A FEW LOSSES PRETTY HARD…FEELS WEIRD)….WE’LL BE IN THE HUNT COME PLAYOFFS AND WE MAY NOT WIN A CUP BUT TRADING OF KEY PLAYERS BECAUSE THEY DON’T “PLAY BRUINS HOCKEY” IE: BANG BODIES. JUST PLAIN DUMB…LOUIE HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR BEST PLAYERS THIS YEAR…ONE WORD” INTANGIBLES” ..VERY GOOD TWO WAY PLAYER…I PREDICT NO MOVES AND A 2ND ROUND EXIT…..

  5. It may not be the coach, but it is becoming rather evident the players have tuned out the message. Usually the first step in a rebuild is either trading a franchise player or firing the coach. I can’t see the Bruins doing either to be honest and that alone is grounds for a front office change. Chiarelli’s contracts have put the Bruins in this position and he should bear the brunt of the responsibility.

    It will take a drastic trade for anything to get done. The complacency on this team right now is far too high.

  6. I agree, losing some key players hurt. It seems like it effected the whole organization. Need to trade half-hearted efforts for desire to compete. If games were 40 minutes, they would be great ! Trade Paille, Smith, Caron, Seidenburg and maybe a pick or two for some character guys on defense and get Atkinson and go from there. Make a move or two in the summer at the draft.

  7. looks like signing Julien to that extension might’ve been a mistake. But the coaching doesn’t seem to be the problem. the team just looks like it doesn’t care. it looks resigned. I dunno how else to describe it. Smith’s post goal celebration looked like a man who didn’t care he scored. I don’t believe they need a rebuild either but a retool might be in the near future.

    an ideal world, they’re able to trade Seidenberg (too bad for that NTC) and Paille and get some return for them but I dunno if the team can take another locker room leader after losing Boychuk and Thornton and Ference the last two seasons.

    I certainly wouldn’t trade Kelly, Marchand (despite his lackluster point total, his ability to keep the puck and possession numbers are impressive) and I know this is unpopular but Eriksson either. I don’t believe Eriksson has been bad but he certainly isn’t what was expected either.

  8. No good options beyond spending a few hundred bucks for a hot tub time machine to go back in time to keep Seguin or Boychuck. Short of that fantasy it looks like getting someone to fill next years roster with the team we will likely see on the ice is the next best thing. This year is quickly amounting to a bust given the injuries, poor play and miserable predictions made by the GM.

  9. I think the Bruins need to move on from Chiarelli before he turns the team into a team very few Bruins fans want to cheer for. It’s like he has no idea of what makes a good Bruins team win. They need heart (Ference), soul (Thornton), and grind (Boychuk). Now he’s looking to get trade Lucic, our team driven locomotive. If he hadn’t been so quick to trade Ference and Boychuk, he could be shopping Chara (the long reach just doesn’t seem worth it anymore) and Seidenberg hasn’t been the same since he came back from injury.

    • Right on….how did Chiarelli not consider Boychuk a “core player?” I think that trade devastated the fans…no telling what it did to the team. Boychuk is mentioned in nearly every post on this page, granted it’s only 9 posts, but he’s on alot of minds.

    • are you talking about the same chiarelli that took the bruins out of the gutter of the harry sinden era and made the boston bruins a championship team? because i think he knows a little about putting together a good team that wins

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