2 Forwards the Bruins Need to Pursue This Offseason

The Boston Bruins have no first-line center in the organization; it’s a flaw the team tried to address with Elias Lindholm and failed.

The Bruins have Fraser Minten and James Hagens in the ranks, but they’re nowhere near where the team needs them to be in terms of their development, no matter how impressive they were.

With a task of building a roster worthy of a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, general manager (GM) Don Sweeney has to tune out the noise from armchair GMs elsewhere.

Bruins Have Two Trade Targets in the Offseason

If they’re to improve their forward core, they need only look to the Western Conference to find upgrades down the middle and the left flank.

After finishing sixth in the Pacific Division, with a record of 34-37-11, the Seattle Kraken could find multiple players to unload and begin rebuilding a roster to compete. That means getting rid of forwards who could bring a decent return for each.

Here’s who Sweeney should target to keep the retool flush with talent that could bring scoring and grit to the Bruins.

Shane Wright

Shane Wright was selected fourth overall in 2022 by the Kraken and was projected to be a franchise player. However, Wright has looked downright terrible in his first few seasons in the NHL.

In 169 games played for the Kraken, he’s scored 36 goals, 42 assists, and 78 points, and has yet to establish his dominance in the NHL. His play has been so lackluster that there were trade rumors afloat in January, but Wright stayed put as the trade deadline flew by.

Wright scored 12 goals and 27 points for the Kraken this season, playing his last game on the second line flanked by Kaapo Kakko and Jani Nyman. Per Natural Stat Trick, this line played eight games together and a total of 70:51, with a Corsi-for percentage (CF%) of 52.98.

Wright’s contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, paying him an average annual value of $886,000. The Bruins would have control over his contract, which could be great for the team if he plays up to expectations in Boston.

What would the cost for Wright, a first-round pick of the Kraken, be? Utilizing Inside The Rink’s framework, the Bruins could move Fabian Lysell, a 2021 first-round pick, in a one-for-one deal.

The mock trade proposal I’ve seen online is a one-for-one deal sending Shane Wright to Winnipeg and Cole Perfetti to Seattle, and both teams end up in the same position after the trade.

Though I believe moving someone like Cole Perfetti would be a price too high for Wright. The point of this trade would be to swap first-round picks, giving both players a fresh start. Could Wright find a way to rejuvenate his career with the Bruins?

Jared McCann

Ever since Jared McCann was acquired by the Kraken from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2021 Expansion Draft, he’d found a new home in the Pacific Northwest.

Becoming a top-six forward who the Kraken could depend upon as a sniper and playmaker, McCann quickly punched above his weight and his bargain $2.9 million AAV contract.

McCann is a pending unrestricted free agent in 2026-27, and according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the team is interested in moving the former 40-goal scorer.

His production did take a nosedive this season, but a change of scenery could be a great move for both the Kraken and McCann. McCann’s value wouldn’t be at its peak due to his lower-body injury affecting his production, but he still managed to score 20 goals this season.

GM Jason Botterill could focus on finding a contender to send McCann to, which would be a nice send-off to one of the team’s best forwards. In 52 games this season, he scored 20 goals, 20 assists, and 40 points, and is capable of being a 60-70 point forward once again. He finished the remainder of the season on the sidelines with a lower-body injury.

McCann is a tool a contending team should have in their arsenal, and he’d be a great fit on the left of David Pastrnak. He’s played 720 games in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kraken, Florida Panthers, and Vancouver Canucks, and comes with a $5 million AAV cap hit.

What could the Bruins expect to pay for McCann’s services? For such a cost-controlled contract, in mock trades before, we’ve seen top prospects being moved with a first-round pick attached.

See Heavy.com:

Maple Leafs acquire:

• Jared McCann

Kraken acquire:

• Easton Cowan
• Nick Robertson
• 2026 first-round pick

It’d be smart for Sweeney to utilize what leverage he’d have in the deal by bringing up his production this season as a means of controlling what pieces fly out the door. If we’re going by the framework above, maybe the Bruins would send Lysell, Matthew Poitras, and a 2027 first-round pick to Seattle.

Kraken Have Offensive Depth the Bruins Need

The Bruins need help down the middle, and Wright may never mature into a first-line center; he could be a good fit for the second-line or third-line center role. Wright’s two-way playstyle would work for the Bruins, who need to do more to protect Jeremy Swayman, as we saw during the first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.

McCann’s value to the Bruins is a purely offensive role, and as a sniper who could add more firepower to the top six, where it’s sorely lacking. As a former 40-goal scorer and playmaker, McCann could help push the Bruins deeper into the playoffs in the future, should the Bruins be so bold as to make a move for the Kraken forward.