Earlier this week, Boston Bruins‘ GM Don Sweeney made his first significant roster move as he begins to address his club’s issues surrounding the salary cap. While the initial reaction I’ve seen from fans on different social media platforms is disappointment, many are commenting on why Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno were moved. However, Sweeney needs to shed salary, and Hall may be just the first domino to fall as the offseason progresses. Despite many believing the Bruins’ return in the trade is underwhelming, Sweeney did an excellent job of addressing some positional needs by acquiring two right-handed defencemen, Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula, from the Chicago Blackhawks. Today, we look deeper at the trade and the two newly acquired defencemen.
Bruins Address Positional Need with Taylor Hall Trade
Although Sweeney achieved his goal of opening some cap space by getting Hall’s $6 million average annual value (AAV) contract off the books, he also addressed a positional need within the organization by receiving two right-handed defencemen in the deal. Before the trade, the Bruins only had Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo locked up on the right side of their blue line. When looking at their prospect pool, the Bruins had Ryan Mast as their lone prospective right defenceman, who may have a future in the NHL.
With Connor Clifton, one of the Bruins’ pending unrestricted free agents, set to test the free agency waters, the addition of Mitchell may be his replacement for a fraction of the cost. Despite some of the Bruins’ fan reactions, Sweeney has potentially filled a hole on the roster while freeing up some much-needed cap space. Regula added another prospect in the position, and Sweeney added another right defenceman with a minor-league trade sending Shane Bowers to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Reilly Walsh. I had recently suggested the Bruins should be targeting some right defencemen at the NHL Draft, but it appears the Bruins may turn their focus to other areas with the job Sweeney has done by trading Hall.
Getting to Know the Bruins’ Newest Additions
Ian Mitchell
Mitchell comes to the Bruins as a pending restricted free agent. The Blackhawks drafted Mitchell in the second round, 57th overall at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He has split time between the American Hockey League (AHL) and NHL through his first three professional seasons. In 67 games with the Rockford IceHogs, the 24-year-old picked up 13 goals and 29 assists for 42 points. While playing for the Blackhawks, he appeared in 82 games, scoring four goals and 12 assists for 16 points.
Related: Grading Blackhawks’ Trade for Taylor Hall From Bruins
In comparison, Clifton has played in 232 games with the Bruins over five seasons picking up 10 goals and 33 assists for 43 points. Mitchell has averaged 0.20 points per game (P/GP), while Clifton sits at 0.19 P/GP. While Clifton brings a more physical presence to his game, Mitchell has the skill set to fill the hole left on the Bruins’ blue line by Clifton’s potential departure.
Coming to the Bruins’ organization also marks a reunion for Mitchell, who has previously played for head coach Jim Montgomery at the University of Denver. Mitchell followed a path similar to superstar defenceman Cale Makar making the jump from the Alberta Junior Hockey League to the NCAA. In 119 games with Denver, Mitchell scored 18 goals and 71 assists for 89 points. He also showed some potential leadership value by serving as an assistant captain during the 2018-19 season and then as team captain for the 2019-20 season.
Alec Regula
Regula is the second defenceman the Bruins acquired in the trade. At 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, Regula brings some size to the Bruins’ prospect pool. Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft in the third round, 67th overall, Regula has minimal NHL experience. Through three seasons with the Blackhawks organization, he appeared in 22 games with Chicago and spent the rest of the time playing with the IceHogs in the AHL. Last season, he played 51 games for the IceHogs, posting five goals and 16 assists for 21 points. His 69 penalty minutes also suggest a physical side that he brings to his game.
Although it appears Regula will be best served with some additional development in the AHL, at just 22 years old, he still has time to develop into a potential NHL defenceman. The addition also provides the Bruins with some options in the coming years. With his size, depending on his continued development, he could be an option to one day replace Carlo on the blue line, making the Bruins’ defenceman more expendable in years to come.
Hall Trade a Necessity for the Bruins
Without a doubt, the loss of Hall leaves a void in the Bruins’ offensive group; however, there is still a possibility of the Bruins retaining trade deadline acquisition Tyler Bertuzzi to help fill the gap. By picking up the two right-handed defencemen, Sweeney addressed an organizational need while creating some much-needed cap space. The move has also allowed the Bruins to focus on drafting centers with their first two selections at the 2023 NHL Draft as they begin to brace for life without Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Despite many reactions, the Bruins’ GM did a better job than many give him credit for with this trade. Of course, time will only tell how these two players turn out for the franchise in the long run, but with his hands tied, this job was well done.
