Last summer, the Boston Bruins gave Patrice Bergeron as long as he needed to decide whether or not he was going to retire or return for another season. Fast forward one year later and Boston is once again in a waiting pattern for not only Bergeron’s decision but also David Krejci’s, who returned last season after spending the previous season playing in his home country of Czechia.
It’s more likely that both will decide to call it quits and not return than return for the 2023-24 season. Regardless of their decision, Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney needs to realize that there are no in-house options to replace their veterans. If that doesn’t have to happen until 2024-25, there still will be no options with how their roster is currently constructed. It’s safe to say that the Bruins are on the lookout for their next top center.
One team has a potential answer to Sweeney’s needs and that’s the Winnipeg Jets. Mark Scheifele is entering the final year of his current eight-year contract for $49 million which carries an average annual value (AAV) of $6.125 million for the upcoming season. Fellow THW colleague Greg Liodice recently wrote that the Jets and Scheifele would both benefit from a trade, which would end his time in Winnipeg. If Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff decides to make him available, the Bruins have the assets to acquire the 30-year-old.
Where Scheifele Would Slot in With the Bruins?
Acquiring Scheifele would solve the Bruins’ issues up the middle. Regardless of their veteran’s decisions, he would be a perfect fit in the top six. If Bergeron doesn’t return, he is the perfect replacement between Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk on the first line, but if the Boston captain does come back, moving him between Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak is an instant upgrade from Krejci last season.
There is no doubt that Scheifele is still one of the top centers in the league. He is coming off a career-high in goals with 42 last season and 68 points averaging just under 20 minutes a night. He has had 40-plus assists in four of his last five seasons, finishing with 26 last season in 18 games. His Corsi for (CF%) was a career-high 58.5% in 2022-23 and his Fenwick for (FF%) was 57.2%. Selected seventh overall in the 2011 Entry Draft by Winnipeg, he is strong in the analytic side of things. According to Money Puck, he averaged 1.82 points per 60 minutes 5-on-5 and 1.17 goals per 60 minutes 5-on-5.
That is an example of what the Bruins would be getting should they acquire him. One key in getting him would be to work out an extension for the long term like Sweeney did with Hampus Lindholm in March of 2022 when he was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks. An extension would not be a problem as the Bruins project to have nearly $30 million in cap space in the summer of 2024, which opens the door for multiple moves by Sweeney. Scheifele would keep the Bruins in the mix as a playoff team filling the top-six center spot is a priority of Sweeney’s this summer from the outside.
What Would the Cost Be to Acquire Scheifele?
Boston has just a projected $6.9 million remaining in cap space after signing five free agents, James van Riemsdyk, Milan Lucic, Morgan Geekie, Patrick Brown, and Kevin Shattenkirk on July 1. Clearly, to make the deal work, Sweeney would need to send out at least some matching salary to fit Scheifele under the cap.
Boston has an abundance of left-shot defensemen and moving one of them is an option. It’s unlikely the Jets would want Derek Forbort back, but Matt Grzelcyk is a good puck-moving defenseman that could bring value to Winnipeg’s back end in the final year of his contract which has an AAV of $3.687 million. Brandon Carlo from the right side is an option as he carries an AAV of $4.1 million for four more seasons and is a nice shutdown blue liner. Sweeney spoke about Grzelcyk and trade rumors during his July 1 press conference following the start of free agency.
“I didn’t start any rumors. So, you want to ask me where they came from?” Sweeney said. “You want to look in the mirror? Maybe you guys started them, you know, is it hypothetical that they’re having conversations about players, our lineup? No. It’s a fact, and there’s no question that I’m never going to discuss whether or not a team has called me. That’s just the job. It doesn’t matter who it is. That’s disrespectful to a player, from my point of view, being a former player.”
Related: Grading the Bruins’ Start to 2023 Free Agency
If Winnipeg decides to move goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the Bruins have his replacement in either Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark. Breaking up a goaltending duo that just combined to win the William Jennings Trophy last season is a tough decision. Ullmark has two years remaining with a $5 million AAV, while Swayman is an RFA and filed for arbitration to help settle a deal with the Black and Gold. It seems like breaking that up might be the best option to add a player of Scheifele’s caliber. If it’s a combination of Grzeclyk, Swayman, or Ullmark to get a deal done, it’s something that Sweeney has to do with the future in mind. If a prospect is included in an effort to get it done, then so be it.
Bruins Have the Pieces to Acquire Scheifele
Despite what Sweeney has said, if acquiring Scheifele involves one of his two defensemen, plus a goalie, it’s a deal that he almost has to make. There is no guarantee that he would be available next summer if gets traded to another team who would most likely lock him up themselves. There are not many better options that could come available to the Bruins than Scheifele who would solve a current and future long-term issue that Boston is and will be facing. Regardless of who Winnipeg can get back in the trade, they would get players who are ready to contribute now and pieces they could also lock up long-term. This feels like it could be a win-win for both teams.
