In this edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, many have suggested general manager Don Sweeney needs to improve his blue line for next season, and one possible name that could help in that regard is John Klingberg. Meanwhile, there has also been whispers that Kirby Dach of the Chicago Blackhawks could be an interesting trade target for the Bruins this summer.
In other news, Brad Marchand is expected to miss six months due to surgery. Last but not least, David Pastrnak and Team Czechia were able to win bronze at the IIHF World Championships over Jeremy Swayman and Team USA on Sunday.
Klingberg an Option for Bruins Blueline
Ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, there was some speculation that the Bruins may look to acquire Klingberg from the Dallas Stars. After all, the 29-year-old was in the final year of his deal and had reportedly requested a trade earlier in the season. In the end, however, management instead chose to acquire Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks, though that doesn’t necessarily mean Klingberg won’t dawn Bruins colors in the future.
Recently, Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now discussed how the Bruins need to improve their blue line moving forward, while also noting that they have missed Torey Krug’s offensive abilities since his departure after the 2019-20 season. While Murphy made it clear it was pure speculation on his part, the one name he suggested as a replacement was none other than Klingberg.
While Klingberg would by no means come cheap in free agency, he has been one of the game’s most consistent producers on the back end since his rookie 2014-15 campaign. This past season on a Stars team that struggled to put the puck in the net, he was still able to manage 47 points in 74 games. Given that he will turn 30 this summer, the Bruins will have to be careful to not overprice him, but he is certainly a player for management to, at the very least, consider bringing in.
Bruins Center Depth Could Be Improved with Dach Addition
Another potential move the Bruins may consider this summer is bringing in Dach from the Blackhawks. Kevin Paul of the Boston Globe recently suggested this move, and his reasoning behind it makes sense. As he states in his article, with the unknown status of Patrice Bergeron, Sweeney needs to add at least one centermen to the mix, as the best two under contract currently are Erik Haula and Charlie Coyle. (from ‘Kevin Paul Dupont: Early playoff exit means Bruins may need to be bold in rebuilding roster, especially up front,’ Boston Globe 05/21/22).
Related: Marchand’s Injury Adds to Bruins’ Offseason Questions
Despite Dach failing to have a large impact at the NHL level just yet, he is still just 21 years old, and has plenty of talent, proven by the fact he was taken third overall in the 2019 draft. There is still a ton of potential for him, but given his lack of success to this point, Dupont is in the belief it may not cost as much as some would suggest to acquire him. In fact, the package he suggested would see Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo headed the other way. While I personally am skeptical that the Blackhawks would take interest in that deal, there is no denying how exciting seeing Dach in a Bruins sweater would be.
Marchand Undergoes Surgery
This past week, the Bruins announced that Marchand had undergone arthroscopy and labral repair on both hips. This obviously is a very major procedure, one that is expected to keep the 34-year-old out for roughly six months.
Given the severity of the procedures, many Bruins fans are worried about whether or not Marchand will be the same player moving forward. After all, he is not young by NHL standards, and has plenty of miles on him already. With that said, there are few that match his work ethic and overall passion for the game. That in itself should go a long ways in helping the elite point producer make a full recovery and continue being a dominate player in 2022-23.
Pastrnak Wins Bronze at World Championships
Though no Bruins were up for a gold medal in a game between Canada and Finland, Swayman and Pastrnak were able to go head-to-head for a bronze on Sunday morning. As it turns out, the 26-year-old Czech winger will have bragging rights over the Bruins young netminder moving forward, as he and his teammates were able to defeat USA 8-4.
As one would imagine, Pastrnak played a huge part in his team’s offense, as he managed three goals over Swayman in the final frame. Unfortunately for Swayman, things didn’t go his way in the outing, as he was beaten seven times. That said, he still posted a respectable 2.23 goals against average paired with a .909 save percentage in the tournament. As for Pastrnak, he scored seven goals and 10 points in just nine games.
Looking Ahead for the Bruins
As far as trades go, things will remain quiet for the Bruins, as the Stanley Cup Playoffs are still ongoing. That doesn’t mean, however, that there won’t be any changes for this organization. While it still remains unknown, head coach Bruce Cassidy’s job status remains in limbo given comments made by Cam Neely last week. Though there are plenty of uncertainties with this team heading into this summer, it appears their goal is still to do everything they can to compete with the leagues best moving forward.
