Report: Bruins May Be Shopping Key Players

The Boston Bruins have had a rough start to the season.

Following Monday’s 6-3 loss to division rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bruins are 0-3-0. That may be part of the reason that the team is feeling out what they could get in return to for veteran leaders like Zdeno Chara and Brad Marchand, according to CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty.

Haggerty writes:

According to separate hockey sources, there has been some level of recent trade discussion about veterans Zdeno Chara and Brad Marchand with other teams around the league, just to name a few B’s players. The talks haven’t been substantial but more exploratory in nature, as the team quietly gauges the market value of higher-priced veterans who may not fit in the long-term picture if the decision is made to tear down the current roster.

Insofar as talks are exploratory, it seems like the Bruins are content to see how things go in the near term, but are prepared to consider what happens if the rough start to the season doesn’t subside substantially.

It’s not just the losses, but they’re getting beat by significant margins. The goal differential after three games is 16-7.

A move like this would be a continuation of the roster transformation that started over the summer with the hiring of GM Don Sweeney and the subsequent moves to wind up with three 1st round picks, along with the exit of Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic.

Both of the players mentioned by name have been out of the lineup for Boston, with Marchand out indefinitely with a concussion and Chara missing the season’s first two games with an upper body injury. Char returned for Tuesday’s loss.