NHL Notebook: Which under-the-radar names could Bruins target at the trade deadline?

There’s less than a month to go until the March 21st trade deadline and surprise, surprise — the Bruins seem to be linked to a number of top-flight targets that are currently getting dangled out on the market.

Given Boston’s desire to both make the most of what’s left of this contention window — as well as potentially bridge the talent gap if/when Patrice Bergeron retires — it’s not necessarily a surprise to hear that the Bruins have been perusing around the NHL in search of outside help.

We’ve certainly been busy breaking down potential Bruins trades, focusing on some of the top names entrenched at the top of teams’ wish lists.

You know the crew by now. 

• Tomas Hertl. 
• Jakob Chychrun. 
• J.T. Miller.
• Conor Garland.
• Hampus Lindholm.
• John Klingberg.
• Brock Boeser.
• Max Domi.  

But there are heaps of other skaters whose names have started to sprout up in trade whispers that could be appealing targets for the Bruins.

Fair to say, it’s not like Mike Reilly, Ondrej Kase, Nick Ritchie, Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson were at the top of the trade big boards during the respective seasons that they were dealt. 

So which under-the-radar pieces could the Bruins target between now and March 21st? 

Let’s run through a couple of names. 

(Note: These following stats are accurate as of Saturday afternoon).

Brandon Hagel, LW/RW, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 23
Stats: 47 games played, 17 goals, 13 assists
Contract: $1.5 million cap hit - signed through 2023-24

Be it down the middle or on the wing, the Bruins are going to need to add some extra scoring punch to this roster ahead of the deadline, especially with a guy like Jake DeBrusk and his (albeit uneven) production likely out the door.

For as much as paying up and acquiring a legit top-six center sure seems like the prudent move for this team, we did examine the potential benefits that might come with Boston adding a weapon on the wing such as Garland — an O-zone difference-maker with term who could allow Boston to keep both David Pastrnak/Taylor Hall and the Frederic-Coyle-Smith line intact.

But if Garland is either unavailable or the asking price set by Jim Rutherford is too high, Hagel sure seems like a solid contingency plan as a young, middle-six winger locked into a very favorable contract.

Granted, Hagel’s stock is likely rising after the 23-year-old forward buried a hat trick against the Devils, but the north-south skater still isn’t getting as much play as some of the other rumored available wingers with loftier resumes. 

Even though his guaranteed point production isn’t as established as, say, a Garland, Hagel’s strides this season and his age do offer intrigue for any team that might be willing to pay for a guy that could be a 20-goal fixture for the next few seasons. 

A strong forechecker that’s at his best burying his chances down low, Hagel could be the type of player that could thrive with Brad Marchand and Bergeron on that top line even as a left shot (granted, which type of player wouldn’t?), and he draws quite a few parallels with Jake DeBrusk during his first few seasons up in the NHL.

If you’re looking at outright 5v5 point production, Hagel has posted 1.92 points per 60 minutes at 5v5 play this year, just below Tomas Hertl (1.93) and ahead of names such as Ryan O’Reilly (1.88), Tom Wilson (1.84) and Anze Kopitar (1.84).

Granted, given both the possibility of Hagel reaching an even higher offensive ceiling as he matures, coupled with a steal of a contract that will only pay him $1.5 million per year through 2024, it’s still going to take quite a bit to pry him from Chicago. 

Still, Hagel could fit in well for a Bruins team that could use more scoring punch this season, while also building for the future. 

Andrew Copp, C/LW, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 27
Stats: 47 games played, 12 goals, 16 assists
Contract: $3.6 million cap hit, will be UFA this summer

Whether it be addressing a flaw on this current roster or building for the future, it’s pretty obvious that the Bruins desperately need to add some talent down the middle, especially with Bergeron’s future up in the air.

And if names like Hertl or Miller are either off the board or too pricy, a pending UFA like Copp could make sense for Boston if it’s still looking for an upgrade at the pivot position. With Winnipeg bottoming out in the standings, Copp is likely going to be donning a new sweater in the next few weeks, especially with the Michigan native due for a new contract.

Even though Copp may not exactly be a surefire top-six pivot, he does offer plenty of value as a versatile weapon, with the forward scoring at a 50+ point pace per 82 games over his last two seasons. 

And even though his defensive totals have slipped considerably this season (perhaps a byproduct of this unraveling Jets team), Copp’s game for years centered on his strong D-zone play and prowess on the PK. Perhaps slotting him with a defense-first team in Boston will get those metrics rising once again. 

Yes, Copp is likely a fallback option for the Bruins (and his lack of postseason scoring over the years does present a bit of a red flag - 3 goals and 12 points in 34 games), but you could do a whole lot worse in terms of an addition down the middle, especially if Copp regains his two-way talent.

Artturi Lehkonen, LW/RW, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 26
Stats: 49 games played, 7 goals, 13 assists
Contract: $2.3 million cap hit, will be RFA this summer

The Bruins and Habs making a deal?? Sure seems pretty unfathomable, although perhaps the new management team with Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes thaws some of the icy relations between the Original Six rivals.

When looking at Lehkonen’s profile, he sure seems to fit right in with a Bruins system that preaches defensive responsibility and all-out effort — with the versatile winger holding his own despite having less than 50 percent of his faceoffs start in the offensive zone during 5v5 play. 

Granted, his offensive totals may not exactly jump off the page, but Lehkonen is the type of Swiss Army Knife that could make an already stingy B’s defense that much tougher to beat. 

Calvin de Haan, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 30
Stats: 48 games played, 1 goal, 4 assists
Contract: $4.5 million AAV, pending UFA this summer

You could make the argument that the Bruins need an upgrade on their D corps ahead of the playoff push, but be it the exorbitant asking price for a guy like Jakob Chychryn or the risk of acquiring a pricy rental that seems keen on getting paid in July in Hampus Lindholm, perhaps the best option for Boston is to shore up its depth on, say, the third pairing, with a stingy presence.

If that’s the route that Boston takes, a guy like de Haan makes plenty of sense as a no-nonsense defender that compliments a pair next to another stay-at-home option like Derek Forbort. 

He certainly isn’t flashy, and his baseline numbers may not stand out on a pretty bad Chicago team, but de Haan is the type of player that a contender picks up to beef up their defense down the stretch. 

de Haan is often sent out for daunting defensive assignments and holds his own, with the blueliner averaging 6.8 blocks per 60 minutes at 5v5 play over the past three seasons. That’s the fifth-highest shot-block rate among NHLers over that extended sample size. 

Justin Braun, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 35
Stats: 51 games played, 4 goals, 10 assists
Contract: $1.8 million AAV, pending UFA this summer

Much like de Hann, Braun is likely just a temporary stopgap designed to bolster the bottom of Boston’s defense — but if the 35-year-old veteran is available for cheap, he could offer a pretty solid value pickup, especially when compared to the absurd asking price that the Habs are setting for a flawed defenseman like Ben Chiarot.

Dominik Kubalik, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 26
Stats: 53 games, 10 goals, 9 assists
Contract: $3.7 million AAV, pending RFA this summer

You can draw plenty of comparisons between DeBrusk and Kubalik — both talented wingers who have seen their production drop and are in desperate need of a change of scenery. Kubalik’s drop-off in recent years has been quite staggering, especially considering the Czech product stormed onto the scene in 2019-20 and buried 30 goals in just 68 games.

But since that fantastic rookie season, Kubalik’s production has cratered, especially this year. Now, given Kubalik’s past production, I don’t think a 1-for-1 swap for DeBrusk gets it done, and there’s plenty of risk involved with Boston acquiring a guy whose production has been on a slippery slope these last few years.

But if Kubalik can regain his scoring touch, he could be a great buy-low candidate for a team in desperate need of some O-zone punch on the wing. 

Travis Boyd, C/W, Arizona Coyotes
Age: 28
Stats: 44 games, 10 goals, 14 assists
Contract: $750,000 AAV, pending UFA this summer

So long as they’re healthy, the duo of Tomas Nosek and Curtis Lazar should give Boston a pretty effective checking unit that’s capable of holding their own in the D-zone while cashing in on chances down the other end of the ice.

Add in foot soldiers like Anton Blidh who are able to add some thump when necessary, or perhaps Nick Foligno if he can find his groove at the 4LW spot (an outcome that the Bruins are certainly hoping for), and this fourth line may not be an area that the Bruins need to upgrade ahead of the deadline.

However, if the Bruins are perhaps looking to add a bit more scoring pop in the bottom-six, a guy like Boyd could be a good fit. Granted, he’s made the most of the added minutes available playing for a brutal Arizona club, but Boyd could be a productive addition to Boston’s fourth line thanks to his playmaking talents and knack for the net.

Boyd is far from the only cheap pickup that Boston could look to acquire for their fourth line, with guys like Ryan Carpenter also offering some intrigue as a two-way option. If Boston is also looking to add some heft, perhaps some thumpers like Nicolas Deslauriers could also be available. 

Rickard Rakell, LW/RW, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 28
Stats: 44 games, 14 goals, 11 assists
Contract: $3.7 million AAV, pending UFA this summer

A familiar name to most Bruins fans when it comes to potential trade targets over the years, Rakell might FINALLY get moved in the coming weeks — especially with the winger looking to potentially cash in on a new deal this summer.

Even though his scoring has dipped since he posted back-to-back 30+ goal seasons in 2016 and 2017, Rakell is a versatile winger who could potentially solve the vacancy on the Bergeron line if Boston was interested in plucking him out of Anaheim. 

His ceiling might be a bit lower than some expected of him, but plenty of teams will gladly take a player in Rakell who, if healthy, can post 40-50 points per season. He’s not finishing plays and burying chances at a high rate, but his play-driving ability at 5v5 does offer some hope that Rakell could break out if slotted next to a couple of skilled playmakers. 

Calle Jarnkrok, LW/RW, Seattle Kraken
Age: 30
Stats: 10 goals, 12 assists in 40 games
Contract: $2 million AAV, pending UFA this summer

Ideally, the Bruins would be interested in a young, goal-scoring pivot like Jared McCann. But given that McCann seems to be one of the few useful pieces Ron Francis scooped up in an otherwise awful roster-building window last summer, the Kraken would be wise to hold onto him.

But if Boston is still looking for a two-way winger capable of potting 15 goals a season, Jarnkrok could have a place in this Bruins lineup. Not entirely sure how he fits into Boston’s long-term plans, but he also likely won’t come at a high cost for Don Sweeney and Co.

———

Chara reaches new games-played milestone

Zdeno Chara might be in the final stages of his Hall of Fame career, but even though his return to the Islanders hasn’t exactly worked out for both team and player, the veteran blueliner has continued to etch his names into the record books in what stands as his 24th NHL season.

On Thursday, the 44-year-old Chara set the record for most games played by an NHL defenseman when he skated in the 1,652nd game of his career, surpassing Chris Chelios’ previous record for a blueliner.  

Chara, who capped his historic night with a scrap against San Jose’s Jeffrey Viel, was given a standing ovation at SAP Center in recognition of his new milestone.

Speaking earlier this week, Bruce Cassidy reflected on Chara’s impact in the league — and not just on the ice. 

“Zee, the year we went to the Final — we were in January, and we had a conversation," Cassidy recalled. "Our team was kind of uneven for stretches there and we had a sitdown, because I was pushing the D to add an element to their game and he came in and kind of went through some things and he walked me through the good teams he's been on and thought that that team had the ability with the people in the room.

“And sometimes you need to hear that from the players because, as I said before, I allow them to police the room and he was there, Bergy's there with those guys and you still need some feedback from that. So it was a good sitdown for us and that was probably the thing where I say sometimes he's taught me more than I've taught him — is that he walked me through, 'Okay this is the steps we probably need to get going here as we go forward.' And as the head coach you still have to have your conviction, but it was nice to get some feedback from him about it and he was right.

“We got better in that second half and really got going, added a few people at the deadline and took off. So for me, Zee — I think he's a bit of a teacher for everybody. Not just Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo when they come in but coaches and other people. So a big congrats to Zee. He deserves it. He's one of a kind when it comes to that mentality and ability to stay at that level of physical conditioning and hopefully, he catches whoever's next on the list if that's his wish.  I wish him all the best because he's a terrific person."

———

Meanwhile, over in Vancouver, it sure seems like Fabian Lysell is finishing his first North American hockey campaign on a high note. As of Saturday afternoon, Lysell is now up to 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) over 34 games with the Vancouver Giants. 

Would not be surprised at all if Lysell is given a chance with Providence in the closing weeks of the 2021-22 season once the WHL campaign wraps up. He sure looks like the real deal.

Stats and graphs via Natural Stat Trick, HockeyViz and JFreshHockey.