NHL Notebook: Ranking Bruins’ top 20 trade assets as deadline season approaches

For most of the last couple of months, we here at BSJ have devoted a pretty hefty chunk of time diving into potential trade targets for the Bruins — assessing their fit, style of play and the risks/rewards that would come with pulling the trigger on any deal.

What we haven’t done all that much of is take a hard look at just what assets Don Sweeney and the Bruins have at their disposal to try and pry these impact players out of their respective markets.

Essentially we’ve been doing a whole lot of window shopping and stuffing our online carts to the brim — while blissfully ignoring whatever balance is on our checking account. But no longer.

The Bruins might be poised to be buyers in this deadline market, but you’re gonna have to give to get if Sweeney and Co. plan on putting this current roster over the top come the spring and summer.

So, which pieces do the Bruins have that could appeal to a team willing to sell off impact NHL talent? 

Let’s run through the list:

 20. Zach Senyshyn, RW

It sure seems like Senyshyn’s time in Boston is going to come to an end sooner rather than later. The 24-year-old winger clearly agrees with such sentiment, considering that he told Mark Divver that he requested a trade back in December.

A change in scenery might be the best thing for all parties at this point, especially with Senyshyn not getting a look up at the NHL ranks despite a pretty solid season so far down in Providence (16 goals in 42 games). 

Granted, I’m sure there are a couple of teams that would be interested in adding a player with Senyshyn’s skillset to their system. But I also doubt that the Bruins are going to get a whole lot for him if his trade request is granted in the coming weeks. The fact that no one plucked him off waivers back in the fall was awfully telling.

19. Matias Mäntykivi, C

Mäntykivi might sail under the radar a little bit because he’s still marinating overseas, but the 20-year-old forward could be poised to make his mark over in North America pretty soon. The 2019 sixth-round pick is now up to 30 points in 44 games over in the Finnish Liiga — where he’s producing at a steady clip against competition much older than him. 

18. Riley Duran, C

If teams are looking for value further down in Boston’s pipeline, the B’s do boast a number of intriguing prospects down in the Hockey East ranks. Duran, a Woburn native and 2020 sixth-round pick, has also impressed as a freshman with Providence College, scoring nine goals and 18 points over 36 games. He should develop into a very productive player if he spends three or more seasons under Nate Leaman's tutelage. 

17. Ty Gallagher, D

A great find for Boston in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Gallagher's shot-first mentality and playmaking potential from the blue line have already carried over from the U.S. NTDP to Commonwealth Avenue. With 16 points over 32 games as a freshman at BU, Gallagher is already looking like a promising piece to Boston's defensive corps in the coming years — or a tantalizing trade chip. 

16. Trevor Kuntar, C/LW

Kuntar, a sophomore at BC, has made the most of the added reps put on his plate this season with the Eagles — with the 2020 third-round pick now up to 20 points over 33 games. Also has a bit of a snarl to his game. Both Duran and Kuntar's projections up at the NHL level might be agitating, middle-six contributors, but either player could be a nice throw-in as part of a larger deal. 

15. Oskar Jellvik, F

Jellevik should be a prospect that Bruins fans start keeping tabs on moving forward. 

Like Mäntykivi, Jellevik might not be as notable a prospect, especially when compared to some of the youngsters playing in the Bruins' backyard in Hockey East play. 

But the 2021 fifth-round pick is already generating very solid returns for Boston, racking up 50 points in just 38 games for Djurgårdens IF J20 over in Sweden. It is important to note that Jellevik's numbers (good for eighth overall in J20) are in junior play, but the young forward's poise with the puck and playmaking talent regularly draw rave reviews from scouts. 

Bruins fans will be able to see Jellevik's development up close starting next season, as the Swede will play for Boston College in 2022-23. 

14. Jakub Lauko, LW/RW

When sizing up Lauko’s skillset, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that teams have asked about him in the past. 

When the 21-year-old winger is on his game, he can finish in tight, turn on the afterburners and put defenders on their heels — and has the prickly disposition that could make him an awfully effective bottom-six stalwart in the right situation. 

Alas, Lauko's knack for throwing his weight around and getting into scraps has also hampered his ability to remain out on the ice — with the 2018 third-round pick missing some significant stretches over the last few years due to injury. 

13. Jack Ahcan, D

Another solid college free-agent pickup from the Bruins out of St. Cloud State, Ahcan is a playmaking blueliner that has the tools to counter some of the limitations that come with his size (5-foot-9).

Ahcan, 24, is already a pretty polished pro at this stage of his career — routinely racking up points and commanding heavy minutes when patrolling the blue line down in Providence.  

But with Boston already rolling with three regulars on the left side (including two playmakers already in Matt Grzelcyk and Mike Reilly), Ahcan has only been used sparingly as a depth piece in Boston's lineup. 

If it's not in Boston, another team would love to take Ahcan off of the B's hands. He's a good, solid pro. 

12. Oskar Steen, C/W

The 23-year-old winger did hit a bit of a wall (six straight scoreless games) before getting sent down to Providence back in February, but the 2016 sixth-round pick could develop into a steady bottom-six option at the NHL level. 

Even though Steen showed some very encouraging flashes with Charlie Coyle on that third line when he was initially called up, you wonder where exactly he fits into this grouping now that Craig Smith seems to have settled into that 3RW spot.

11. Trent Frederic, C/W

After a pretty stagnant stretch of development in which Frederic was struggling to carve out his proper role and identity up in the NHL ranks, it looks as though the pugnacious forward is starting to put it all together down the stretch run with Boston. Even though Bruins fans might love Frederic for his willingness to drop the gloves against any and every foe, the Bruins believe his value is maximized when he's serving as more of an agitating presence and a heavy hitter — rather than a guy that's going to end up the sin bin over a steady clip. If he can continue to be a punishing force on Boston's third line and start to chip in offensively a bit more (nine points in 35 games), the Bruins might just staple him next to Charlie Coyle for the foreseeable future. 

10. Johnny Beecher, C

The 2019 first-round pick has definitely underwhelmed in terms of his offensive totals at Michigan (10 points in 28 games as a junior - 34 points in 75 games), but the Bruins are still holding out hope that the fleet-footed, big-bodied pivot could develop into a key cog in Boston’s bottom-six unit in the coming years.

Even if the Bruins are likely wishing that Beecher produced a bit more in the collegiate ranks (especially on a loaded Michigan club in 2021-22), I imagine they’re still hesitant about moving him — not before they see how his game might adapt to the pros. 

9. 2022 second-round pick 

Yes, a first-round pick stands as the ideal draft capital that sellers will covet, but the Bruins could also secure a useful player in a package deal if they were willing to relinquish their second-round pick in 2022.

Boston has been willing to relinquish their second-round pick in previous years (2016, 2019 and 2021) — acquiring Brett Connolly, Marcus Johansson and Taylor Hall in those respective moves.

Even though Boston would obviously much rather cough up a second-round pick than a first in any move, Sweeney and the Bruins have also had a pretty solid track record in years past when it comes to identifying talent during picks from the low 30s to the low 60s. 

Here are the players that the Bruins have selected in the second round since the 2015 NHL Draft:

Brandon Carlo, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, Jack Studnicka, Axel Andersson, Mason Lohrei

Not too shabby. 

8. Urho Vaakanainen, D 

Vaakanainen is in a tough spot just a few weeks out from the deadline. While the 2017 first-round pick seemed to be mired in a developmental no man’s land going into the season, the Finnish product significantly raised his stock since the turn of the new year — looking the part as a blue-line fixture at the NHL level. 

Over 15 games with Boston, Vaakanainen averaged over 19 minutes of ice time per contest and recorded four helpers — helping both solidify the left side of Boston’s defense and holding his own on the right side next to Derek Forbort.

However, with Vaakanainen currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, it remains to be seen just what his value might be on the market. And even if he is deemed healthy, Vaakanainen could be a useful depth piece for this D corps moving forward — if not a legitimate starter next to Forbort on that third D pair. 

7. Brett Harrison, C

A big-bodied pivot with plenty of upside in the offensive zone, Harrison is already looking like a strong pickup for Boston in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft (one of what is looking like many quality prospects that the B's scooped up back in July). 

After trudging through a fragmented OHL season in 2021 that included a stint over in Finland, Harrison is back with the Oshawa Generals and is racking up the points — posting 21 goals and 47 total points over 48 games. 

The 18-year-old center will need to round out his overall game before he's ready to make the jump up to the pro game, but the Bruins look like they've got a good one here in Harrison. 

6. Jack Studnicka, C

At this juncture of his pro career, it’s tough to gauge Studnicka’s value — both in terms of his potential as an everyday NHLer and just how much other teams might covet him. Granted, he may not be the offensive-minded, top-six pivot that the Bruins hoped that he’d develop into at this stage of his career, but he does possess some attributes that could make him a valuable, two-way pivot in the right situation.

His latest stint up with Boston wasn't too flashy, but Bruce Cassidy and the Bruins didn’t have any qualms with the youngster’s efforts to round out his 200-foot game.

"I thought he played well," Cassidy said. "He had a couple of puck plays that we've talked to him about valuing offensive zone possession at certain times, the hope plays that don't work as well here. That's a little thing. But like a lot of young guys, value it a little more there, be a little more certain. Otherwise, I thought he was engaged in the game, attacking, wiling to go to the dirty areas. I liked his game. Gave us some juice. We're missing a little bit of that, some younger guys come in, give us some juice.”

He’ll likely not secure the same return that he would have commanded a few years ago when he was far and away Boston’s top prospect. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of teams were very interested in adding him to their prospect pool — especially a rebuilding club that could give him a bit more leeway up in the pros. 

5.  2023 first-round pick

When it comes to something as valuable as first-round draft capital, teams would likely rather focus on the present instead of future compensation. 

But if you're a team assessing how to best maximize your return in any deal with Boston, is it possible that the Bruins' 2023 first-round pick might hold more value than the 2022 pick?

Even though the Bruins still have the framework of a very good team next year with guys like Marchand, McAvoy, Pastrnak, Hall and others all in place — things could go sideways for the B's very quick, especially if Patrice Bergeron retires and Boston has next to no contingency plan in place to address that vacancy down the middle. 

Add in the fact that the 2023 NHL Draft has most scouts salivating at the potential that should be scattered throughout the first round — and it wouldn't surprise me if some teams are interested in playing the long game with Boston when it comes to draft picks. 

4. Jake DeBrusk, LW/RW

Who would have thunk that we’d find this guy here? Yes, with DeBrusk’s trade request still in place, the disgruntled winger is far and away the most likely piece on Boston’s NHL roster that will be playing elsewhere in the next few weeks.

And thanks to his recent scoring heater (eight goals, 10 points over eight games), DeBrusk’s value has certainly spiked. Still, while conventional thinking would draw some sort of correlation between the forward’s strong play and the likelihood of Boston getting a hefty return for him, that’s far from a given when it comes to DeBrusk’s trade saga. 

As we noted earlier this week, the Bruins don’t necessarily need to trade DeBrusk ahead of March 21, especially if teams continue to low-ball Sweeney and don’t want to pay the asking price that Boston is looking for. Be it his track record of up-and-down production or a $4.4 million qualifying offer that’s due this summer, it wouldn’t come as a shock if teams are unwilling to give up critical assets for DeBrusk. 

Add in the fact that moving DeBrusk without a suitable replacement on the first line could create a disruptive domino effect further down the depth chart, and this is a pretty complicated situation in what was originally thought of as a cut-and-dry trade request.

Ultimately, I think DeBrusk is still moved in the next few weeks. But Boston better have a contingency plan in place for his spot in the lineup, because I doubt Cassidy wants to bump Craig Smith out of that third-line spot right now. 

3. 2022 first-round pick 

Whether it's another impact center, a scoring winger or a proven top-four presence on the blue line — if the Bruins want to swing for the fences ahead of March 21, they're likely going to have to cough up that first-round pick.

Don Sweeney has not been afraid to surrender such valuable draft capital in years past — giving up first-rounders in both 2018 and 2020 to acquire scoring help in Rick Nash and Ondrej Kase (and flush David Backes' contract off the books).

But it's not a decision that Boston's GM takes lightly, as seen when he aired his frustrations of not being able to trade back into the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft in an effort to restock the B's cupboard of prospects.

As seen last summer when a tantalizing prospect in Fabian Lysell fell in Boston's lap, consistently drafting in the first round is a pretty established best practice when it comes to rebuilding your club and setting yourself up for long-term success. But if that first rounder is the thing standing in the way of a Tomas Hertl or Jakob Chychrun? It's as good as gone. 

2. Mason Lohrei, D 

One of the two crown jewels in Boston’s prospect pool, Lohrei has gone from an intriguing project to a legitimate playmaking ace during his first year of collegiate action. The 21-year-old defenseman has been an O-zone menace for Ohio State as a freshman, posting 29 points over 31 games for the Buckeyes.

If you’re keeping track, Lohrei is the eighth-highest scoring freshman in D-I hockey this season (third if you’re counting defensemen) and is near the top of the list of all NCAA talent in terms of assists with his 25 helpers on the year. 

Lohrei still needs to work on his skating and his overall D-zone play before he’s ready to move on to the next level, but the blueliner’s offensive instincts, coupled with his strong frame (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) makes him a very promising piece for the future.

Of course, Lohrei’s true ceiling is a bit tough to map out right now. Is he potentially a third-pairing playmaker and power-play weapon that needs to be sheltered at even-strength play? Will he translate up to the pro game at all? Or do the Bruins have their own version of a John Carlson waiting in the wings?

The latter scenario is exactly why the Bruins are hesitant to move him in any deal. 

1. Fabian Lysell, RW

Had we held this audit of Boston’s assets back in early January, Jeremy Swayman would be the runaway favorite when it comes to the B’s most attractive and coveted asset. But with Tuukka Rask’s retirement and Swayman ascending to the No. 1 spot on Boston’s goalie depth chart in short order, he’s not going anywhere. 

And if the Bruins hold firm, neither will their new top prospect in Fabian Lysell. 

The Bruins were already doing somersaults when the elite-skating winger fell to them with the 21st overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, and the 19-year-old Swede has done little to dispel the notion that he could develop into a high-octane, scoring threat up at the NHL ranks.

Lysell has continued to stuff his highlight reel during his time with the Vancouver Giants, putting up 42 points over 36 games while continuing to adjust to the hurdles that come with adapting to the North American game.

Don’t be surprised if Lysell earns a brief look up with Providence at the end of this season? As for what’s next after that? The sky is the limit on this kid. 

Is Lysell completely untouchable? Likely not. But man, it’d have to be one hell of an offer to pry Lysell out of Boston.

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Cassidy reflects on Kuraly's impact in Boston

It was lost in the shuffle a bit with Rick Nash's jersey retirement and Nick Foligno's return to Columbus, but Saturday also marked the first time Sean Kuraly faced off against the Bruins as a foe — with the longtime B’s pivot now skating for his hometown Blue Jackets. 

Kuraly, who entrenched himself as Boston’s fourth-line pivot during his tenure in a black-and-gold sweater, seems to be making the most of his move back to Ohio. The 29-year-old forward has already tied his career-high for goals scored in a season with eight through 56 games — and it just two points away from his career-high of 23. 

Speaking ahead of Saturday's game, Cassidy praised Kuraly for his growth during his time in Boston — going from a Providence call-up to a versatile weapon that anchored Boston's fourth line during some memorable Cup runs. 

"We brought him up late in the year — was my first year when I took over. He was a guy that had high energy, could close in the D zone. We like that. We wanted to increase that area of our game or get better there and he was good for us in that regard," Cassidy said of Kuraly. "He toggled from left wing to center and we liked him at center. So his growth a lot was in the circle, became a real excellent faceoff guy. ... Sean was a good player for us. And it was tough to lose a guy like that — even though he was a San Jose pick, we felt that he was a homegrown Bruin in our eyes.  His offensive game got better. Might have a little more of an opportunity here it looks like then maybe he would have had with us. 

"We were deeper in the middle which is what he wanted. So I'm happy for him in that regard and he's back home. We miss him, but he's a great kid. A real good teammate — guys loved him and maybe that was a part of his growth as well, is just his influence around the guys too and anchoring that fourth line. He probably came in as a young guy... and then became that guy that was the glue on the line. So that I guess that would be his biggest growth is he owned the line by the time he left."

NHL levies suspensions on Russian partnerships, sites

The NHL joined the growing chorus of entities condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine earlier this week, with the league announcing a number of measures designed to limit the NHL’s footprint and available content within the country moving forward.

The National Hockey League condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine and urges a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible," the statement read. "Effective immediately, we are suspending our relationships with our business partners in Russia and we are pausing our Russian language social and digital media sites. In addition, we are discontinuing any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions involving the NHL.

"We also remain concerned about the well-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL clubs, and not on behalf of Russia. We understand they and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position."

The NHL’s actions on Monday came as part of an extended response from the international hockey community in wake of Russia’s actions in Ukraine — with the IIHF announcing a few hours ahead of the NHL that it has banned teams from Belarus and Russia from participating in international hockey events "until further notice." The international hockey organization also announced that it will relocate the 2023 World Junior Championship tournament out of Russia.

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Gotta say, if you want to make a convincing case for Patrice Bergeron's fifth Selke Trophy, just show the voters this clip. 

Nice save, Patrice.