NHL Notebook: Is the Bruins’ best trade partner actually down in Philly?

The NHL trade deadline is now just a little over a week away.

And over the last few months, we here at BSJ have compiled deep dives on a variety of trade targets for the Bruins, including the likes of:

• Tomas Hertl
• Jakob Chychrun
• J.T. Miller
• Conor Garland
• Hampus Lindholm
• John Klingberg
• Brock Boeser
• Jacob Middleton
• Brandon Hagel 
• Andrew Copp
• Calvin de Haan 
• Dominik Kubalik 
• Rickard Rakell
• Calle Jarnkrok
• Justin Braun

Notice a bit of a trend? Yes, these various players dispersed across the NHL might vary in terms of position, skill and potential impact if they landed on Boston’s roster. But of those 15 players listed above, only one (Braun) resides on a team in the Eastern Conference. 

That was not done by mistake. 

When it comes to striking deals and moving assets that could haunt you further down the line, it’s only natural for teams to want to do business with teams on the opposite coast — or at least clubs that don’t frequent your barn very often. 

Given some of the names on the aforementioned list above and the cost required to pry them out of their current markets, it’s to be expected that the Bruins would want to send some of their prized assets — be it a potential 20-goal, bounceback candidate in Jake DeBrusk or even a blue-chip prospect like Mason Lohrei — as far west as possible.

Braun, the 35-year-old veteran blueliner who could be a cost-efficient value add further down the depth chart, serves as the outlier as a member of the Flyers.  In a far-from-stunning development, the B’s and the Broad Street Bullies haven’t had the most fluid transaction history.

Since 2000, the Bruins and Flyers have only agreed to terms on four deals. 

• Feb. 13, 2001 - Bruins acquire a 2001 9th-round pick in exchange for rights to Matt Zultek
• Oct. 13, 2008 - Bruins acquire Ned Lukacevic and a 2009 4th-round pick for Andrew Alberts
• March 5, 2014 - Bruins acquire Andrej Meszaros for a 3rd-round pick 
• June 29, 2015 - Bruins acquire Zac Rinaldo for a 3rd-round pick (wooooof.)

Not exactly headline-grabbers here, to say the least.

A move to acquire Braun would follow a similar inconsequential script, with Boston improving their blue line in exchange for some draft capital. But could Boston be setting its sights a little bit higher when it comes to assets on a Flyers team mired in mediocrity? 

It would an unconventional deadline partnership, to say the least. But when assessing the flaws on this current Bruins roster, it’s hard to not be intrigued by what Chuck Fletcher might be dangling out on the market.

We’ll start with a bit of a wild card on defense — and no, not Braun. And much to the relief of hockey fans across the league, you don’t have to fret over the nightmare scenario of your GM relinquishing a top asset to acquire a bruising defenseman and noted traffic cone in Rasmus Ristolainen. 

Fletcher eliminated that DEFCON-1 scenario by opting to sign Ristolainen to a five-year, $25.5 million contract extension earlier this week, ensuring that the Flyers remain steadfast on the course to middling returns by investing a hefty chunk of capital in a replacement-level player.

But in the aftermath of Ristolainen’s extension, plenty of contenders across the league in need of help on the blue line might be smelling blood in the water when it comes to Philly’s hemorrhaging financial situation.

With Ristolainen earning a hefty pay day, TSN’s Darren Dreger tossed out a potential scenario in which the Flyers could look to move left-shot blueliner Travis Sanheim in order to free up some cap. After all, even with a guy like Claude Giroux (we’ll get to him in a bit) potentially coming off the books soon, the Flyers have a few raises incoming with contracts involving Joel Farabee and Sean Couturier.

Now, it remains to be seen just how realistic of a trade target Sanheim is. But if you’re the Bruins and you’re looking to both cash in this year while setting yourself up for sustainable success in the post-Bergeron era, if might be worth giving Fletcher a call or two.

Among a field of promising candidates on the blue line who could be playing elsewhere in the next couple of weeks, Sanheim might offer the most intrigue — and arguably the best value. 

For as much as a player like Jakob Chychrun stands as the apple of the eye of many Bruins fans (and fans of various other contenders across the league), it sure seems like Bill Armstrong and the Coyotes are only moving the 23-year-old defenseman for a king’s ransom. (If he's healthy, of course).

(That high asking price is why I initially ruled Boston out of the Chychrun sweepstakes after Tuukka Rask retired and Jeremy Swayman took over the No. 1 spot in net, because the young netminder is exactly who the Coyotes would probably target in such a deal). 

Hampus Lindholm is another top-four option that has been dangled out on the market, although his game has been on a bit of a steady downhill slope as of late, which offers some room for concern, especially with the Ducks blueliner also looking to cash in this summer as an unrestricted free agent. 

Sanheim, meanwhile, would give the B's a 25-year-old stalwart in their top-four unit, capable of logging heavy minutes (22:34 average TOI per game this season) while chipping in offensively (he's surpassed 20 points in three of his four full seasons in the NHL). 

The Flyers defenseman is a big body at 6-foot-3, although his profile isn’t quite as imposing and physical as a guy like Middleton, for example. Still, Sanheim is the type of all-situations cog that you can comfortably roll out on your D corps for years to come and not have to fret about the foundations of your defense eroding. 

It’s a similar scenario to the one we posed about Chychrun from a few days ago — but if you’re looking to put your club in a position to contend during the post-Bergeron era, a top-four on defense in Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk, Brandon Carlo and Sanheim is pretty damn good. It wouldn't be cheap, but if you were already prepared to pay up big to try and land Chychrun, Sanheim is another worthy target worth exploring. 

Of course, while it remains to be seen if Sanheim actually hits the market this week, it’s all but a given that the Flyers captain in Giroux will be wearing a new sweater soon — with the star forward likely afforded a chance to contend for that elusive Stanley Cup elsewhere this spring. 

For many Bruins fans, Giroux stands as a no-brainer in terms of a trade target, and such sentiment holds plenty of validity.

Even though Giroux (who just turned 34 back in January) isn’t getting any younger, he’s still an extremely effective two-way force, posting 41 points over 55 games this season while excelling down the other end of the ice against some pretty daunting matchups.

So why then haven’t we wasted much of our breath weighing the pros and cons of a Giroux deal?

Most of our thinking has to do with the fact that acquiring a potential rental in Giroux doesn’t coincide with what seems to be Boston’s general strategy when it comes to bolstering this 2021-22 roster AND locking down a foundational piece for the years ahead.

Yes, Giroux would give Boston yet another lethal forward in its top-six unit. But if the Bruins are going to have to give up a first-round pick and likely a quality prospect or two for a pending UFA, it sure seems like Sweeney and his staff would much rather allocate those resources to a 28-year-old pivot like Tomas Hertl, who they could re-sign and plant down the middle of their depth chart for years to come.

Even if Boston was to deal for Giroux and sign him to a new deal this summer, he’s no spring chicken, and he’s not exactly a cog that you can expect to drive play two or three years down the road, at least not without plenty of risk.  

Now, let’s be clear. Just because acquiring an older (and still talented) Giroux may not check off all of Boston's boxes when it comes to its long-term plans, it doesn't mean that the Bruins are going to be kicking themselves if the only guy they can acquire ahead of March 21 is Giroux.

Looking through the lens of just this year, Giroux is a tremendous fit for Boston, especially given his versatility at both center and wing.

If the Bruins are indeed committed to moving Jake DeBrusk within the next week, a player like Giroux could be the easiest way for Boston to cover some of its bases over the next few months.

If Erik Haula continues to thrive and produce as the 2C between David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall? Then slot up Giroux on the wing and form a super-line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

And if Haula's game dips, you've got another 2C at the ready — with a Hall-Giroux-Pastrnak line also primed to inflict some damage.

Yes, the Bruins would likely prefer someone like Hertl if they had to pick between the two, but it's also far from a guarantee that all of these pivots are even going to be available this week. 

At this point, J.T. Miller sure doesn't seem like he's going anywhere. And based on Elliotte Friedman's latest report, it seems as though the Sharks aren't even entertaining offers for Hertl right now as they try to get him to sign a contract extension.

So, yes, maybe Giroux isn't the guy that makes the most sense if you're envisioning the 2024-25 Bruins still orchestrating deep playoff pushes. 

But if you're looking to just maximize the returns for the remainder of this season? Then Giroux is a whole lot better than nothing.

Of course, as we noted earlier, dealing within your conference, especially if it's a franchise cornerstone like Giroux or a top young talent like Sanheim, is not something that the Flyers will likely welcome, not without some significant returns heading back their way.

But when it comes to identifying the needs on this Bruins team — coupled with what looks to be a dormant market at the moment — Philly sure seems like an intriguing fit for Boston.

Sure doesn't hurt to ask, right? 

———

Bruins to honor Rask on March 31

The last time Tuukka Rask exited the TD Garden ice, things were far from cinematic.

There was no proper send-off, no cheers from the Bruins faithful in what was ultimately the franchise netminder’s final stint between the pipes. 

Rather, Rask headed down the tunnel amid a din of boos — having surrendered five goals on just 27 shots to the Anaheim Ducks in a disheartening loss.

At the time, many assumed it was just a rusty Rask searching for his game after such an extended lay-off. Alas, that 5-3 defeat against Anaheim back on Jan. 24 ultimately stood as the final outing in Rask’s 15-year NHL career, an unceremonious swan song, to say the least. 

Thankfully, the Bruins are set to give Rask a proper tribute later this month, with the team announcing that they will honor Rask with a pregame ceremony and puck drop ahead of the club’s March 31 matchup against the New Jersey Devils. 

Rask, who formally announced his retirement back on Feb. 9, closed out his career with a record of 308-165-66, to go along with a 2.28 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. He hung up his skates and gear as Boston’s franchise leader in wins (308) and is second in shutouts (52).

Eichel vs. Buffalo

Well, it doesn’t seem like Jack Eichel will be getting any Christmas cards from Western New York next winter. 

"It's the loudest I've heard this place ever. Really," Eichel said after Vegas fell to the Sabres, 3-1, in Buffalo on Thursday night. "It only took seven years and me leaving for them to get into the game. It was a nice tribute. There was plenty of people here that were supporting me, and there was plenty of people that were booing me. They must just be booing me because they wish I was still here, I don't know."

Sheesh. 

———

Good to see that Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley are heading back out on the road.

During the second period of Saturday’s win over the Coyotes, the NESN broadcast crew announced that they were going to be joining the Bruins for this upcoming four-game road trip, which will end on March 21 just hours after the trade deadline. 

In total, it will be over two years since NESN broadcasted on the road, with Edwards and Brickley last calling a road game in person back on March 10, 2020 against the Flyers. 

It’s long overdue, but good to see NESN finally smarten up here. 

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