NHL Notebook: Bruins land a massive blow in the East arms race; Another deal yields Bowers

On Thursday the Boston Bruins took care of their shopping over a week in advance of the NHL trade deadline, acquiring Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov (50 percent retained) from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Craig Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 second and a 2024 third. Boston also received the rights to 26-year-old KHL forward Andrei Svetlakov, sending a 2023 fifth to Minnesota, who retained an additional 25 percent of Orlov’s salary.

Hathaway and Orlov are great fits for Boston

General manager Don Sweeney made a splash once again, taking care of two needs in one move when he acquired Orlov and Hathaway from the Caps on Thursday.

It’s been well-discussed that there is no such thing as having too many defensemen in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Boston significantly bolstered its depth on the backend with Orlov. 

The 31-year-old Russian is a bonafide top-four defenseman, averaging 22:43 of ice time this season. He fits what Boston needs better than Vladislav Gavrikov, starting with his physicality. Gavrikov is the bigger body, but Orlov plays above his size, getting in his opponents’ faces and landing some heavy hits. Gavrikov is more akin to Brandon Carlo and Derek Forbort, using his size to establish body position and leverage. 

Orlov is also tremendous in transition, making him a better fit in Jim Montgomery’s system as he grades among the league's best in breaking the puck out of the zone and facilitating entries. The struggling Capitals also held a 50.58 percent share of expected goals with him on the ice this season (Natural Stat Trick). Given his versatility on both sides of the puck and in all situations, he gives the Bruins a wealth of potential lineup options. He also has a strong playoff resume with a Stanley Cup in 2018, where he logged heavy defensive minutes over the course of that run.

Assuming there are no more moves to be made, the Bruins now have 11 bodies that can at least play NHL minutes on the backend with the current crop of six, plus Orlov, Mike Reilly, Jakob Zboril, Anton Stralman and even Jack Ahcan.

There’s the value of added sandpaper and snarl when faced with the gauntlet of the playoffs. Orlov helps in that area, as does Hathaway in particular.

Hathaway, like new teammate Brad Marchand, is a quintessential player that is beloved on his team and loathed by opponents. The Kennebunkport, Maine, native is the type of depth forward that can turn out to be a game-breaker in deep playoff runs (see: Artturi Lehkonen, Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow, to name a few from recent years). 

Only six skaters have more hits since 2017-18, and the Brown University product checks in at eighth in the NHL this season (198). Between his straight-line speed and tenacity, he is undoubtedly a constant factor in the back of defenders’ heads as they go back to retrieve pucks in their own end. He adds an element of “anxiety” for the opposition, Sweeney said in his media Thursday availability.

Hathaway has put up solid offensive numbers (9g, 7a) in a checking role that has seen him rank in the bottom of the league in offensive zone starts, logging a lot of defensive matchups and excelling on that end of the ice as well. He should fit nicely on the right side of the fourth line, and will quickly endear himself to Bruins fans.

“Orlov is going to help us win, Hathaway is coming to help us win,” Montgomery told reporters Friday. “We are deeper and better suited for a deep playoff run, and hopefully we have that kind of success.”

As to where it all fits on the ice? Montgomery already has some ideas.

“I have some thoughts in mind,” Montgomery said. “Hathaway playing with [Nick] Foligno, [Trent] Frederic, [A.J.] Greer. Some combination like that. If [Tomas] Nosek goes in, maybe he’s playing with Nosek and Foligno. It’ll just depend on where everything falls out.

“Orlov would depend on who we think needs a night off. We have seven, eight really good defensemen. We’re spoiled right now, we have an embarrassment of riches. There’s going to be a rotation back there.”

Here’s a full breakdown with analysis of Friday’s deal.  

What happened to the reported Gavrikov deal? Or Chychrun? Or others?

As late as 5 p.m. on Thursday, it sure felt like a matter of “when” not “if” Gavrikov made his way to Boston from Columbus. 

Things began to heat up on Monday when David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reported on Twitter that Boston and Columbus “have the framework of a deal in place” with an apparent package of a first and third-round pick. Pagnotta noted that the Blue Jackets and general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen wouldn’t “wait forever” with the ball in Sweeney’s court as he tried to clear cap space.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman echoed a similar sentiment in his weekly “32 Thoughts” column on Wednesday, “It’s been a week since Columbus pulled Vladislav Gavrikov from the lineup; everything points to Massachusetts as the landing spot. … It’s believed the Bruins needed another move to make everything work (Mike Reilly? Craig Smith?) and, to this point, the Blue Jackets remain patient.” 

Everything may have indicated Gavrikov would make a long trip down I-90 from Ohio to Boston, but in the end, Sweeney and the Bruins went out and made a better deal with the Capitals, perhaps ruffling some feathers in Columbus, who seems to have thought it had a deal. 

Friedman reported on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast that Columbus believed there was some sort of verbal commitment with Boston, but obviously the Bruins felt differently. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline also reported that the Blue Jackets very much believed the deal was done “for multiple picks and/or players,” but the Bruins wanted more time.

Sweeney even alluded to the deal with Caps GM Brian MacClellan coming together quickly. “I think it presented itself in a situation where we felt we could be aggressive and close it off,” he said. “You just never know the timing. Every deal, every contract, every situation has its own timeline.”

Now, it leaves Kekäläinen and the Jackets in a tough spot with a player in Gavrikov who is reportedly unhappy that he is being held out of the lineup. Friedman mentioned that the Jackets could be in the market for Jakob Chychrun, using the assets they recoup in a Gavrikov trade. Losing out on a deal with Boston certainly throws a wrench in those plans. To make things worse for Kekäläinen, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Friday that Washington is “hoping to reset on the fly,” and Chychrun fits those plans. They now have the assets to make a deal with the Coyotes after swinging the trade with Boston. 

Columbus has until 3 p.m. next Friday to find a new dance partner.

As for Chychrun, Friedman said he thinks Sweeney “legitimately looked into that” deal with Arizona. Considering the reported cost for the talented blue-liner (two firsts and a prospect) it’s fair to say the Bruins got more bang for their buck in swinging Orlov and Hathaway for just one first and the other two picks, along with Smith. Sure, Chychrun has term and Orlov may likely be a rental, but again, Boston addressed two needs in a meaningful way with one move. 

Friedman also believes Boston checked in with Chicago on a deal involving Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty. It makes sense. Both players check similar boxes as Hathaway and Orlov do, although Orlov is a better puck-mover than McCabe. Nevertheless, the fit was probably there, but the cost may have been higher, given that both players are under contract for at least another season (McCabe for two more). The Bruins would have had to pull ancillary moves to make it all fit under the cap next season, assuming David Pastrnak re-signs at an expected high number.

DeBrusk showing just how important he is for Boston

Jake DeBrusk has scored in three straight games since returning from lower-body and thumb injuries, totaling three goals and an assist. In his last five games, the winger has five goals and two assists. 

DeBrusk is on the cusp of another 20-goal season (one away), which would be his third as a member of the Bruins. He was also on pace for 24 in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, and he looked well on track to eclipse 30 and smash his previous career-high of 27 before his injuries in the Winter Classic.

It has been just over a full year since Boston moved him to the top line alongside Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. In 71 regular season games there, he has 35 goals and 59 points, totaling the second-most goals among Bruins skaters in that span. DeBrusk also has just 12 penalty minutes in that period, the fewest among Bruins regulars in the 367 days. He rarely puts Boston a man down, and is a productive secondary power play option with seven goals on the man-advantage in the 71 contests.

It would have been easy to point to his uptick as merely a product of skating alongside Marchand and Bergeron, initially, but the Edmonton native has proven that he’s an integral part of Boston's top-six group. 

From the start of last season to now, Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk has an outrageous Corsi-for of 63.65 percent, out-attempting teams 683-390 at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick. At 5-on-5, the trio has outscored teams 29-14. Without DeBrusk, Marchand and Bergeron have dipped to 58.73 percent Corsi-for, which is still quite good, but a dip nonetheless. 

They’ve been just as good in their own end as well, holding a 68.69 percent share of high-danger chances-for and 73.33 percent of high-danger goals-for, and Bruins goaltenders have a .940 save percentage with them on the ice at 5-on-5.

Boston managed without No. 74 for the most part, but in the loss to Seattle on Jan. 12 and the additional four losses around the All-Star break, the Bruins managed just 1.4 goals per game. It only inflated DeBrusk’s importance as a secondary option, who can play with speed and energy, create chances on his own and score in the dirty areas of the ice. 

In the three games that DeBrusk has been back in the lineup, Boston is averaging five goals per game. It’s not a sustainable pace, but it’s certainly a nice boost as the Bruins put their brief 1-3-1 slump behind them. 

Is Patrick Kane watch back on?

When the New York Rangers dealt for Vladimir Tarasenko two weeks ago, it appeared to close one door on a potential move for Patrick Kane with the Rangers’ reportedly on the Blackhawks’ star’s shortlist.

Kane was none too thrilled, at the time.

“It’s not like the happiest I’ve been to hear about a trade,” he told reporters. “I think the Rangers are a team that you definitely pay attention to and definitely are intrigued by, for obvious reasons.

“If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at. It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal, so it is.”

Another potential option went by the wayside when Toronto swung a trade with St. Louis centered around Ryan O’Reilly, although it’s unclear if the Maple Leafs were ever truly involved.

But here we are, over a week later, wondering if Kane will end up in New York, after all. 

What helps his case to be moved is his performance over the last week, in spite of possible concerns about a reported nagging lower-body injury, posting 10 points (7g, 3a) in four games with multipoint efforts each time out. 

It seems the Rangers are intent on remaining in the sweepstakes, even after adding a scoring right-winger to their top-six. Pierre LeBrun reported in The Athletic that Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, said he has not waived his no-movement clause, right now. TSN’s Chris Johnston reported Friday there could be a resolution within the next 24 hours, which brings us to today. 

The Blueshirts have the assets to pull it off with first round picks in each of the next three seasons on top of their prospects. New York is als holding young forwards Vitali Kravtsov (who has requested a trade previously) and Jake Leschysyn out of the lineup for “roster management reasons.” There is room for another scoring winger in the top-six, but New York and GM Chris Drury would need to get creative to make the salaries work. 

Friedman also believes that Vegas, Dallas and even Carolina could be potential destinations for Kane.

From the player’s perspective, the fit is there in New York as well, given the role he would play, the Rangers being very much in contention and a reunion with pal Artemi Parnarin.

It would be another big-time, impactful addition for a fellow stalwart loading up in a stacked Eastern Conference. 

Bruins acquire F Shane Bowers from Colorado for G Keith Kinkaid

The Bruins sent goaltender Keith Kinkaid to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for 23-year-old center Shane Bowers.

Bowers, a 207 first-round pick (28th overall), has 14 points (4g, 10a) in 39 games for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL this season. The Boston University product has appeared in one NHL contest for the Avs.

He has 59 points (27 goals) in 154 AHL games since 2019. 

Kinkaid appeared in one game for Boston this season, making 31 saves in a 3-1 win at Buffalo on Nov. 12. In 20 games with Providence this season he holds a 3.10 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. 

Analysis…

This is essentially a minor-league transaction between Boston and Colorado.

Kinkaid was outplayed in Providence by youngster Brandon Bussi. Boston also has Kyle Keyser in the minor ranks. For the Bruins, Kinkaid was nothing more than a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency insurance option with NHL experience in the crease.

Bowers is an interesting get for Sweeney. 

He hasn’t quite panned out the way Colorado likely envisioned when they acquired him from Ottawa in the Matt Duchene deal. Nevertheless, it’s a young center added to the prospect pool. 

It’s a clever risk to take, considering the veteran Kinkaid would not have had an opportunity with the NHL club and  Bowers still has some development ahead of him.

Bowers could be an asset to use in a move down the line as well. We’ll see if this is all that’s left for Sweeney ahead of Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline