NHL Notebook: Could the Bruins trade back into the first round of the draft?

It may sound like hyperbole – you almost wish it were – but the Bruins sold the whole farm at the trade deadline this year.

They sent away six draft picks across two trades, which netted Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway. Among the selections were two first-round picks this year and next (top-10 protected in 2024) as well as a 2025 second-rounder and a 2024 third.

Boston does not have a selection until the third round of this year’s draft. They have four selections in total, including a fourth, a sixth and two seventh-round picks.

They have just three picks in the 2024 draft and none in the first three rounds, currently holding a fourth, a fifth and a sixth-round selection. They’ll be without a second-rounder, as well as a fourth, in 2025.

Between cap issues and now a lack of draft capital, the Bruins must “pay it forward,” Don Sweeney said this week at TD Garden, as Boston enters its third draft in five years without a first.

“You know I look back and say at times, you're sitting there at the table, and you know, you’re kind of going all-in, and then you have to do the job afterward,” he said. “No different than years past where we've had to draft with less capital, and other years, we had a lot of capital to draft.”

Few second-guessed the decisions. Why would anyone? The Bruins were mowing through the rest of the NHL in dominant fashion at the deadline. The splashes helped them finish with the highest wins and points totals in NHL history. Personal accolades lay ahead. Surely, a shot at glory did, too. 

“Well, I mean, you can always compare [to other teams at the deadline],” Sweeney said. “Seattle [who is in the second round], they added one piece at the deadline. You know, there have been years where we have stayed, you know, pretty steady. I think we try to take our P's and Q's as to where our team is, where our performance level is, and react accordingly. Clearly, the market dictates whether or not players are available and how aggressive you need to be. The acquisition costs are generally quite steep at the deadline.”

“You’re trying to fill holes. In our case, we had two and then shortly thereafter had three significant injuries [Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Derek Forbort]. And in some of those cases, we weren't sure they were actually going to play in the playoffs. So, again, you have to take your direction of how your team is playing first and foremost, and we were in a very good spot. We expected to have a deep roster to take a run if we got healthy and made the decisions.” 

None of it would have mattered had the Bruins not fizzled out. There would have been goodwill for having delivered a championship, even if there were some challenges for a few seasons after.

The Bruins have done well for themselves in recent years, even outside of the first round. Atop the prospect cupboard are 2021 first-rounder Fabian Lysell and 2020 second-rounder Mason Lohrei. Georgii Merkulov (undrafted) and mid-to-late round picks like Brett Harrison, Matthew Poitras, Ryan Mast and Frederic Brunet have also shown some level of potential whether in college, junior or the minors. 

All are still, however, green bananas. How long they take to fully ripen, if ever, remains to be seen. 

That’s really all the draft is – grabbing as many lottery tickets or green bananas as you can in hopes that you can enjoy some form of return at the NHL level. 

Hindsight is always crystal clear, though, and here Boston is without a Stanley Cup, left wondering if it can get into the store before closing to grab some banana bunches and get in line for scratch tickets. 

All they have left in the glovebox of the car is a few $1 and $2 scratchers.

The Bruins’ impending salary cap squeeze has been well-documented, as has who may potentially be on the trading block, whether it be Hall, Forbort, Matt Grzlecyk, Jake DeBrusk or even Linus Ullmark. Whether any or some combination of those players is enough to sneak back into the first round remains to be seen. 

Regardless, Sweeney did not rule out a potential push to trade up for more young talent.

“I mean, roster decisions are coming in, changes are coming,” he said. “So, you know, if the opportunity presents itself in the draft perspective this year or in future years, you have to look at everything and make the best decision for the organization.” 

The top end of the 2023 draft class appears to be one of the deeper groups in recent memory, particularly at forward and more specifically, at center, an organizational need. Of course, it's extremely unlikely the Bruins weasel their way into the lottery top end of the draft, headlined by Connor Bedard (who has already generated millions in ticket revenue for the Blackhawks after they won the lottery), Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and others.

Even if Harrison, Poitras and Merkulov have shown flashes of possibly being top-six contributors if things pan out, none have emerged as that next franchise center for if and when Patrice Bergeron calls it a career (maybe as soon as a few weeks). 

That’s not to say the Bruins are guaranteed to find that player late in the first round or in the second round if they make a move for a pick or two. Again, all of these players are scratch tickets and green bananas. 

There would be centers late in the first round or in the second round possibly still available for the taking, like Charlie Stamel (Wisconsin), Calum Ritchie (Oshawa – OHL), Otto Stenberg (Frolunda Jr. – Sweden), Gavin Brindley (Michigan), Danny Nelson (USNTDP) or Anton Wahlberg (Malmo Jr. – Sweden). 

Bruins to unveil Hall of Fame during centennial season celebrations 

The 2023-24 campaign will mark the centennial season for the Bruins. Earlier in the year, Boston unveiled a commemorative logo. Presumably, there will be a jersey to follow.

During the season-ending press conference last week, Charlie Jacobs said among other elements of the centennial season, the organization will unveil a Hall of Fame, called “Heritage Hall,” at TD Garden. 

Jacobs also said there are plans to honor Bruins players from different eras and decades throughout the season.

Individual award nods pile up for the Bruins

After Patrice Bergeron earned a Selke Trophy bid for the 12th consecutive season last week, Linus Ullmark, Jim Montgomery and David Pastrnak have each been nominated for some individual hardware as well.

Ullmark is a top-three finalist for the Vezina Trophy, along with Ilya Sorokin and Connor Hellebuyck. Ullmark, likely the favorite, led the league in save percentage (.938), goals-against average (1.89) and wins (40). Among qualified goaltenders (min. 25 games), he was second in the league in goals saved above expected (42.4) and first in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (.883), according to MoneyPuck. He was fourth in high-danger save percentage at 5-on-5 (.871), per Natural Stat Trick. 

Pastrnak is up for the Hart Trophy, along with Connor McDavid and Matthew Tkachuk, as well as the Ted Lindsay Award (MVP, voted by players) in addition to McDavid and Erik Karlsson. McDavid is clearly the favorite for the Hart, but most of the talk lately has been about the race for second place, which is mainly between Pastrnak and Tkachuk. Pastrnak finished third in scoring with 118 points and second in goals with 61 (three back of McDavid). Tkachuk finished with 109 points (40 goals), far and away the offensive leader of the Panthers.

Montgomery is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, joining Dave Hakstol and Lindy Ruff. Montgomery led the league's best regular season team in history with 65 wins and 135 points. Boston also led the league goals against per game (2.12) and penalty kill (87.3), and was second in goals per game (3.66). Hakstol helped Seattle to its first playoff berth in franchise history, improving its win total by 19 in his second season behind the bench. Ruff led the Devils to a franchise-best 52 wins and 112 points en route to a third-place finish in the league, a 25-win and 49-point improvement from 2021-22. 

Former Bruin Anton Blidh has medical scare in AHL game

Scary scene in Hershey on Thursday night as former Bruins forward Anton Blidh collapsed on the bench toward the end of the first period of a playoff game between the Hartford Wolf Pack and Hershey Bears.

Blidh took a routine hit but was doubled over on his way to the bench. He collapsed with 2:39 left on the clock as members of both teams got the attention of the officials and medical staff. Teammates helped Blidh down the tunnel and to the locker room, and a stretcher followed shortly after. The officials ended the first period early due to the incident.

Amazingly, Blidh returned to play for the second period. The team said he received medical treatment for a “non-life-threatening upper body injury out of an abundance of caution.”

Hartford captain Jonny Brodzinski said, "I don't think anybody really knew what was going on, but glad he's alright. It wasn't anything serious, just kind of got the wind knocked out of him. So he's alright, healthy and it's all we care about."

Did the Maple Leafs doom themselves?

Toronto staved off a sweep at the hands of the Florida Panthers with a tidy 2-1 win in Game 4, only to fall at home in overtime of Game 5, giving way to a Panthers-Hurricanes conference final.

Even if it wasn't a sweep, it's almost as if the first-round victory never happened for the Leafs, who after falling flat on their faces in the first three games of the series, may face the music. 

What certainly doesn't help is the season-ending defeat came in a home game at Scotiabank Arena, where the vitriol from fans was front and center for ownership to see. There is, of course, the old adage of, "If you're going to stink, stink on the road."

Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek discussed on the “32 Thoughts” the potential ramifications of the Leafs exiting the second round with their tails between their legs. It could spell the end of the so-called “Core Four,” of which Mitch Marner frequently takes the most heat. Kyle Dubas (without a contract for next year) and Sheldon Keefe would certainly feel the heat under their chairs. 

Maybe Fenway Sports Group, currently searching for a general manager in Pittsburgh, is licking its chops in hopes that Dubas ends up on the streets. A young, analytically-inclined GM fits their bill. Just ask Theo Epstein.

Avs captain Landeskog loses another season due to injury

Gabriel Landeskog will miss a second straight season in 2023-24, undergoing cartilage transplant surgery in his right knee on May 10. 

He did not play at all this season, attempting to rehab his injury in an effort to return for these playoffs, but the Avalanche ultimately shut him down before the regular season. On his “32 Thoughts” podcast, Friedman reported the injury had created a sort of hole around Landeskog’s knee. 

Dr. Brian Cole, the team physician for the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, performed the surgery. Former Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot said on Twitter he underwent the same surgery on his left knee, but never returned to the point where he could play an NHL game. Cole also performed his surgery. 

Landeskog, who said he hasn’t thought about retirement, feels comfortable with his decision.

"I've done more studying in the last month than I have since high school. Extensive research on my end… learning more about what the different procedures would be,” he told reporters. “This is the best one for me to come back and play hockey again."

It will be another grueling rehab process for Landeskog, who had separate knee surgery during the 2022 regular season. He returned for the playoffs, putting up 22 points in 20 games en route to a Stanley Cup with the Avs. This week’s news makes it impossible not to wonder what the 30-year-old must have played through on that run.

If he can return in 2024-25 and come close to replicating his previous form as one of the league’s best left-wingers, consider him a lock for the 2025 Masterton Trophy.

For Colorado, it opens up more cap flexibility to address their depth issues since it can stash Landeskog’s $7 million cap hit on LTIR.

"It's really hard to replace your captain,” GM Chris MacFarland said. “We have some things to look at, with some avenues that weren't open to us last season.”

Flyers remove interim tag from Daniel Briere, name Keith Jones President of Hockey Ops

In one of the least surprising moves of the offseason, Philadelphia named Daniel Briere its full-time general manager after he served on an interim basis since the Flyers dismissed Chuck Fletcher. 

Briere is expected have near autonomy of hockey decisions, while new President of Hockey Operations (and now former television analyst) Keith Jones will “will lead the strategic direction for all aspects of the hockey operations department while collaborating on business goals.”

Philadelphia did what it does, sticking with its alumni, but Briere, a rising force in the front office stratosphere, and Jones, a superstar in the industry, may not necessarily fit the typical boys’ club mold. 

The Flyers are staring down harsh times. Briere and Jones will need to deftly drag the organization out of the mess Fletcher and others left behind.