The Bruins need to get some help on defense this offseason. That was made clear in their second-round loss to the Islanders, and it was made clear by team president Cam Neely this week when he said he’d like to see the team find “that elusive left D we’ve been looking for.”
Well, let’s see if we can find it. Here’s a look at some names the Bruins could target via either trade or free agency. We’ll focus mostly on left-shot defensemen, but also take a look at some right-side depth options at the end, as that could also be a need this offseason.
This list is by no means exhaustive -- more names will certainly pop up in rumors as offseason activity really picks up -- so consider it more of an early primer. We will also take a look at some forward options separately.
The dream trade: Mattias Ekholm. That’s right, Mattias Ekholm trade rumor season is back, baby! The Predators didn’t move the 31-year-old veteran at the trade deadline, but with Ekholm entering the final year of his contract, they could at least be open to listening to offers if they don't think they can get an extension done.
Ekholm is exactly the kind of defenseman the Bruins have been searching for. He’s a left shot, he’s big (6-foot-4), he’s strong in his own zone, he’s a good skater and puck-mover, he contributes offensively, he plays big minutes, and he plays in all situations. He also has a very team-friendly contract for this coming season ($3.75 million). It’s unclear exactly what Nashville would want in return, but don’t expect him to come cheap.
The not-as-ideal trade: Vince Dunn. Dunn is a very good player, don’t get me wrong. He’s also just 24 years old and a restricted free agent. The reason he’s not quite ideal for the Bruins, though, is that he doesn’t really fit the bigger, shutdown-type role Neely described.
He’d be more of a replacement for and arguably an upgrade over Mike Reilly if the Bruins don’t re-sign Reilly, as the two are somewhat similar -- more offensive-minded, great skaters, good puck-movers. Dunn has a better shot and is probably a little better in his own end. Reilly is probably a better passer. Neither kills penalties. They're basically the same size. The question is whether Dunn is enough of an upgrade over Reilly to trade assets for him and pay him more money when you don’t have to give up anything to re-sign Reilly and can sign him for less, especially since he said he wants to stay in Boston.
The free-agent bidding war: Alec Martinez. Martinez is about to turn 34, but he remains a stellar top-four defenseman on a Vegas team that is seven wins away from winning the Stanley Cup, which would be the third of Martinez’s career if it happens. This has been arguably the best season of his career, and he has certainly played himself into one last good payday.
The Golden Knights are facing a cap crunch this offseason, so re-signing Martinez may be a luxury they literally can’t afford. He’d be a great, veteran addition for the Bruins and would fill a need on the left side of their defense, but a lot of teams could use a veteran, top-four, left-shot D with Cup pedigree, so expect there to be quite a bit of interest and competition.
The next-best free-agent option: Jamie Oleksiak. The former Northeastern Husky will also draw plenty of interest, and also perfectly fits what the Bruins are looking for. The 28-year-old Oleksiak broke through as a true top-four shutdown defender last postseason during the Stars’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, and he continued to succeed in that role this season. At 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, he brings some size and physicality the Bruins (and their fans) would love.
The steady veteran free agent: Alex Edler. Edler has spent his entire 15-year career with the Canucks, but as a 35-year-old free agent and with Vancouver rebuilding, could he be looking for a move to a contender? Perhaps to the team that beat him for the Cup back in 2011? Edler’s offensive game dried up this past season (0 goals, 8 assists in 52 games), but he was still solid in his own end, still played 21 minutes a night, and still led the Canucks in penalty-kill time.
The free-agent value play: Jake McCabe. The 27-year-old McCabe has quietly been a solid defensive defenseman on a bad Sabres team for a few years now. He may have been in line for a decent payday this offseason, but unfortunately for him he suffered a season-ending knee injury in February. With a six-to-eight-month recovery timetable, he should be back by opening night or shortly thereafter, but his stock certainly took a hit. If his recovery goes well, he could be a pretty good bottom-four bargain.
The right-side depth options: David Savard, Jani Hakanpaa, Mark Pysyk. If the Bruins lose Connor Clifton to Seattle in the expansion draft (a real possibility) and don’t re-sign Kevan Miller (also a real possibility), they’ll need to add some right-side depth behind Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo.
The Lightning traded a first- and third-round pick to get the 30-year-old Savard at the trade deadline. He really hasn’t been worth that, playing just 14 minutes per game in the playoffs, but in what can best be described as a Tomas Kaberle situation, they may very well win the Cup anyways. Savard can still be a solid defense-first, physical veteran to plug into a third-pairing role, though.
Hakanpaa is another big (6-foot-5), physical defenseman who got moved at the deadline (from Anaheim to Carolina). He doesn’t bring much offensively, but if you want big, physical and solid in his own zone on your third pair, Hakanpaa will do.
Pysyk is an interesting one. He has graded out well analytically for a while now (just as one example, his 6.1 expected goals above replacement this season via Evolving-Hockey’s model match Matt Grzelcyk, who was second among Bruins defensemen), but he’s also played under 13 minutes per game each of the last two seasons and has spent time playing right wing as well as defense. Has Pysyk been under-utilized by the Panthers and Stars? Or are the analytics deceiving? He’s a good skater and puck-mover and certainly different than Savard and Hakanpaa in terms of strengths. You could do worse when it comes to cheap (possibly sub-$1 million) options to round out the bottom of your defense.
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