The Bruins have made their second trade of the week, this one of the smaller variety. Boston is sending forward Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forwards Jakub Lauko and Marat Khusnutdinov and a 2026 sixth-round pick that was originally theirs.
Brazeau, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent. He was an obvious candidate to get moved this week. Brazeau had a good first half, but had gone quiet over the last month and a half. He had zero points in his last 12 games, with some healthy scratches mixed in as well. He has 10 goals and 10 assists in 57 games overall.
Lauko, 24, played 83 games for the Bruins from 2022-24, mostly as a fourth-liner. They traded him to Minnesota during the 2024 draft for Vinni Lettieri and a fourth-round pick swap, which the Bruins used to select defenseman Elliott Groenewold. Lauko played the same kind of energetic, physical fourth-line game for the Wild this season, recording three goals and three assists in 38 games.
Khusnutdinov is a 22-year-old center who was originally a second-round pick in 2020. He has two goals and five assists in 57 games with Minnesota this season. He’s regarded as a good two-way player and a very good skater. The Bruins will be hoping to unlock a little more offense.
Lauko and Khusnutdinov are both restricted free agents after the season.