The Bruins have been connected to both forwards and defensemen ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, which makes sense considering they could use help in both areas.
One of the forwards they had reportedly shown interest in came off the board Wednesday night, as the Islanders -- one of Boston’s East Division rivals -- acquired winger Kyle Palmieri along with center Travis Zajac from the Devils.
The deal was met with a predictable social media reaction from Bruins fans, who criticized general manager Don Sweeney for once again being “interested in” a player, but not actually getting him.
It’s worth noting, however, that there are still four days until the trade deadline and still other wingers Sweeney could acquire. Here are five of them. (For the purposes of this exercise, we are sticking to players who are reportedly actually available and not some dream acquisition that comes out of left field.)
Taylor Hall
The down-and-out Sabres are holding Hall out of games so he doesn’t get hurt before a potential trade, and he looks like maybe the safest bet of anyone to actually get moved before Monday afternoon. Hall’s offensive struggles this season are well documented -- he has two goals and 17 assists in 37 games -- but he has still been creating chances. If the price drops below a first-round pick or top prospect, the 2018 Hart Trophy winner could certainly be worth taking a chance on.
Mike Hoffman
We covered the possibility of the Bruins targeting Hoffman on Wednesday. The Blues have fallen off a cliff and out of a playoff spot and are reportedly open to trading their pending free agents, including Hoffman. The Bruins reportedly had some interest in Hoffman this past offseason, and they could again now. The 31-year-old has nine goals and 12 assists in 36 games this season, with eight of each coming at even-strength.
Mikael Granlund
The Predators, once believed to be a clear seller, have climbed into playoff position recently. That may make them less likely to trade off players with term (like prized defenseman Mattias Ekholm), but given that they’re still looking up at loaded teams like the Lightning, Hurricanes and Panthers, they could still look to get something for pending free agents, including Granlund. The 29-year-old winger has nine goals and seven assists in 36 games this season. He has been a good two-way player throughout his career, although the analytics suggest his defensive play has dropped off a bit this year.
Nick Foligno
If you want a veteran leader who will bring some energy and physicality (which the Bruins have lacked at times this season), Foligno fits the bill. The 33-year-old left wing, who is a free agent after the season, has been the Blue Jackets’ captain since 2015 and is among the NHL leaders in hits every year. Offensively he’s no longer the player who scored 31 goals and 73 points in 2014-15, but his seven goals and 16 points (including six goals at even-strength) this season are still useful.
Bobby Ryan
The 34-year-old Ryan has cooled down quite a bit after a good start in Detroit, scoring just one goal in his last 11 games after potting six in the first 22, and some of the trade buzz around him seems to have cooled down as well. He's also been battling an injury recently. All that could combine to make him a cheaper rental option though, both in terms of assets and because he’s on a one-year, $1 million deal. He’s not exactly a gamebreaker, but he would be an upgrade over Anders Bjork or Karson Kuhlman in a third-line role and could provide some needed depth scoring.
Honorable mention: Rickard Rakell
Rakell could be one of the best players on the market, but he’s missed the last week and a half with an upper-body injury that is believed to be a concussion. He has started to skate on his own, but it’s unclear when he’ll be game-ready. If it’s not before Monday, there would obviously be some risk involved in acquiring him. It’s also worth noting that the Ducks are by no means obligated to move him. He’s under contract for next season as well, so they could revisit his trade market and/or contract talks in the offseason. At 27 years old, he’s still young enough that he could remain part of their longer-term plans.