The Bruins are looking to add to their defense before the NHL's March 3 trade deadline, and based on the latest reports, they're at the center of ongoing discussions for both a top young defenseman and a veteran depth option.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported on Sunday that the Bruins are one of the teams that "have been at the forefront of this week's [Jakob] Chychrun trade chatter" along with the Los Angeles Kings. Then on Monday, Pagnotta reported that Boston is also "still in [the] mix" for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn along with the Calgary Flames.
Now, it would be surprising if the Bruins landed both Chychrun and Schenn. But it certainly would not be surprising at all if Don Sweeney pulls off a deal for one of them.
We'll get to the bigger fish in Chychrun, but let's start with the more realistic one in Schenn. Pagnotta includes as part of his most recent report that the Canucks' asking price for Schenn is a "3rd RD pick +" -- meaning a third-round pick and at least one other piece.
That's probably a fair asking price if the "plus" is a mid-to-lower-tier prospect or a late-round pick. If it's more than that, though, it starts to feel like an overpay for a 33-year-old rental who would likely be the Bruins' seventh defenseman as long as they're healthy on the back end.
Nonetheless, Schenn would be a nice depth piece for Boston, and his size (6-foot-2, 225 pounds), physicality (league-leading 247 hits) and playoff experience (he won two Stanley Cups as a depth player for Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021) fits what the B's are looking for.
Now, Chychrun. The Arizona Coyotes are currently holding the 24-year-old blue-liner out of games for "trade-related reasons," and they're expected to continue doing that until a deal is either completed or they decide to hang onto him if their price isn't met.
Most insiders seem to believe that the Kings are the frontrunners for Chychrun, including Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, who said on Monday that he believes LA "is in the driver's seat." However, Friedman also added that he was "warned it's not close" and that he thinks "there was a snag" between the Coyotes and Kings regarding one of the potential pieces involved.
That could leave the door open for another team, and the Bruins' interest certainly appears to be real. In addition to Pagnotta, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Boston's interest last week, and ESPN's Emily Kaplan said during Saturday's Bruins-Capitals broadcast on ABC that Boston was "very interested" in Chychrun.
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli had previously reported that the Coyotes' asking price for Chychrun was believed to be two first-round picks and a prospect. It's unclear if that's still the case.
The Kings have a better prospect pool than the Bruins (7th vs. 30th in The Athletics' recent rankings) and their first-round pick figures to be higher. However, the Kings have also reportedly made it clear that their No. 1 prospect, defenseman Brandt Clarke, is off-limits, so there could be an opening if the Bruins are willing to include one of their top two prospects (Fabian Lysell or Mason Lohrei).
While someone like Schenn would be more of a depth addition, Chychrun could be a legitimate top-four upgrade -- even for a team that already has a very good top four -- who is also on a team-friendly deal ($4.6 million cap hit) for two more years after this season.
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