For just the second time in the last 16 games, the Bruins lost in regulation on Saturday, falling 3-1 to the Flyers. In a reversal from Thursday's win over Columbus, Boston was the better team for much of this one, outshooting Philadelphia 27-17 for the game, only to run into a terrific goaltending performance from former Bruin Dan Vladar.
Despite the loss, the Bruins still find themselves in a good spot with less than a week to go before Friday's 3 p.m. trade deadline, as they've exceeded most outsiders' expectations. They remain in the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Capitals, who have played two more games than Boston. The Bruins, who have the third-best record in the NHL since Jan. 1, are also just three points out of second place in the Atlantic Division.
With just two games to go before the deadline, it is now truly decision time for general manager Don Sweeney. What does he do between now and Friday? Does he go big to add a core, higher-in-the-lineup player who can help both now and moving forward? Does he make a smaller addition, a tweak to the team's depth that doesn't cost much but still shows some level of belief and investment? Does he just stand pat and ride this season out, saving further investment for the offseason?
Then there's the other side of the coin. Does Sweeney still think about cashing in on his own pending free agents, namely Andrew Peeke and Viktor Arvidsson? A bigger sell-off, like the one Sweeney executed last year, is the one path that should be completely off the table. That would be a tough sell to a first-year head coach and a locker room that feels like they're on the right track.
Sweeney himself said on NESN on Thursday that he "would like to add," but that he's going to be "a little more cautious" than in the past and will even "explore both sides of the fence." Translation: He's not trading first-round picks for rentals, but pretty much anything else could be on the table if he thinks it makes sense value-wise. The Bruins have $1.1 million in cap space right now, so any meaningful money coming in has to mean money going out.
In recent reports and rumors, the Bruins are getting linked to A LOT of players. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported this week that Sweeney is looking at both top-six forwards and right-shot defensemen, which aligns with what we've been hearing for a while. He mentions St. Louis' Justin Faulk, Philadelphia's Rasmus Ristolainen and Calgary's MacKenzie Weegar as defense targets. Up front, he connects the Bruins to St. Louis' Brayden Schenn and Vancouver's Conor Garland.
Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco added a few more big names to the mix in an in-depth piece posted Friday: Blues center Robert Thomas, Blues defenseman Colton Parayko and Flyers winger Owen Tippett.
Again, it's A LOT. So, let's sort through it. St. Louis is a good place to start, because that's four – yes, four – different Blues mentioned. Thomas would be the biggest fish of all. He is a legitimate first-line center – maybe not a truly elite one, but a bona fide 1C nonetheless. He topped 80 points each of the past two seasons, although his production has dipped to 33 points (11g, 22a) in 42 games this season while battling injuries. He is still just 26 years old, and he is signed until 2031 on a reasonable $8.125 million cap hit.
So, why would the Blues even be thinking about trading Thomas? Well, because they might be on the verge of a larger rebuild amidst a massively disappointing season, so just about everyone seems to be on the table. That said, the Blues still hold all the leverage when it comes to Thomas, and it sounds like it would take a fortune to actually get him. The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reported this week that GM Doug Armstrong wants "three first-half-of-the-first-round assets" for Thomas. For the Bruins, that might mean something like James Hagens, Dean Letourneau and Toronto's 2026 first-round pick, which is just a non-starter. I'm not sure they'd move two of those assets for Thomas, even if they do really like him – which I think they do.
What about the other Blues? Faulk and Parayko are both right-shot defensemen who play big minutes. Faulk brings more offense (11-21-32 in 58 games this season) while Parayko is bigger (6-foot-6, 228 pounds) and more of a shutdown defender. Faulk is 33 and signed through next season at a $6.5 million cap hit, while Parayko is 32 and signed through 2030, also at a $6.5 million cap hit. Both address a need, but their age and contracts (for different reasons) aren't ideal. Does a one-and-a-half-year addition in Faulk really fit their timeline? Does committing to Parayko into his mid-30s as his play declines really make sense? Same goes for Schenn, who is still a good two-way, middle-six center, but who is also 34 and signed for two more years after this.
Winger Jordan Kyrou is another Blue who could be available. Like Thomas, he is in his prime (27 years old), signed through 2031 at an identical $8.125 million cap hit, and will take multiple premium assets to get. I don't get the sense that the Bruins are as interested in Kyrou at cost.
Tippett (27) and Garland (29) also fit the mold of wingers in their prime with term. Tippett, a speedy wing who is on the verge of a fourth straight 20-goal season, is signed through 2032 at a $6.2 million average annual value. Garland, a Scituate native who had 45-plus points in four straight seasons before a dip this year (25 points in 47 games), is also signed through 2032 at a similar $6M AAV. Pagnotta also recently mentioned a potential reunion with Vancouver's Jake DeBrusk (29 years old, signed through 2031 at $5.5M AAV), but it's hard to envision that happening, to be honest.
The Flyers are looking for young centers, of which the Bruins suddenly have several in their system, so you can see where they might be able to line up on a deal. Matt Poitras, combined with other pieces, could be attractive. Hagens is as close to untouchable as it gets. The Bruins may not put Letourneau on the table for a Tippett-caliber player.
The Flyers also have one of the other defensemen linked to Boston in Ristolainen. He's a bigger shutdown defender along the lines of a Parayko, but isn't as consistent, and has also battled multiple injuries in recent seasons. He's 31, so slightly younger than Parayko and Faulk, and signed through next season at a little cheaper money ($5.1M AAV). Di Marco reports the Bruins have shown "moderate" interest in Ristolainen, but he isn't their first choice and they're unwilling to meet Philly's asking price of a first-round pick – all of which I believe is true.
The last right-shot defenseman to cover, for now, is Weegar. He's a player I've always liked a lot because he can do it all: good defender, good skater, contributes offensively (40-plus points in three of the past four years), blocks shots, plays physical, plays big minutes, can play on both the right and left. His cap hit is very reasonable ($6.25M), but he's 32 and signed for five more years after this. I just wonder if Sweeney really has an appetite right now to make that kind of commitment to a player on the wrong side of 30.
If the Bruins do trade for a defenseman, trading one off the current roster is pretty much a necessity. That's where moving Peeke becomes a real possibility given that he's a pending unrestricted free agent. If Sweeney doesn't acquire a D, I wouldn't be surprised if he holds onto Peeke to maintain blue-line depth – something he has long prioritized.
It's a similar situation up front with Arvidsson, who is third on the team in 5-on-5 points with 22 and has been a fixture on a consistent, effective second line with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt. If the Bruins make a meaningful upgrade in their top six, sure, Arvidsson could be flipped. Otherwise, expect Arvidsson to stay put.
Sweeney has a knack for surprises, too. If he does add, it's very possible it's none of the players mentioned above. All that's clear at the moment is that he has a lot of irons in the fire. What course of action he ultimately chooses, we'll find out in less than a week.