Elliotte Friedman's "32 Thoughts" column is always a must-read for hockey fans, but especially when it's completely devoted to trade rumors just over a week out from the trade deadline.
Friedman ran through what he's hearing for all 32 teams in Wednesday's column, and sure enough there's plenty of Bruins news here.
For starters, Friedman writes that "everything points to Massachusetts as the landing spot" for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, but that Boston "needed another move to make everything work (Mike Reilly? Craig Smith?) and, to this point, the Blue Jackets remain patient."
That echoes a report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period on Tuesday that the Bruins and Blue Jackets "have the framework of a trade in place." The Boston Globe's Matt Porter later reported that there was "no agreement" yet, but that the two sides were talking.
We broke down the pros and cons of a potential trade for Gavrikov on Tuesday, so you can check that out here:
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As it relates to Craig Smith, Friedman has another interesting note in his section on the Carolina Hurricanes, writing that he believes "they've spoken to the Bruins about Smith, as Boston might incentivize Carolina to do it."
Smith's name has come up pretty much all season when it comes to ways the cap-strapped Bruins can free up some money. His 10 points in 42 games do not justify his $3.1 million salary. The Bruins waived Smith back in December, but he went unclaimed, a clear indication that Boston is going to have to give something up in order to move him. Same goes for Mike Reilly.
The Hurricanes are one team -- and one of the very few playoff teams -- that actually has plenty of cap space. They have over $10 million to work with, thanks in large part to Max Pacioretty's $7 million cap hit being parked on long-term injured reserve after he suffered a season-ending re-injury to his Achilles tendon. The expectation is that Carolina would be aiming higher than Smith before next Friday, but as Friedman notes, they could be looking for depth as well.
It would be a fascinating -- and risky -- move for the Bruins. The Hurricanes have the second-best record in the NHL and are currently seven points behind Boston. The Bruins won't have to face them in the first two rounds thanks to the NHL's divisional playoff format, but an Eastern Conference final showdown is certainly in play if both teams take care of business in their respective divisions.
Smith, playing at the level he's played at this season, wouldn't seem like a make-or-break move for either team. But... he was a streaky scorer who consistently netted between 15 and 25 goals a year before this season. What if he gets hot in Carolina? What if he gets hot in a series against the Bruins?
Remember: The Hurricanes made a similarly unsexy move for Max Domi last year. He wasn't very good for them overall. But he did score two goals in Game 7 against the Bruins.
Maybe the Bruins would have zero regrets about flipping Smith to a conference rival. We know their options are limited when it comes to ways to free up money so they can add in other spots. But it would certainly be a tough pill to swallow if Smith comes back to bite them in the playoffs.
A couple other quick-hit Bruins notes from Friedman...
-He writes that he doesn't think the B's will make a move for Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun "because they've got future cap issues." He also writes that one executive predicted Chychrun won't even be traded before March 3 because of the Coyotes' asking price.
-Friedman speculates that Washington Capitals right wing Garnet Hathaway and Chicago Blackhawks center/wing Sam Lafferty "make sense" for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Either would be a classic Lightning deadline addition -- a bottom-six forward who's just a total pain in the rear to play against over a seven-game series, which the Bruins might have to deal with in the second round. Either would look good in Boston, too, especially if the B's do move Smith and want to bring in another right shot.
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