Retool for the future or buy for the playoffs. That is the question on the minds of the Boston Bruins management team as we enter the final week of January. Boston is coming off a decent week of hockey with a record of 4-1-1 in their past 6 games but still find themselves on the playoff bubble. They currently sit third in the Atlantic division but Montreal, Ottawa and Tampa Bay are right behind them with games in hand. It’s a tight race and will certainly be a dog fight between the teams, and Columbus for that matter out of the Metro Division, for Boston to secure a playoff spot this season. Given the struggles the team has had it will be very interesting to see what direction GM Don Sweeney will take leading up to the NHL trade deadline and the Four Nations Cup roster freeze deadline prior to that. Speaking at the annual Boston Bruins gala Cam Neely said the Bruins have to prepare for two scenarios. “Right now, we’ve got to look at two paths. One that we’re buying and one that we’re maybe retooling a little bit. We still feel like we’ve got a playoff team here,” said Neely. Like their fans, I think it’s fair to say management is surprised at how things have gone thus far on Causeway Street.
So, does a team that has annually added talent at each season’s deadline keep the tradition going or is it time to make picks at the draft and shore up what is a rather shallow talent pool? The Bruins are finally paying for years of mediocre drafting or having very few draft picks at all by way of trading. Seeing where this team is and how hard it will be for them to make the playoffs the group must determine if selling more of the future for quite possibly a first-round exit will be worth it. With several veterans said to be available like J.T Miller, Brock Nelson and even a younger player like Dylan Cozens, the temptation to add may be too strong for Don Sweeney and company to resist. With a solid foundation of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman signed long term and with the recent signings of Elias Lindholm and Nakita Zadorov, the Bruins may only be a piece or two away from solidifying their post season chances.
If the Bruins are to sell at the deadline there are two players that should garner the most prosperous returns. Trent Frederic is still without a new contract and seems bound to leave on July 1st as a free agent. The Bruising winger is not having a very good season and is said to be substantially apart in terms of contract numbers with the team. Maximizing a return in this situation is imperative. Justin Brazeau is also needing a new deal this season and without a contract yet it makes him an interesting trade chip. He has 10 goals on the season but currently finds himself on the B’s fourth line. He will certainly be looking for a healthy raise from the league minimum he is currently signed to. Perhaps the Bruins don’t see him in their future and he moves. Honorable mention goes to Brad Marchand. The almost 37-year-old is a pending UFA and would definitely fetch the heftiest return. I just don’t see the Bruins, nor Marchand for that matter, being interested in parting ways. He is the team captain and last remaining member of the 2011 Stanley Cup squad. Leadership has taken a hit in Boston the past several years with retirements and Marchand remains a key cog not only as a leader but as the team’s second-best scoring wing behind Pastrnak.
In this humble writer’s opinion, the decision should be an easy one. The Bruins need to invest in their future versus this year’s postseason chances. I think we’ve seen enough in terms of what this team is lacking at that is speed and skill. You can only win so many games by working hard. The Bruins are outshot almost nightly and if not for Swayman the losses would be higher. I would like to see some players moved out while acquiring some draft capital for the next two drafts. The B’s aren’t far off as the standings indicate but they are also thin on up-and-coming talent within. Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov should be recalled from the AHL and get the rest of the season to show what they can do on the big club. Both players are doing good things in Providence and if there’s a season to play some of the kids this is the one to do it. In terms of any big trades, I think that will likely come during the offseason. Then again, we just saw a January blockbuster between Colorado, Carolina and Chicago so one never does know. That being said, deadlines are approaching and so are these very important decisions for the Boston Bruins.
The Lookahead
Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm continue to skate but have yet to return to the lineup. Given the Bruins recent success without their top two defenseman the team is surely anticipating their return.
The Bruins head to Buffalo Tuesday night but then return home for games versus the Winnipeg Jets and another Matinee Saturday as they host the New York Rangers. They should look to obtain 4-6pts in these matchups if they want to stay in the thick of the postseason race.
G-Rant @TheRealG_Rant/Grant Cumming. Bruins fan. Bigger dreams, bigger screens, bigger feelings are planned.
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