The 2022 NHL trade deadline is a little more than a month away, but general managers would be wise to make their most impactful deals sooner rather than later.
It takes time to integrate new players into the lineup. Making moves earlier than usual also helps prevent teams from doing desperate deals in the hours leading into the trade deadline.
One team that needs to make a meaningful trade (or two) to go from playoff-caliber to true Stanley Cup contender is the Boston Bruins. It would take a monster collapse for the Bruins not to make the playoffs, but the goal in Boston isn't just reaching the postseason. This franchise has failed to advance past the second round in seven of the last eight seasons.
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Bruins about to begin toughest part of remaining regular season schedule
Here's a ranking of the Bruins' top needs at the trade deadline.
3) Right winger who can score
The Bruins' top three right wingers have combined to score 31 goals, and 24 of them have come from David Pastrnak.
The 25-year-old superstar has been on fire since Jan. 1, scoring a league-high 16 goals over that stretch.
The rest of the team's right wingers have mostly been a non-factor offensively. Craig Smith was a very good addition last season but he's in the midst of an awful 2021-22 campaign with just 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 40 games. Smith has scored only once in his last 11 games. In fairness, he's battled injury throughout the year, but his production has been pretty disappointing regardless.
Nick Foligno has seen time at right wing, too, and he's been the team's worst offseason signing. It's not particularly close, either. His one goal in 30 games is, quite simply, atrocious. Oskar Steen is another player who's played in the third-line right wing role. He has two goals in 19 games.
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The fourth-line doesn't even have a natural right winger right now. Curtis Lazar, who is normally a center, has been playing in that role of late. He's been pretty good, though, scoring twice in last weekend's win over the Ottawa Senators.
But this is absolutely a position that needs upgrading. Scoring depth has been a massive issue for the Bruins in recent playoff runs. The team's current talent level and depth at right wing is not good enough to make a deep postseason run.
2) Left-shot defenseman
A lack of depth cost the Bruins in last year's second-round playoff series loss to the New York Islanders as Boston was unable to overcome the absences of Kevan Miller and Brandon Carlo due to injuries. This season has brought more injury issues to Boston's blue line.
Jakub Zboril will miss the remainder of the year with a torn ACL and Urho Vaakanainen is currently out with a upper body injury. Vaakanainen has missed the last three games. Both Zboril and Vaakanainen are left-shot defensemen.
2022 NHL trade targets: Four defensemen Bruins should pursue before deadline
The current group of defensemen patrolling the left side of the blue line in Boston includes Matt Grzelcyk, Mike Reilly and Derek Forbort. Outside of Grzelcyk, who drives puck possession at a high rate and ignites the transition game with his excellent skating and playmaking, who in that threesome do you trust?
Forbort has not defended at the level expected. Reilly has been good but not great, and his assists and points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 have been cut in half compared to last season. A top-four defenseman who plays the left side, such as the Coyotes' Jakob Chychrun or the Kraken's Mark Giordano, would be a massive upgrade for this roster. Even a third-pairing addition such as Calvin de Haan or Carson Soucy would provide a meaningful boost.
1) Top-six center
The Bruins have not yet found a suitable replacement for David Krejci since his decision to leave the team last offseason to finish his career in the Czech Republic. Charlie Coyle started the season in the No. 2 center position, but head coach Bruce Cassidy eventually moved him back to his normal No. 3 center role.
Erik Haula went up to the second line in Coyle's spot and the results were quite positive. Pastrnak (19 points in 16 games) and Taylor Hall (13 points in 16 games) both had their best months of the season by far in January. Haula has even moved up to take over first-line center duties with Patrice Bergeron missing the last couple games. Haula is not an ideal top-six center, though, and it would be a tough ask for him to excel in that spot through two or three playoff rounds.
The Bruins need to find either a short-term or long-term solution for the second-line center job ASAP. The short term is important because Boston's window to win a Stanley Cup might shut after this season. The long-term is important because Patrice Bergeron is 36 years old and unsigned beyond this summer. The Bruins are facing the possibility of no Bergeron and no Krejci at some point in the near future, and yet they don't have anyone on the NHL roster or their prospect pool capable of being a regular top-six center.
Jack Studnicka hasn't been able to earn a consistent NHL role over the last three years despite being one of the organization's top prospects. The team's top center prospect is 2019 first-round pick Johnny Beecher, who has underwhelmed a bit at the University of Michigan.
Acquiring a second-line center with term on his contract beyond this season is the best-case scenario for the Bruins at the trade deadline. It's nearly impossible to win the Stanley Cup without quality center depth. The Vegas Golden Knights have come fairly close the last couple years and then ultimately made a splash to acquire superstar center Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres last November.
Report: Bruins among teams linked to J.T. Miller before trade deadline
Two centers who could come in and provide a much-needed boost for the Bruins are J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks and Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks. Miller is signed through next season and having a fantastic offensive season with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 47 games. Hertl is a 28-year-old upcoming UFA who's scored 22 goals with 16 assists in 47 games.
Trading for centers of Miller's and Hertl's caliber won't be cheap and could require the Bruins to part with their 2022 first-round pick, one of their best prospects and maybe other assets. It's a steep price, but the Bruins absolutely need to maximize whatever is left of Bergeron's career. If that means going all-in at this year's trade deadline to bolster an already good roster, so be it.