The Boston Bruins recently endured a rough patch in which they struggled immensely to win games. They dropped 11 of 15 and it became clear some extra scoring punch was needed for the team to become more consistent.
And now, they're being tied to some potential trade targets to improve that area of their game.
According to Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Bruins are eying some potential players that could fit in as top-six scoring forwards. And one player that Friedman believes the B's could deal for at any time? Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli.
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"I’ll tell you this, I do think Boston, if they wanted to, could do a deal for Toffoli almost at any time. I think they know they’ve got that in their hip pocket," Friedman said on The Goal Heard Round the World podcast. “So the question is: do you do that or do you wait for [Chris] Kreider?"
Toffoli, 27, has 12 goals and 15 assists for the Kings this season and the right-shooting forward would be a good fit on David Krejci's wing.
Kreider, a 28-year-old Massachusetts native, could also fit as a left-shooting forward for the B's. He has 14 goals and 15 assists this season and could make an immediate impact as well. That said, Friedman isn't sure that the New York Rangers are going to trade him ahead of the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
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"My opinion is changing almost on the day on Kreider," Friedman said. "Because I’ve had guys tell me that they think the Rangers are starting to think more and more about do they keep him.
"And again this will all play out over the next six weeks, but you get rid of him, it’s hard to replace."
It appears that the Bruins may be weighing all their options before swinging a deal for Toffoli. Perhaps they're waiting to see if another top-six forward becomes available while they maintain a lead in the Atlantic Division.
Either way, it does look like the Bruins will have a chance to upgrade their lineup as they try to make another Stanley Cup run.