The Boston Bruins made their first trade of the 2021-22 NHL season Tuesday night by acquiring Providence College defenseman and captain Michael Callahan from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2024 seventh-round pick.
This deal won't have much (if any) impact on the Bruins this season, so it wouldn't be surprising to see general manager Don Sweeney make another move (or two) before the March 21 trade deadline passes. Sweeney has been pretty active at recent trade deadlines, and his team, with its excellent play since Jan. 1, has earned an upgrade or two for the playoffs.
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Which teams could Sweeney call to make a deal?
With the trade deadline a little less than a month away, let's take a look at the bottom three teams in each conference and see if they have any players the Bruins might pursue.
(All salary information via CapFriendly)
Eastern Conference
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Buffalo Sabres (7th in Atlantic, 14th in East)
The Sabres and Bruins made a trade before last season's deadline when Boston sent Anders Bjork and a second-round draft pick to Buffalo for left wing Taylor Hall and center Curtis Lazar. Hall had a no-movement clause and wanted to go to the B's, so the Sabres didn't have a ton of leverage. The move worked out great for the Bruins as Hall and Lazar quickly became reliable players and both were re-signed last offseason.
Could the Bruins and Sabres work out another trade?
NHL insider Darren Dreger, on a recent segment of TSN's "Insider Trading", mentioned three Sabres players who could be moved before the deadline -- center Cody Eakin, defenseman Robert Hagg and defenseman Colin Miller.
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"The Buffalo Sabres are getting calls, and when you look at expiring contracts in Buffalo you see Robert Hagg’s name. He’s a big, physical, shot blocker, shutdown defenceman, which will appeal to playoff teams," Dreger said.
Eakin is a center -- a position the Bruins need to upgrade -- but he's not a No. 2 center and has struggled offensively with just three goals in 46 games. Trent Frederic is a better option than Eakin. Miller made his NHL debut with the Bruins in 2014 and was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft. He's currently injured and will be a UFA this summer.
Hagg makes the most sense for the Bruins in this group, but there are better, more skilled defensemen rumored to be available.
New Jersey Devils (8th in Metropolitan, 15th in East)
The Bruins and Devils are no strangers to trade deadline deals. Three years ago the B's acquired middle-six winger Marcus Johansson for second- and fourth-round draft picks. It was a good move for the Bruins as Johansson provided valuable scoring depth in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The other recent deadline trade featuring these teams happened in 2016. The Bruins acquired veteran forward Lee Stempniak from the Devils in 2016 in exchange for second- and fourth-round picks. Stempniak actually played pretty well with 10 points in 19 games but the B's failed to make the playoffs.
Who could the B's target on the Devils in 2022?
Unlike last year, New Jersey doesn't have too many unrestricted free agents to dangle on the trade market. The most notable one is defenseman P.K. Subban. Subban was a fixture of the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry earlier this century, but he's no longer an elite defensemen capable of dominating games offensively. Subban and his massive salary cap hit of $9 million isn't really a fit on Boston's blue line right now.
Pavel Zacha will be a restricted free agent this summer and could give the Bruins' second or third line a boost with his ability to play left wing or center. Any team that gives up quality assets for Zacha will probably want to extend him in the offseason, and that could be expensive.
Overall, there aren't too many enticing trade targets for the Bruins on the Devils' roster.
Montreal Canadiens (8th in Atlantic, 16th in East)
The Canadiens are having a horrible season, and you can bet Bruins fans aren't going to shed a tear because of it. Even though the intensity of the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry isn't what it used to be, there's still plenty of passion between the two fanbases.
It would be pretty odd to see the Bruins and Canadiens make a trade. That said, Montreal would be foolish not to listen to Boston if it made a compelling offer for a player. After all, the Canadiens need as many quality assets as possible for their rebuild, so where the assets come from isn't really that relevant.
One name to consider for the Bruins is Ben Chiarot. The veteran defenseman is the kind of smart, physical, defensively sound player Boston needs on its blue line. TSN's Pierre LeBrun recently listed the Bruins among the teams who've phoned the Canadiens about Chiarot.
Chiarot would be a rental given his upcoming UFA status.
Western Conference
Chicago Blackhawks (8th in Central, 14th in West)
The Blackhawks have a couple players who might appeal to the B's. One is veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan. He has loads of experience, ranks third among all players with 126 blocked shots and can play 20-plus minutes per game. De Haan also plays the left side of the blue line -- an area where Boston needs more depth. He would be a solid pickup for the Bruins, even as a rental.
Another interesting player is Dylan Strome. The 24-year-old center was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft but has failed to meet expectations. He has plenty of size at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, and his offensive numbers -- nine goals and 12 assists in 39 games -- aren't horrible. Perhaps a change of scenery and the excitement of a playoff push would benefit Strome, who should have plenty of motivation to play well and earn a better contract as a restricted free agent in the summer.
Seattle Kraken (7th in Pacific, 15th in West)
The Kraken have not fared as well as the Vegas Golden Knights as a young expansion team, and there are several veterans and UFAs on Seattle's roster who could interest contenders at the trade deadline.
One of them is Carsen Soucy, a 25-year-old defenseman who plays a physical game. He's a big guy at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds. The Bruins absolutely could use the toughness he brings to the blue line. Maybe the best aspect of Soucy as a potential trade target is he has one more year left on his contract with a team-friendly $2.75 million cap hit.
Another quality blueliner the Bruins could pursue is Mark Giordano. The Kraken selected him from the Calgary Flames in the expansion draft and made him the franchise's first captain. He's 38 years old but still putting up a respectable 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 46 games. His offensive talent, high hockey IQ and experience make him an attractive player for playoff teams.
Two forwards with value are Marcus Johansson and center Calle Jarnkrok. Jarnkrok is playing at a 20-goal pace and would give the Bruins more goal scoring and depth at center. But he's not a legit No. 2 center, which is Boston's most pressing need.
Arizona Coyotes (8th in Pacific, 16th in West)
The Coyotes are the team to watch at the trade deadline. They are in a full rebuild mode with a bunch of veterans and UFAs who could help teams in the playoffs.
The top player rumored to be available is defenseman Jakob Chychrun. The 2015 first-round pick is just 23 years old and a legit top-four d-man with impressive two-way ability. Chychrun is also signed through 2024-25 with a team-friendly $4.6 million salary cap hit. The only real concern is his injury history, but when healthy, he's exactly what the Bruins need on the left side of their blue line. The cost for Chychrun would likely be substantial, and could potentially include a first-rounder, a top prospect and more. If the B's want to make a splash at the deadline, Chychrun would be a good target and fill a serious roster need.
Another Coyotes player who might be on the move is Phil Kessel. The veteran winger is an upcoming UFA and still a quality middle-six scorer. Kessel began his career in Boston but wasn't able to agree on a new contract before the 2009-10 season so he was dealt to the Leafs in the trade that ultimately brought Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton to the B's as top 10 draft picks.
Would Kessel be willing to return to Boston? He does have a no-trade clause.
Acquiring Kessel would address a weakness at right wing for the Bruins. Outside of David Pastrnak, they haven't gotten much offensive production at right wing from players such as Craig Smith, Nick Foligno, etc.
A depth player in Arizona who could interest contenders is center Travis Boyd. He has scored a career-high 10 goals with 13 assists in 42 games. He's also a UFA this summer.