The Boston Bruins could use a little more scoring depth ahead of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which makes a middle-six forward an ideal target for general manager Don Sweeney with the March 8 NHL trade deadline approaching.
One player who might be a fit is Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg.
The Fourth Period reported Monday that "the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are believed to be eyeing Wennberg."
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Wennberg is in the final year of his contract with a $4.5 million salary cap hit. He can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Bruins have just $862,500 in cap space, per CapFriendly. So unless the Kraken retain some of Wennberg's salary, it might be difficult for the B's to acquire him.
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Wennberg has tallied 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 51 games for the Kraken this season. He is producing 1.41 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 this season, which is his highest rate since 2020-21, per Natural Stat Trick. Wennberg is on pace to score 10-plus goals for the fourth consecutive season and averaging a career-high 18:41 of ice time per game.
The Bruins would probably benefit more from a middle-six wing than a middle-six center. They have a lot of guys who can play in the middle. They don't have a ton of goal-scoring threats on the wing after David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.
The market for centers could be favorable for sellers. The top-two centers rumored to be available -- Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan -- have already been dealt in recent weeks. Both of those players fetched a first-round pick (more in Lindholm's case). The Bruins, with a lack of high-end trade assets and no picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 draft, aren't in a position to win a bidding war.
Of course, it's not guaranteed that the Kraken will become sellers. They enter Monday six points out of a wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference. It's not an insurmountable deficit. Then again, if the Kraken fall in the standings, it would make sense to trade a few veterans with expiring contracts and get some assets in return.