The Boston Bruins have made a couple of seemingly minor moves over the last couple of days. First, the Bruins traded depth forward Jeffrey Viel to the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth-round pick last Friday.
The deal largely flew under the radar as it didn’t seem like the sort of trade that would have any serious implications for either side. The deal was largely a cap dump move, also aimed at opening up another contract and roster spot for the team.
Then, on Monday, the Bruins placed depth blueliner Vladislav Kolyachonok on waivers. Like Viel, Boston likely wanted to clear up some cap space and roster spots. Whether another team claims Kolyachonok or not is largely irrelevant. Placing the 25-year-old on waivers would erase his cap hit from the books, while freeing up a roster spot.
But the moves could signal that something else is afoot. Rumors suggest the Bruins are looking to make a splash. They were the purported frontrunners for Rasmus Andersson. Yet, that deal fell through. Despite the failed trade, the consensus is that Boston is trying to come up with a big move.
What that move could be at this point is not precisely clear. The team’s moves, however, suggest the need to clear up roster spots and cap space. At the moment, Boston has a little over a $1 million in cap space.
That’s not a lot to work with. But a bigger trade could free up the necessary cap space to make the math work on a major move.
Bruins Looking for a Defenseman
The efforts to land Rasmus Andersson suggest the Bruins are looking to add a defenseman. As such, Boston wanted to improve its current blueline setup, potentially adding more firepower from the back end.
With Andersson off the board, puck-moving, offensive defenseman are not quite readily available on the market. Most of the names are veteran depth pieces who may not really fit what the Bruins are looking for.
Perhaps other names may emerge in the coming days as other teams become sellers at the deadline. However, it may be challenging to find available options before the Olympic roster freeze on February 4.
Boston May Pivot to Other Areas
If the Bruins cannot find the sort of defenseman they’re looking for, they may pivot to another type of player. Perhaps Boston will settle for another depth blueliner to support their current blueline core.
Otherwise, a forward may be on the Bruins’ radar. Several teams have forwards available, potentially intriguing the club. Boston’s blowout loss against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night shows just how much the team could use as much scoring depth as possible.
The Rasmus Andersson and Kiefer Sherwood trades have shown that the animal spirits have returned to the NHL trade market. So, it could be a matter of time before the Bruins find a willing trade partner to address key needs now, before the season slips away.
The next 15 days or so will be an interesting period as just about every team in the league looks to set itself up for the stretch run following the Olympics.
Bruins Recent Moves Signal Something Could Be Looming