Bruins Mock Trades: Grading Deals For Marchand & More
The Boston Bruins are at the center of trade discussions as they hold several of the most highly sought-after players on the market, and everyone is waiting to see what moves Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will make ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
In the meantime, many of you have come up with your own ideas for Bruins trades and asked for my thoughts. You ask, you shall receive.
Brad Marchand to Washington for the rights to Cole Hutson and a third-round pick in 2025 – @B_Caplette
This is an intriguing trade, but I think Washington ultimately says no.
While the Capitals are leading the Eastern Conference and are in the race for the President’s Trophy, I don’t think they’d want to give up a prospect they just drafted this past summer and who projects to be a part of their long-term future for an aging veteran with an injury history who may not even re-sign with them after this season.
Also, part of what has made the Caps so good this year is the chemistry of their lineup. Every player has a role and plays it well. While Brad Marchand would be a clear upgrade, adding him completely throws off that balance. I see Washington making smaller moves for role players rather than blockbuster deals for bonafide stars.
I will say, though, a line of Marchand, Tom Wilson, and Pierre-Luc Dubois would be the most hated line in the history of hockey, and I’d love to see it.
Brad Marchand to Dallas for Logan Stankoven and a first-round pick – @TJ_TMorrison23
This is a little too steep of a price for Marchand. Maybe you get Stankoven or a first-round pick, but certainly not both. The more likely deal is one of the two and a mid-round pick.
Brad Marchand to Colorado for Calum Ritchie and a second-pick (Bruins retain $2 million of Marchand’s salary) – @kram93291
Of the three Marchand proposals, this one seems the most realistic in my eyes.
The Avs aren’t the goal-scoring machine they once were and are trying to
compensate by getting stronger defensively. Adding an all-situations, high-IQ forward like Marchand is the perfect fit.
Colorado may also be one of the few destinations Marchand would waive his no-movement clause for considering his relationship with Nathan MacKinnon.
Trent Frederic to St. Louis for a second-round pick – @Devilish21ca
Before
Trent Frederic suffered his injury, this would’ve been a slam-dunk trade for both sides. But now that he’s on the shelf for at least the next couple of weeks, the best return the Bruins can hope for is a fifth-round pick.
If anything, St. Louis probably won’t trade for Frederic at the deadline at all.
The Blues are probably at, or near the very top, of his list of teams he’d want to sign with in free agency, so it makes little sense for them to give up assets for him now when they can add him for free in the summer.
Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie to Los Angeles for Brandt Clarke, Alex Turcotte, and a first-round pick –
We’ll pretend Frederic is healthy for this, and even then, LA doesn’t accept this deal.
The Kings already gave up a ransom for Tanner Jeannot, so I doubt they’d want to do the same for Frederic, even if
Morgan Geekie is involved.
And as well as Geekie has played, the Kings are in the hunt for a proven first-line forward, not so much one that, for now, is only having a hot season.
Morgan Geekie, Georgii Merkulov, and fifth-round pick to Buffalo for Alex Tuch – @danbaraiuk4
I don’t see the Bruins making this trade.
Geekie and Tuch are close in age and have similar play styles and contract situations. Swapping one for the other doesn’t make a ton of sense, and trading away Merkulov and a draft pick doesn’t either.
I’d try to see if Buffalo would take Merkulov and a higher pick for Tuch.
With both him and Geekie on the roster, the Bruins would go from having some of the weakest forward depth in the league to a very strong middle-six.
Brandon Carlo, a first-round pick, and John Farinacci to Buffalo for Dylan Cozens and a third-round pick – @JustinADiMaio
This is a solid place to begin trade negotiations, but the Bruins will have to throw in another piece or two to acquire Dylan Cozens.
That said, the Sabres are one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL, and a player like Brandon Carlo is exactly what they need. And while Cozens is having a down season, he still projects as a high-end, top-six center at only 24 years old and could be the long-term answer to the Bruins’ issues down the middle of the ice.
David Pastrnak and draft picks to Ottawa for Brady Tkachuk – @AngryBruinsBear
This would be the mother of all blockbusters, which is why it will never happen.
I understand the allure of a player like
Brady Tkachuk. His style of play screams Boston Bruins, but I think we’re forgetting here just how good David Pastrnak is.
Since the beginning of January, his 38 points in 23 games are the best of any player in the league. There’s a legitimate argument to be made that he should win the Hart Trophy this season.
If anything, it should be the Senators sending multiple draft picks to the Bruins in this trade.
