Boston Bruins: The case for trading Torey Krug this year

The Boston Bruins could make few bolder moves this summer than by trading Torey Krug.

The sheer thought of the Boston Bruins moving on from Torey Krug is one that fills us with a decent amount of dread and fear. We’re talking a guy that has grabbed fifty-plus points in the past three seasons. What’s even more impressive that his games played tally actually decreases year-on-year during that run.

Trading such a player away at just 28 years-old seems like a very bold strategic move. To do so, you’d need to be confident on the return that he can get you. This is where such a trade makes some degree of sense.

Boston have a great first-line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak; they also have two-thirds of a great second-line, however there is a definite opening for a more consistent and impressive right winger alongside David Krejci and Jake Debrusk.

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Torey Krug is on an expiring contract and will no doubt be expecting to cash-in come his unrestricted free agent status next summer. He’d have seen the $7 million a year deal signed by Jacob Trouba, despite far less success and likewise the $6.5 million Kevin Shattenkirk gets despite only having the one fifty-point year on his resume.

It’s fair to say that using just those two as benchmarks, Torey Krug will easily be able to command $8 million plus on the open market. The Boston Bruins may not have that sort of cap space available next summer.

Granted, the Kevan Miller deal coming off the books opens up $2.5 million and Krug’s own deal expiring opens up a further $5.25 million, but there’s by no means any certainty that $7.75 million will be enough, and what about the term that he may expect; will it be worth it?

This is where trading him now makes a semblance of sense; to trade him now ensures that he doesn’t walk away for free at the end of his contract, which in turn means the Boston Bruins actually get assets back in return for Torey Krug. Nothing screams poor asset management more than giving up a player of significant value for free.

Let’s say the Bruins do trade him away; that leaves them with a defensive core, providing they sign contracts of Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, with the veteran presence of Zdeno Chara omnipresent. The additional spots are spread between Matt Grzelcyk, Steven Kampfer, Connor Clifton, John Moore and Kevan Miller.

If Torey Krug departs, it’s the perfect chance to see if Grzelcyk can step up to the role of filling his skates. Also, provided Moore and Miller start the season on the injured reserve list, it also gives the Boston Bruins a chance to blood some new, younger talent from the Providence Bruins. A Torey Krug departure could be offset by an Urho Vaakanainen promotion.

Most of all, you can view such a move as addition by subtraction. Subtract Krug from the line-up and you’ve added $5.25 million of cap space. However, you’ve lost a guaranteed fifty points. However, consider the return may well bring the second-line up by a similar point value and if you’re smart, will come in cheaper and dealing him could well be the way to sign McAvoy and Carlo.

Given the Boston Bruins went all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final this past year and Torey Krug played a significant role in that, it’ll take a bold man to move him on. However, crazier deals have happened.

There’s a right winger out there that’ll cost the Boston Bruins the price of Torey Krug. If he brings even more out of an ageing Krejci and a still learning Debrusk, he’s a move you have to make.