Boston Bruins: A trade for Brenden Dillon makes no sense

The Boston Bruins are reportedly showing interest in the San Jose Sharks’ expiring defenseman, Brenden Dillon, and it makes no sense at all.

When you look at the Boston Bruins depth chart, defense isn’t the obvious place we’re lacking. Granted, injuries happen but going after Brenden Dillon, as suggested by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, seems like the wrong move when we have far greater need on the right-wing.

Right now, there has been the need to use Jeremy Lauzon among others on the Boston Bruins blue-line, mainly due to injury issues. This seems all well and good; Lauzon, although young, brings some snarl and aggression to the defense on the bottom pairing.

In all reality, that’s all Brenden Dillon would bring – some snarl and aggression on a third pairing, albeit being a guy that could step up to a second pairing without being phased.

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Zdeno Chara has been the stand-out this season, as has often been the case in years gone by, as the snarly and aggressive type on the Boston Bruins blue-line. Fact of the matter is though that he is in his forties and shouldn’t be the only one fulfilling that role.

Bringing in Dillon to offer support there makes a degree of sense. What doesn’t make much sense is the potential cost of such a signing and how the roster is juggled to allow it to happen.

Obviously, with Kevan Miller and Connor Clifton both on injured reserve, there’s space in terms of the 23 man roster limit. Likewise, the buried contract of David Backes helps create the financial room to bring him in on his $3.27 million cap hit.

However, should Clifton or Miller get fit before the end of the year, suddenly there’s a struggle. The Boston Bruins would then be juggling 9 guys on the blue-line. At what point is that viewed as completely absurd and not viable?

Also, to spend that $3 million means you have to either deal away someone with a cap hit or give up draft picks or prospects. Does that mean Jeremy Lauzon or Jakub Zboril is dealt away? Or does it simply mean there’s not a second-round pick this year?

It makes sense that the Boston Bruins look to a name or two to the line-up; it worked perfectly with Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson last year.

It doesn’t make sense though to pursue a rental defenseman that will cost too much in terms of allowing the team to pursue their true positional need for a top-six right-wing.

Brenden Dillon falls very much, for me, in the category of being nice to have but someone the Boston Bruins really should avoid actively pursuing. They have internal options that they’d be wiser to give the nod first.