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Boston Bruins: Ranking the Bruins’ top trade deadline targets

By Luke Ryan

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 26: A detail of the Boston Bruins logo is seen during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on November 26, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 8-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 26: A detail of the Boston Bruins logo is seen during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on November 26, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 8-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Boston Bruins Ilya Kovalchuk
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 09: Los Angeles Kings right wing Ilya Kovalchuk (17) before a game between the Boston Bruins and the Los Angeles Kings on February 9, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Ilya Kovalchuk (Montreal Canadiens)

They say not to trade with your enemies, but the Montreal Canadiens have a player in Ilya Kovalchuk that may mean trading with the Habs is necessary for the Boston Bruins.

Whether such a trade is smart depends wholly on whether the Boston Bruins were to get the Los Angeles Kings’ Kovalchuk or the Montreal Canadiens’ Kovalcuk, as he’s been a different player since arriving in Quebec.

There is no doubting that the Russian is still quite the player in this league, but the challenge for the Bruins would be finding the right fit in the line-up and affording him enough ice-time to do his thing.

As we saw during his stint in Los Angeles, without the ice-time, he’s much less of a dangerous player. Given the current trend towards bigger minutes for the top line and only about 15 minutes being available even to the second line, there would be every chance the Bruins would be adding the LA Kings’ version of the former Maurice Richard Trophy winner.

His 12 points in 16 games with Montreal compare positively to his 9 points in 17 games on the West Coast this season. There’s definitely enough there to suggest he’d be a good pick-up.

Related Story. Reasons to avoid a trade with the Montreal Canadiens. light

There would be two issues though preventing the Boston Bruins from pursuing him too hard; those being the potential asking price and whether they truly see him as a good fit.

If the Montreal Canadiens fade away from any chance at the play-offs in the next week and a half, obviously he becomes one of their bigger trade-able assets, especially on such a cap-friendly contract.

Unfortunately, knowing this the Canadiens would rightfully expect a decent prospect or draft pick and/or a roster player to balance it out.

As such, any move for Kovalchuk would be an over-pay especially given he was available for free mere weeks ago. I give the idea of the Boston Bruins acquiring him a C-.

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