Heading into this trade deadline, the Boston Bruins were supposedly in for a host of interesting names.
On the other side of the deadline though, the only additions for the Boston Bruins are Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie, both from the Anaheim Ducks. With no discredit to them, they don’t scream excitement.
Maybe it’s a good thing and a sign that the Boston Bruins are confident the core group from last year can compete again this play-off season; maybe there’s no reason at all to be underwhelmed.
However, when you look around the league at some of the big movers, it’s hard to not feel a tinge of disappointment that Don Sweeney didn’t go bigger and bolder.
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Look at the Vegas Golden Knights, who added Alec Martinez, Robin Lehner and Nick Cousins or the Carolina Hurricanes, who added Sami Vatanen and Vincent Trocheck, or even the Edmonton Oilers, who added Mike Green, Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis.
That’s without looking towards the Pittsburgh Penguins, who added big in another attempt to win the Stanley Cup while Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are still top of their games. They added Jason Zucker, Conor Sheary, Patrick Marleau and Evan Rodrigues; properly adding depth to the forward group.
Now, the Boston Bruins didn’t need wholesale changes like these, but just adding a couple of middle-six wingers doesn’t scream excitement in any way, shape or form.
Maybe this is just the nature of the trade deadline when you’re a team coming off the back of a Stanley Cup Final loss. Just looking to the St. Louis Blues, they only added Marco Scandella around the deadline, so they’re pretty much the same side as last year too.
Could a quiet deadline actually be the key to the Boston Bruins being able to contend again this year?
Obviously, we shall have to wait and see, but a second line group of David Krejci, Jake Debrusk and Ondrej Kase seems an improvement, equally so does a grouping of Anders Bjork, Charlie Coyle and Nick Ritchie as a third line grouping.
We’re looking good, regardless of being underwhelmed on deadline day.
There may not have been a fairy-tale reunion with Joe Thornton, Chris Kreider may not have came home and even Kyle Palmieri hasn’t ended up going anywhere; it shouldn’t mean the Boston Bruins aren’t contenders again though.