Boston Bruins: This trade with Detroit fills both positional needs

The Boston Bruins have been all over the place this season. The most recent example of the inconsistency of this team is their last two games. On Thursday, the Bruins smothered the New York Rangers 4-0 only to turn around two days later with an embarrassing 4-0 loss where they just had nothing going.

The Bruins need a shake-up. With the April 12th trade deadline less than a month away, it is time for Don Sweeney to start making calls. In this weird shortened season with covid restrictions – it would be smart to make a move as soon as possible in order to get the player(s) through the protocols and acclimated as soon as possible.

The Boston Bruins have two pressing positional needs.

A secondary scoring winger for David Krejci has been on the list for several years now and it’s time for management to address it. When the Perfection Line is buzzing – everything is golden. When the top guns have an off night though, there’s no offence to be seen.

The left side of the defensive corps is also in need of reinforcements. After losing Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug in free agency, it was always a stretch to assume the young guys would be able to fill their shoes defensively and offensively.

The Detroit Red Wings are once again in the basement of the NHL standings in the middle of what is looking like will be a long rebuild. So it was no surprise to see some of their upcoming veteran UFAs on TSN’s ‘Trade Bait’ board. Two Red Wing names on that board would be able to immediately address the Bruins’ biggest needs.

Let’s take a look at what a deal with Detroit could look like.

Boston Bruins – Detroit Red Wings deal.

The Detroit Red Wings are in full rebuild mode so they are going to covet young players and assets.

Anders Bjork is a promising young winger, but has struggled to find consistency in his game and in the Boston Bruins lineup. This is a player who could truly benefit from a change of scenery with a team that would be willing to give him an increased role.

Jarred Tinordi would simply be money going the other way and is an expiring contract the Wings would not have to worry about. Tinordi has played some spirited hockey for the Bruins but his role is basically replaced in this deal.

In a 2021 draft that will be more of a guessing game than ever, Don Sweeney should be more willing to give up draft capital – especially when it is (hopefully) a low selection.

The Boston Bruins get two impact veterans from this deal who are enjoying impressive seasons considering the team they play for.

Bobby Ryan is one of the league’s best comeback stories and has contributed 13 points in 27 games for Detroit. Ryan is a veteran guy who could immediately slide in on David Krejci’s right wings and would be boosted offensively surrounded by better talent.

Marc Staal is a hard-nosed veteran defenceman who could add experience and some veteran bite to a young defensive corps.

Both of these players are on expiring deals which is probably a good thing because of their age, but these guys would be immediate contributors for a lengthy playoff run.

Bobby Ryan is on a steal of a contract at $1 million while Marc Staal carries a more hefty cap hit at $5.7 million. One has to think the Detroit Red Wings would be retaining a chunk of salary on Staal’s deal.