With the NHL trade deadline one week away, one of the teams that should be active is the Boston Bruins. If the Bruins are going to hang onto the final East Division playoff berth, a move is needed by general manager Don Sweeney.
There are plenty of ways in which Sweeney can go by 3 p.m. on April 12. A top-six forward is needed, as well as a top-four defenseman. With questions surrounding Tuukka Rask’s health recently, is there a need for a goalie as well?
It’s extremely unlikely that Sweeney can address all three of those areas. Could he upgrade in one or two? Absolutely. Will he be able or willing to? That’s the question that will eventually be answered.
Saturday night, the Los Angeles Kings hosted the San Jose Sharks in a West Division game at Staples Center. There was the normal amount of media inside the arena for the game, but there was also a member of the Bruins organization also inside Staples Center.
Interesting attendee at Sharks-Kings this evening:
— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) April 4, 2021
Bruins Exec Director of Player Personnel John Ferguson. #TFPTradeWatch
Why Ferguson would be in attendance 3,000 miles away from Boston? Clearly, there are players that Sweeney the front office has on their radar one week from the deadline. Who exactly who were they looking at?
Kings’ right wing Dustin Brown could on their radar and what an addition to the Bruins top-six that would be. The 36-year-old Brown is clearly on the backend of his 17-year career that has been spent with Los Angeles, but it would be hard to pass up a deal for Brown if the Kings, who are currently seven points behind the Arizona Coyotes for the final West Division playoff spot. In 34 games this season, Brown has 15 goals and seven assists for a Kings team that is two games below .500.
San Jose is closing in fast on the Coyotes for the final playoff berth, three points behind and tied with Torey Krug and the St. Louis Blues for fifth place. It unlikely that the Sharks’ would be selling many pieces, if any at all, in the next week. Nobody would be surprised if they actually became buyers in the next seven days with a favorable schedule coming down the stretch of the regular season.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see the Bruins scouting out in Los Angeles for talent ahead of the trade deadline. Sweeney and the front office should not let any store go unturned at this point.