The Boston Bruins have been conspicuously quiet during this season’s NHL trade deadline madness.
But it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.
One of the most common rumors surrounding the Bruins has been their pursuit of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. The Bruins have been looking for an upgrade on the blue line all season.
They kicked the tires on Quinn Hughes. Then, they made a strong run at Rasmus Andersson. Now, it seems Faulk is their main target. However, the Blues want an arm and a leg for Faulk, leading the Bruins to potentially pivot to another target.
According to James Murphy of RG Media, the Bruins could be moving on from Faulk and looking at Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland.
Now, the official narrative is that Garland isn’t necessarily on the trade block. He’s actually still considered a key member of the Canucks moving forward. But the prevailing chatter in Vancouver is that the club is willing to take the team “down to the studs.”
If that’s the case, Garland could be on the move.
The 29-year-old is in the final year of his current deal, but signed a six-year, $36 million contract last offseason. So, he’s under contract for the foreseeable future. That’s why the Canucks don’t want to trade him, though they just might for the right price.
An anonymous source told Murphy that Garland is not on the table, but for the right deal, things could change.
“Of course, if the Canucks really go into the tank and someone knocks their socks off with an offer, you never know.”
That’s a telling statement about how much the Bruins value Garland. As for this writing, there is no imminent deal. So, it may seem that Garland will be staying put, at least for now.
Bruins also interested in other Canucks forwards
The report also brought to light the seemingly passing interest the Bruins have had in Brock Boeser. According to Murphy’s sources, the Boston was ready to make a strong push for Boeser in the free agent market.
However, Boeser never hit the open market. He opted to re-sign with the Canucks this past summer.
That situation hasn’t stopped the Bruins from checking in on Boeser. As per the report, things haven’t gotten very far at all with Boeser. He’s staying put for now, and that’s that.
There is one interesting tidbit, though. A source told Murphy that the Bruins had been trying to land Boeser last year. Nevertheless, the season didn’t go as planned, and Boston became a seller.
“They were looking at him again, but then things went south fast, and they were sellers.”
It’s tantalizing to think what Boeser could have done in Boston. There might still be a chance that Boeser ends up in Boston. But as Murphy’s sources have noted, it’s likelier the club moves Garland.