The Boston Bruins have needs this offseason. If you asked multiple people, you would get multiple answers. However, at the top of the list would be a right-shot defenseman. It remains to be seen just how many become available.
General manager Don Sweeney might be forced to address the need through a trade. In fact, there might be multiple needs to be addressed through trades. If Boston does decide to kick the tires through a trade, doing so might cost Sweeney some of his top prospects. Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic floated a trade idea that seems like a bit of an overpay.
Bruins beat writer drops trade pitch that seems like it would be an overpay
Shinzawa floated a trade that would send two prospects from the organization that have an impact, albeit not big ones, for one of the prospects, and a college one to the Calgary Flames for a veteran blueliner.
"This trade would give Mason Lohrei, a healthy scratch to finish the playoffs, a turn at contending for a top-four job and regular power-play action. The Bruins are reluctant to part with Matthew Poitras (22) and Christopher Pelosi (21). But giving up young forwards would be part of the cost of acquiring the right-shot Zach Whitecloud. The 29-year-old would brings stability to the third pair next to Nikita Zadorov at a reasonable $2.75 million AAV,'' Shinzawa wrote.
Essentially, Boston would be trading one bottom-pairing defenseman for another, along with two more prospects. However, Whitecloud is a right-shot, while Lohrei is a left-shot. You have to admit, Whitecloud's $2.75 million AAV would be very enticing to Sweeney and the Bruins.
Poitras is someone whom the franchise has buried in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins. He has not made the roster full-time the last couple of years, and just when it seems like he might, Boston's front office signs veteran forwards in free agency. Poitras isn't alone in being a prospect that is blocked in the NHL by veteran forward signings. Now, whether or not he deserves to be up there full-time or not is another subject, but he clearly is growing frustrated in the organization.
Calgary is a team that Sweeney has tried dealing with this past season to get a deal done for defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who ended up going to the Vegas Golden Knights, for Whitecloud. Talk about coming full circle.
This seems like it would be an overpay from Sweeney, but right now, beggars can't be choosers. Boton clearly needs help on the backend, and more than likely, it needs to come from outside the organization. Most options should not be off the table for a team that has a desperate need on the backend for help next season.
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