The Boston Bruins haven't been shy about their desires at this year's trade deadline. The want is a right-shot defenseman to lock down their core for the foreseeable future, at which point they can then shift their focus to how they're going to turn the forward group into a Stanley Cup contender. It's a sound long-term strategy, but writer Ty Anderson believes that the Bruins might not be so invested in the long-term aspect of it.
"What I can tell you is that these first round picks [the #Bruins] have right now...I do think they are burning a hole in their pocket. I do think they want to trade one of them"@ZoandBertrand @_TyAnderson pic.twitter.com/dG0GRW3Yml
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) February 26, 2026
Will the Bruins trade a first-round draft pick?
The concern for me is that none of the right-shot defense targets the Bruins have been linked to are worth giving up a first-round pick. There are no guarantees that Boston will make the postseason, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking at an uphill battle to get back into the playoff picture. Acquiring a defender like Justin Faulk, Rasmus Ristolainen, or MacKenzie Weegar for a potential top 10 pick seems like a terrible decision.
""What I can tell you is that these first round picks [the Bruins] have right now...I do think they are burning a hole in their pocket. I do think they want to trade one of them.""Ty Anderson
In that case, the Bruins are likely targeting other pieces with their first-round pick. It wouldn't be the first time Sweeney came out of nowhere to acquire a piece, which Anderson alluded to after the clip of him on Zo and Bertrand dropped.
"I do feel like an out of left field move could happen. Kind of how Sweeney operates. If so, it’s for someone with term if they’re moving one of the picks (obviously)."Ty Anderson via X
We've discussed the Bruins taking a run at Robert Thomas before. The feeling around him and the St. Louis Blues is that it would take a package that includes James Hagens and a first-round pick to make that deal happen. When those rumors dropped, it didn't feel like too much of an overpay, but with the way Hagens has developed at Boston College this season, it could backfire.
There aren't many other big pieces kicking around the rumor mill that feel worth it. Sweeney could be making a risky move if he does have the first-round pick out there, but he could feel the success of the prospect pool rebuild over the past year offers him a chance to do something out of left field.