At the trade deadline last March, Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney made a pair of trades that were depth additions for the stretch run of the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Boston’s GM added a forward and defenseman to his group bringing in two veterans.
Sweeney acquired Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild to bring in some toughness and grit to the lineup. He was a natural fit to the Black and Gold’s bottom-six knowing that they were going to have to go through the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers to advance through the postseason. The other trade Sweenye made was to acquire defenseman Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets with defenseman Jakub Zboril going the other way.
When the season came to an end it was time to make free agency decisions, Sweeney let Maroon walk without signing him. It was somewhat of a surprise as he would have been a nice piece to the bottom six this season. He was not going to produce a lot of offense, but that physical presence in the lineup would have been nice. As for Peeke, he remains under contract and a part of the current Boston defense.
In free agency, Maroon signed a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, in somewhat of a surprise move, giving them some toughness on a roster with young superstar Connor Bedard. The season has not gone as planned in Chicago as they hoped it would and they’ll be in the process of selling pieces at the trade deadline on March 7. They have already started making moves by sending former Bruins forward Taylor Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes. More moves are coming and one of those could include Maroon.
Chicago Blackhawks likely to trade Pat Maroon
After signing a one-year contract with the Blackhawks, Maroon is a name that will be popping up in trade conversations over the next couple of weeks, and why not? He is a Stanley Cup winner who would provide a team with not only toughness and grit but also experience.
According to Tyler Kuehl of the Daily Faceoff, Maroon is likely to be moved by 3 p.m. on March 7 and there are some interesting destinations. One is the Tampa Bay Lightning who are likely going to finish in third place in the Atlantic Division and looking at the real possibility of having to go through the Toronto Maple Leafs and Panthers in the first two rounds.
There are potential other destinations as well and the Blackhawks will have no shortage of suitors for Maroon for what he brings to the table and is needed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that a team like the New Jersey Devils makes a move for Maroon as they are looking to get past the first round likely against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Regardless of where he ends up, Maroon will more than likely get one more shot at raising the Stanley Cup again this spring.