The NHL trade deadline is just eight days away, and rumors are beginning to swirl. As far as the Boston Bruins go, the path likely taken by general manager Don Sweeney will be determined by the four games after the Olympic break.
There are two clear needs that the Black and Gold have: a top-six center and a right-shot defenseman. If those are needs Sweeney is trying to address, he might only be able to address one of them by next Friday.
Addressing either is going to require a haul going back the other way in any potential trade. It would likely include some mixture of a player off the current roster, a prospect or two, and potentially draft picks. Sweeney certainly can meet some teams' needs with all of that. One prospect who Boston is reportedly dangling is one of their top ones.
Bruins reportedly shopping prospect Matthew Poitras in a potential deal
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Sweeney is making Matthew Poitras available in a deal. The 21-year-old was selected in the second round of the 2022 Entry Draft for Boston, but has fallen behind in the lineup and spent most of this season with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL).
"According to Pagnotta, one piece the Bruins are dangling and have made available is young forward Matthew Poitras, who is in the final year of his entry-level contract,'' wrote The Fourth Period.
Poitras has played in three games this season, before the Olympic break. He scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this month in the Stadium Series Game in Central Florida. Over his time with Boston, he has played in 69 games with seven goals and 20 assists. Earlier this week, another young Bruins player, Mason Lohrei, popped up on The Athletic's trade board. Again, the results of the break will determine Sweeney's deadline path.