The hidden meaning behind Bruins' minor Thursday morning trade

The Boston Bruins, or more specifically the Providence Bruins, made a minor trade on Thursday morning, flipping recent acquisition Massimo Rizzo and Dalton Bancroft for Navrin Mutter. From the outset, fans made jokes about Rizzo's abrupt tenure with the organization and showed excitement for Mutter, who brings an enforcer element to Providence, but the forward might not have to spend too many nights in the lineup.

Two players going out and Mutter coming in leaves just 12 forwards on Providence's roster. They might need to use all 12 in their two games this weekend, but something tells me that sending out two contracts in favor of one is Boston's way of clearing space for players who might become available this weekend.

Two contract spots could fill as early as Friday evening if James Hagens and Andre Gasseau are put out of the Hockey East Tournament and have no chance of making it to the NCAA tournament. Another Eagle, Oskar Jellvik, could also sign with the team, but his chances of getting a contract look a little slimmer. Some fans might wish that Dean Letourneau would also put pen to paper, but that also seems unlikely for this season.

The ends of other seasons are more unknown, but freeing up a contract spot also gives an extra chance to sign Beckett Hendrickson, Mason Langenbrunner, and Chris Pelosi when their season's end. If the Bruins decide to sign all six of Hagens, Jellvik, Gasseau, Hendrickson, Langenbrunner, and Pelosi, they would reach the full 50-contract limit, which teams try to avoid to maintain flexibility.

Hagens and Gasseau are likely the most obvious choices to sign. That would leave Gasseau staying in Providence, and Hagens taking Alex Steeves' spot in Boston, who would then come to the AHL to make Providence an even more formidable force for their Calder Cup run. With potentially Gasseau, Steeves, and Lukas Reichel added to the roster over the past week, it's hard to find a forward group better in the AHL.