Blinksportsnews247The Boston Bruins are a strong contender for the Stanley Cup in the Eastern Conference once more, but they still need to strengthen a few areas on their roster before the NHL trade deadline on March 8.
Depth on the blue line is one of them.
During this time of year, competitive teams often find themselves in need of it. Given the physical demands of the job, defenders particularly find the Stanley Cup Playoffs to be a grueling competition. This season, the Bruins have struggled to defend in front of their net. In terms of permitted high-danger shot attempts, they are ranked 17th by Natural Stat Trick. However, they rank fourth in terms of high-danger goals allowed due to their outstanding goalie.
Although the Bruins’ penalty kill is rated seventh overall this season, they have recently had trouble. Boston’s PK is ranked 25th with a 75.7 percent success rate since the end of the December 27 holiday break.
Thus, adding a defenseman with better toughness and penalty-killing skills would be a significant addition to the Bruins’ lineup.
Which participants would assist in resolving these issues and others? The Bruins should think about chasing these five defenseman before the trade deadline.
Note: According to CapFriendly, the Bruins lack high-end trade assets and have less than $1 million in salary cap space. Don Sweeney, general manager of B, will need to think outside the box to sign a player with a $3 million cap charge.
Calgary Flames 2023–24 player Noah Hanifin: 53 games, 9 goals, 20 assists
Contract status: 2024 UFA, $4.95 million salary cap hit
The best defenseman that could be available at the trade deadline is Nikolay Hanifin. He apparently received a contract offer from the Flames, and he must now choose whether to take it or not. If not, the Flames ought to move him so they don’t have to take the chance of losing the 27-year-old defenseman in the summer when he becomes a free agency.
“They’ve been accommodating and flexible, but the Flames need an answer from Hanifin,” Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tweeted on Friday. “This is the point where the road meets the rubber. Early in the season, they offered Hanifin what was reportedly an eight-year, $60 million contract, almost precisely what he requested, but he changed his mind and didn’t sign it. The Flames, who were aware last summer that his preference was to play in the United States permanently, have not found any solace in that aspect.
However, they have remained friendly and have maintained contact, so they are still considering inviting him back. This week’s meeting between the Hanifin camp and the Flames was planned, and general manager Craig Conroy was in need of a response. He has the best rental defensemen available if the answer is “no.”
In the peak of his career, Massachusetts native and Boston College player Noah Hanifin is a legitimate top-four defenseman. With just one goal to match his career best of ten in a single season, this talented playmaker and powerful skater needs just one more. In a 5-on-5 setting, his 1.17 points per 60 minutes is his second-highest scoring average ever.
The Flames’ 4-1 victory at TD Garden gave Bruins supporters a close-up look at Hanifin’s abilities.
Hanifin is a talented defensive player as well. He makes saves on shots, wins close-quarters puck battles, and makes a big contribution to the Flames penalty kill, which leads the NHL with its third-best success rate (84.7%). Hanifin has a career-high 23:43 of ice time per game on average. He is the perfect example of an all-around defenseman, capable of playing well in every situation against elite opponents.
Hanifin’s price would probably be exorbitant. Since the Bruins have traded away five of their previous seven first-round picks (including 2024), it is not ideal that they would likely have to forfeit a first-round pick. But if Hanifin signs a contract to stay in Boston for the long run, he’s the kind of player worth losing out on a first-round selection and other valuable assets to get. Hanifin would improve the Bruins’ blue line both now and in the future. He’s about the same age as some of the top players in Boston (Pavel Zacha, Jeremy Swayman, Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, etc.).
To avoid having to give up any assets through a deal, the Bruins could always decide against trading for Hanifin and instead attempt to sign him as a free agency in the offseason. Making the transfer now would be the wisest course of action, though, given the Bruins are leading the Eastern Conference and have a genuine opportunity to go deep into the playoffs.
Minnesota Wild’s Jake Middleton 2023–24 Stats: 52 matches, 7 goals, and 11 helpers
Contract status: 2025 UFA, $2.45 million cap hit
Given that he can compete in the top four, Middleton is a better player than the following three on this list. He has really spent a lot of time this season playing on the Wild’s top pairing. Middleton plays a hard style of play, blocks shots, kills penalties, and plays more than 20 minutes per game.
Watch this brawl Middleton had with Senators player Zack MacEwen earlier in the season to get a sense of his tenacity.
Not all of Middleton’s abilities are defensive. Having tallied a career-high 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 52 games, he is also having a respectable offensive effect.
Middleton would not be a rental, which may raise the price a little bit to get him. He has a $2.45 million cap hit through the 2020–21 season, which is quite cheap for a guy who can play on the first or second pairing.
Joel Edmundson, Washington Capitals 2023–24 Stats: 1 goal, 2 assists, and 35 games played
Contract status: UFA in 2024 with a $3.5 million cap hit
To be honest, the Capitals are not even close to being a real contender, even if they are six points off of a wild card place. It’s time for this squad to get younger since Washington, with an average age of 29.2, was the fifth-oldest club going into the season.
It’s a smart idea to trade veterans whose contracts are about to expire for prospects and/or draft selections. Edmundson is one of those players, and the Capitals “are looking to move” the 30-year-old defenceman, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
A defenseman who can win those physical fights and remove traffic in front of the net is what the Bruins need. Edmundson is one of such players. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he is a difficult man to deal with. Edmundson is a solid shutdown defenseman with a ton of postseason experience, including two trips to the Cup Final and one victory in 2019; the Bruins would be wise to acquire him.
Anaheim Ducks 2023–24 player Ilya Lyubushkin: 48 games, 0 goals, 4 assists
Contract status: UFA in 2024 with a $2.75 million cap hit
The Bruins’ blue line would undoubtedly get some snarl from Lyubushkin. His gritty style of hockey plays a big part in his effectiveness as a penalty killer. He has averaged 2:59 of ice time on the penalty kill per game, along with 91 hits and 122 blocked shots.
With their third-worst record in the Western Conference, the Ducks have little incentive to hold onto him after the trade deadline.
Philadelphia Flyers’ Nick Seeler’s 2023–24 stats are as follows: 54 games, 0 goals, 8 assists
Contract status: 2024 UFA, $775,000 cap hit
By the trade deadline, the Flyers may become buyers. The Flyers are presently in third place in the Metropolitan Division after winning four games in a row after dropping five games in a row before the All-Star break. The deadline is still more than three weeks away, and a lot may happen in that time.
Seeler should have no shortage of buyers if and when they decide to sell.
In Boston, he would be a great third pairing defenseman on the left side. He plays with a tough edge that the Bruins occasionally lack and is an excellent defensive player. With 153 blocked shots, Seeler leads the league; a large portion of those came during his 2:02 of average penalty kill ice time per game.
From a trade standpoint, Seeler’s extremely cheap budget charge makes him a prime target for a team like the Bruins that has a lot of cap room available. The Bruins should target him as their defensemen because to his play style and contract.
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