Boston Bruins General manager Don Sweeney speaks to the media during the 2016 NHL Draft on June 25, 2016 in Buffalo, New York.
(June 24, 2016 – Source: Jen Fuller/Getty Images North America)
By: Andrew Thompson Twitter: @godwentwhoops
The Boston Bruins seem to be in control of their own destiny at the moment. From an ugly beginning, the Black and Gold have earned points in 30 of their last 34 games. With their most recent win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the B’s sit comfortably in second place in the Atlantic Division.
The Boston Bruins seem to be in control of their own destiny at the moment. From an ugly beginning, the Black and Gold have earned points in 30 of their last 34 games. With their most recent win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the B’s sit comfortably in second place in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins next big move (other than forward Brad Marchand’s return to the ice) is the trade deadline. Several teams have been sniffing around the TD Garden to see who could be made available for the right price. Several big named players have put up their trade lists as well. (To no surprise, Boston was on those lists.) Don Sweeney had mentioned that they could be looking for a top-six winger earlier in the season.
So, what should the Bruins do?
Answer: Absolutely nothing.
The 2017-18 Bruins roster have really put things together in the middle of the season. For the first time in a few years, the Black and Gold have four solid forward lines. (Including the Bergeron line which could be argued as being the best top line in the NHL at the moment.) The Bruins defensive pairs have done their job, and the goaltending duo of Anton Khudobin and Tuukka Rask are among the top in the league right now.
The B’s have always believed in the ‘next man up’ philosophy. With the loss of Brad Marchand to his suspension, the team just moved the best possible player up a line and brought home points in four of the five games. But the B’s are also totally committed to the team this season. There are no Black and Gold passengers this time around.
“It’s just another sign of what you’re seeing inside of our club, and in that particular case outside, but there’s a lot of that going on,” offered Bruins bench boss Bruce Cassidy (who should be seriously considered for the Jack Adams this year. “Guys are working hard for one another, have each other’s backs. I was asked a question a while ago about what came first, the chemistry or the winning? I think it was the chemistry.
“You could see it earlier in the year. It didn’t result automatically in wins, but you could see our guys pulling for one another, and when we got healthy and started playing the way we wanted to. You see that up and down the lineup. Guys are happy for each other.”
So, let’s wrap up the Bruins current assets. A great set of forward lines. Three defensive pairs that bring it every night. Outstanding goaltending (sorry Tuukka haters). A deep set of prospects from the AHL down. At the moment the B’s have everything they need to make a deep run in the playoffs or even another Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Why would the Bruins even contemplate fixing something that isn’t broken?
Unless I’m reading the terrain all wrong, they won’t. From Jeremy Jacobs on down, the front office has to be excited about this year’s team. Unless the B’s suffer a string of serious injuries (or Brad Marchand hits a ref with his stick), the Boston Bruins will do absolutely nothing at the trade deadline.
Even if the B’s thought something was still missing, they really couldn’t go all in to get it. The B’s have just over $2 million in cap space, and that won’t be enough to grab a big name at the deadline, and it seems way too much to invest in a rental.
So we can all relax. Don Sweeney is too cagey to allow anything to disrupt the team he’s worked hard on putting together. The Boston Bruins will pass through the deadline unharmed and unchanged, and that’s how most of us want it.
Except for the Tuukka haters.
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