By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on Twitter / X @cookejournalism
The Boston Bruins are on the board. After making his first transaction amidst the National Hockey League’s trade deadline frenzy in signing Parker Wotherspoon to a one-year extension, Don Sweeney has hit the trade block. According to The Atheltic’s Michael Russo, the Bruins have acquired Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a conditional late-round pick.
Maroon, who has posted 4-12-16 for the Wild this season, is recovering from back surgery he underwent last month. As of February 7th, the 35-year-old grinder was expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. Russo reported that Maroon is expected to hit the ice in a Boston uniform at the end of the month, putting the left-winger right on schedule in his return to play. The 6’3″, 234-pound bruiser will bring some physicality to Causeway Street.
A perennial fourth-line power forward, Maroon will look to add some grit to Boston’s bottom six once healthy. In his recent four-year stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Maroon has also demonstrated an underrated knack for finding the scoresheet, posting 11-16-27 in the 2021-22 season. He was traded to the Wild last summer from Tampa Bay for a seventh-round pick.
For the Bruins, it’s one of the minor moves they have the flexibility to make at the deadline. Without a first-round pick in the upcoming NHL draft, they cannot pursue a more touted player. Instead, Sweeney elected to part ways with a late-round pick to bolster his fourth line ahead of the playoffs. The veteran is also a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning his first on the St. Louis Blues in their game seven win over Boston in 2019.
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