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By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on Twitter / X @cookejournalism

The National Hockey League trade deadline is Friday, and the Boston Bruins haven’t been caught up in too many significant rumors. Without a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft and a lack of assets across the board, the Bruins were expected to be hamstrung to make any substantial waves before the end of the week. According to a report by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, that could change, though, as Elias Lindholm is a potential target for the Bruins.

The Vancouver Canucks recently acquired Lindholm in February from the Calgary Flames, shipping off Andrei Kuzmenko, a first-round pick, a conditional fourth-round pick, and a pair of prospects for the top-six center. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Lindholm since his trip across Canada. In 14 games with Vancouver, Lindholm has posted just 4-2-6 and is currently riding a nine-game goal drought. It’s safe to say the 29-year-old isn’t living up to his price.

According to Johnston, a three-team deal with Vancouver, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston would need to transpire for Lindholm to end up in Boston. The Penguins are shopping around Jake Guentzal, a player the Canucks are interested in. Boston would send a package to Pittsburgh to middleman the deal, receiving Lindholm from Vancouver.

Per TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Penguins would ask for a generous return, including a first-round pick, a young player, and prospects. The Bruins still have their 2025 first-round pick intact and have a slew of young players and prospects to make this work, such as Jake DeBrusk, Mason Lohrei, Matt Grzelyck, and Fabian Lysell. Is that too high of an asking price for the Bruins? It might be, but it isn’t out of the question if Boston is unsure about DeBrusk’s future in Boston and is looking to add some skill to the top-six ahead of the playoffs.