By: Matthew Lemear | Follow me on X @Mlemear331
The Boston Bruins have had a mediocre season so far. After playing 57 games, their record stands at 27 wins, 24 losses, and six overtime/shootout losses, totaling 60 points. This performance places them sixth in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. Fans have grown restless and are eager for changes as the NHL’s trade deadline approaches. https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/BOS/index.html
Bruins team President Cam Neely and General Manager Don Sweeney have addressed the Boston Bruins’ failure to live up to expectations this season. Last month, Neely stated that management needed to be prepared to go multiple ways during trade deadline time. On February 5th, during the broadcast of the Bruins vs. New York Rangers game, despite speaking mostly about Team Canada in the 4 Nations tournament, Sweeney briefly addressed the Bruins being potential sellers with the NHL on TNT crew.
Bruins fans have been increasingly demanding changes throughout the season, and their demands only intensified following the team’s disappointing performance in recent weeks. This decline was especially evident in the week leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, during which the Bruins surrendered leads and lost two games—one to the New York Rangers and another to the Vegas Golden Knights. Even Ty Anderson expressed frustration after the Bruins’ loss to Vegas last Saturday.
Many fans, myself included, had hoped to see improvement in the Bruins’ performance, believing that being a conservative buyer at the trade deadline would be a viable option. Unfortunately, those improvements did not materialize, and now the team finds itself outside of the playoffs. The once-mighty Bruins are now a struggling team, which is an unfamiliar position for the organization and its fans after more than a decade of success.
Looking ahead at Boston’s schedule, the first ten games following the 4 Nations break do not inspire much hope for a turnaround. Aside from one game each against Nashville and Pittsburgh—both currently 14th in the standings in their respective conferences—and another game against Anaheim (12 in the West), the Bruins will be up against teams that are either in or fighting for playoff positions.
- 2/22 vs. ANA (24-24-6, 12th in West)
- 2/25 vs. TOR (33-20-2, 2nd in Atlantic)
- 2/27 vs. NYI (25-23-7, 12th in East, 3 points behind Boston)
- 3/1 @ PIT (23-25-9, 14th in East, 5 points behind Boston)
- 3/2 @ MIN (33-19-4, 3rd in Central)
- 3/4 vs. NSH (19-28-7, 14th in West)
- 3/6 @ CAR (33-19-4, 2nd in Metro)
- 3/8 @ TBL (31-20-4, 3rd in Atlantic)
- 3/11 vs. FLA (34-20-3, 1st in Atlantic)
- 3/13 @ OTT (29-23-4, 1st WC in East)
- https://www.nhl.com/standings/2025-02-11/wildcard
With what this team has shown us so far, and seeing the potentially difficult schedule ahead, it would make sense for the Bruins to be sellers before this year’s NHL trade deadline. This team is not currently just one or two pieces away from competing; there are enough young players in the system to start building around for the future, and you still have a good core in David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman.
The Bruins have several key players who will become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at the end of this season and a few others who will be UFAs in the coming seasons. If traded, these players could provide a valuable return. Let’s explore some names that might be sporting a new uniform by March 8th or even sooner.
Trent Frederic appears to be the most logical candidate for the Bruins to move. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he would likely benefit from a change of scenery. At 27 years old, Frederic is coming off two seasons where he scored 40 and 31 points, respectively. However, his performance this year has disappointed, as his scoring pace has declined. He currently has eight goals and seven assists, totaling 15 points. Despite this drop in production, Frederic could offer a physical presence with potential offensive upside to many lineups in a bottom-six forward role. https://puckpedia.com/player/trent-frederic
Boston-area native Charlie Coyle has emerged as a name in recent trade discussions. Although he is less likely to be traded compared to others, the prospect of shedding his $5.25 million cap hit is attractive, especially since he has one year left on his contract. Last season, Coyle appeared as though he would be a suitable replacement for the recently retired Patrice Bergeron as a first-line center, finishing with 60 points. However, like many players, his production has declined this season. So far, Coyle has recorded 13 goals and seven assists for 20 points, with only 25 games remaining in the season. https://puckpedia.com/player/charlie-coyle
Justin Brazeau (10, 10 = 20), Cole Koepke (7, 5 = 12), and Parker Wotherspoon are three players to watch before March 7th as well. All three are currently on expiring contracts, and there has been no indication that they are close to signing extensions. Both Brazeau and Koepke, besides not being afraid to get physical, have been bright spots offensively for the team at various points during the season and may attract interest from other teams looking for forward depth as the deadline approaches. https://puckpedia.com/player/cole-koepke https://puckpedia.com/player/parker-wotherspoon https://puckpedia.com/player/justin-brazeau
The Bruins may have an underrated but valuable trade asset in their backup goaltender, Joonas Korpisalo. Many did not anticipate Korpisalo would attract trade interest across the league; however, that changed with Korpisalo’s strong play. Recently, I highlighted how Korpisalo has delivered crucial goaltending for the Bruins throughout the season, particularly after tough losses. https://blackngoldhockey.com/2025/01/bruins-goaltender-korpisalo-has-been-more-important-than-face-value-shows/
Korpisalo has a goals-against average of 2.86, a save percentage of .892, and three shutouts for the year. Although these numbers aren’t outstanding, they represent a significant improvement compared to expectations at the start of the season. The problematic aspect of trading Korpisalo is his contract, which runs through the 2027/2028 season with a cap hit of $4 million, and finding a team willing to take it on. https://puckpedia.com/player/joonas-korpisalo
Finally, we must address the significant question: Will the Boston Bruins trade their captain, Brad Marchand? It’s always a shock when a team decides to deal away its captain, something Bruins fans are all too familiar with. However, Marchand is 36 years old and has just come off an offseason in which he underwent three different surgeries, leading to his inability to perform at the same level as in previous years. Nevertheless, he could still be a valuable asset to a team where he wouldn’t need to be one of the top offensive players night in and night out.
Brad Marchand recently scored his 20th goal of the season, marking the 12th consecutive season and the 14th season overall in which he has reached the 20-goal milestone. While achieving this milestone in 14 seasons is impressive, Marchand’s production has declined this season. He currently has 20 goals and 24 assists, totaling 44 points, significantly lower than his performances in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, where he achieved 67 points. Additionally, he has had previous point totals of 80, 87, and even 100 in earlier seasons.
Now, with it being a player of the caliber of Brad Marchand and seeing as though he is the team captain and a cornerstone of the franchise, the Bruins may likely leave the decision up to Marchand himself. We could be looking at a situation where the Bruins ask Marchand if he wants to go to a Cup contender or if he wants to stay and finish his career in Boston. In a tweet from Conor Ryan, Marchand was quoted recently as having the goal to play in Boston forever.
From all accounts, Marchand has made it clear on multiple occasions that he wants to remain a Bruin and play out his career here. Despite all that, trading Marchand would undoubtedly bring in a haul of a return, especially if his addition instantly makes the team a Stanley Cup contender. In an article by James Murphy for RG media, he indicated that teams have been calling about Marchand and that the Bruins have listened but are not currently actively shopping their captain.
Murphy mentioned that many believe the Bruins could receive a first-round pick and a top prospect in exchange for Marchand. However, some experts argue that the return may vary significantly depending on which team is acquiring Marchand, suggesting that a first-round pick plus a prospect is not guaranteed. https://rg.org/news/hockey/bruins-receiving-trade-interest-on-brad-marchand-final-decision-yet-to-be-taken
Given the current situation and the Bruins’ position, it may be more advantageous for them to become sellers as the trade deadline approaches. By trading away some key players, the Bruins could acquire younger talent for the future. Additionally, specific trades could help replenish their draft capital, which has been diminished due to previous deadline deals over the past few seasons.
On the contrary, the Bruins could surprise everyone by emerging from the break and embarking on a winning streak, potentially causing them to choose to take the opposite approach of selling. While this scenario seems unlikely based on their performance throughout the season, it’s important to remember that anything is possible in this sport. Teams can catch fire unexpectedly, and a hot goaltender or a scoring surge from underperforming players could quickly turn the Bruins’ season around.
The Bruins have 25 games left in the regular season and seven games before the NHL trade deadline on March 7th. The roster may change significantly soon, which could be a positive development. If the team decides to sell, we can expect fresh young talent and draft picks. On the other hand, if they become buyers, it will likely be because their performance has improved, and they can aim for a playoff run. Regardless of what transpires, buckle up and enjoy the ride, as it will be an exciting few weeks for Bruins fans.
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