By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
With the 2024-25 National Hockey League season wrapping up Tuesday night in Sunrise, Florida, off-season chatter is beginning to pick up. The Boston Bruins have already made one move to bolster their defensive depth, acquiring and signing Victor Soderstrom in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. But could they be on the verge of another?
According to a report from Stefen Rosner of RG Media, the Bruins have inquired about the availability of New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov. Romanov, 25, is a pending Restricted Free Agent and had 20 points in 64 games last year with the Isles. According to Rosner, new Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche has not made Romanov available for trade yet; however, that has not stopped teams from reaching out, as the Philadelphia Flyers have also shown interest.
In his report, Rosner speculates that Romanov could require an average annual value between $5 million and $6 million per season under his new contract, as well as an acquisition cost of either an early second-round draft pick or a late first-round selection. Romanov is eligible for arbitration.
Boston holds the seventh, 51st, 61st, 69th, 100th, 133rd, and 165th selections in the 2025 NHL Draft. While they do not have picks in the late first-round to early second-round range, they do have multiple first-round picks in the 2026 and 2027 drafts, as a result of the Brandon Carlo and Brad Marchand trades.
Where Romanov would fit in the Bruins’ lineup is a bit tricky. Boston has a logjam on the left side of their defense, with Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov both being signed long-term and both possessing either no-trade or no-movement clauses in their contracts. Mason Lohrei, like Romanov, is a pending Restricted Free Agent, with AFP Analytics projecting him to sign either a short-term deal at about $3 million a season, or long-term at about $5.5 million. In order to make room for Romanov, the Bruins might need to move someone to the right side, or perhaps trade them.
Whether Boston should target another physical defenseman, like Romanov, is another question. The Bruins already have the aforementioned Zadorov, who had 219 hits this season, fourth amongst NHL defensemen. You could argue that the B’s would be better off targeting a puck-moving offensive defenseman, perhaps one who could quarterback a power-play unit. Boston’s power-play was 29th in the NHL this past season. General Manager Don Sweeney has talked about a need to “evolve offensively“, and one way to do so would be by adding some offense on the back end.
Romanov is not the only name the Bruins have been linked to in recent days. Boston has reportedly expressed interest in Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Pageau, 32, had 42 points last season on Long Island and is entering the final year of a six-year, $30 million contract. He possesses a modified no-trade clause. Whether Boston will ultimately swing a trade with the Islanders remains to be seen, but it sure seems the Bruins will be busy the next two weeks.
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