By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter/X @TCalauttis
The Boston Bruins have plenty of issues they need to address this offseason. The team is still without a first-line center, could use some depth scoring, and may have to figure out their backup goaltending situation. All of those issues are important, but the one need that trumps them all is a top-four right-shot defenseman.
There was a lot to like about the Black and Gold’s 2025-26 season. They reached the 100-point plateau, were a top-eight team in the league based on points, and returned to the postseason. But that doesn’t mean they can ignore the serious flaws that ended up dooming them in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
When it came to defending at even strength, the B’s simply weren’t good enough this season. According to Moneypuck.com, Boston ranked 28th in expected goals against per 60 (2.66), 27th in expected goal differential (-18.34), and 27th in expected goals against (178.25). Simply put, if it wasn’t for Jeremy Swayman, this team could have been in a much different situation this year.
Not only does the defense need to improve, but the Bruins could also use a shot of offense from their blueline as well. Despite finishing the regular season 11th in defensive scoring, their backend production dried up in the playoffs, and they managed only eight assists across six games.
Playoff production from defensemen has been an Achilles heel for this team for a while now. During the 2023-24 13-game playoff run, no defenseman registered more than six points. In their 2021-22 seven-game tilt against Carolina, only two Boston defensemen had more than one singular point.
So, if General Manager Don Sweeney truly wants to elevate this roster and kick this re-tool into high gear, he’ll prioritize upgrading the right side of his blueline this offseason. With that in mind, I decided to take a look at three bold trades he could make that would shake the foundation of this team and significantly improve their defensive corps.
Adam Fox
The New York Rangers look like they’re headed for a full rebuild. They’ve finished 22nd in the league or worse over the past two seasons, and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. The majority of their core is over 30 (J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and Vladislav Gavrikov), and they don’t have a strong enough prospect pool to fill out the rest of their roster. That means that they could be willing to listen to offers on some of their stars.
Enter Adam Fox, New York’s 28-year-old franchise blueliner, who is currently in the midst of a seven-year, $66.5 million contract that pays him a total of $9.5 million a season. Given the way the salary cap is expanding, and the current going rate for top four defensemen, that’s a pretty reasonable contract for someone of his caliber.
If there’s one thing Fox has done consistently well over his career, it’s produce. Since the 2021-22 season, he’s only put up fewer than 60 points once, and that came this season, where he registered 9-44-53 in 55 games. Fox is the kind of transitional, offense-driving defenseman the Bruins have so desperately missed over the past several seasons, and adding him to a right side that already contains childhood friend Charlie McAvoy would make Boston’s blueline formidable.
Fox would immediately slide into the quarterback position on the first power-play unit and take some of the offensive pressure off of McAvoy. The Bruins could also pair him with either Nikita Zadorov or Hampus Lindholm to make a truly strong top four.
The question is how much it costs to acquire a player of Fox’s caliber. Sweeney will almost definitely dangle Mason Lohrei as a piece of the return, but he’ll need to be supplemented by multiple picks and sweeteners to get the deal done. At the very least, you’re looking at a first-round pick, Lohrei, another draft pick, and a defensive prospect like Liam Petterson or Vashek Blanar, and that still may not get the deal done.
If the Bruins are serious about competing during the Pastrnak/McAvoy/Swayman window, they’re going to need to make a splash on defense. Fox is in his prime, on a tolerable deal, and checks all the boxes if Boston can get it done.
Thomas Harley
The Dallas Stars are in arguably the worst cap situation in the NHL this offseason. According to Puckpedia, they have a hair over $10 million in capspace and still have to sign star winger Jason Robertson and developing scorer Mavrik Bourque. If Dallas wants to keep its offense intact, it may need to make some difficult cap decisions on its blueline.
One of those decisions could come in the form of Thomas Harley. The 24-year-old left shot defenseman just signed an eight-year, $84.696 million contract that kicks in this offseason. If Dallas is looking to shed some salary to keep its stars, moving this kind of contract would allow General Manager Jim Nill to create the necessary cap space and leave some room left over to make an additional signing/trade.
Harley has been a stalwart of the Dallas blueline since the 2023-24 season. He’s posted 36 or more points in each of those years, with his career-high stat line coming in 2024-25 (16-34-50). The former 18th overall pick played for both the Four Nations and Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics and made the Western Conference Finals twice.
Harley is not as offensively dynamic as Fox, but he’s a smooth skater with a good frame (6’3, 214 pounds) and the ability to play both ends of the ice. The only real downside to his game is the fact that he’s a left-shot, meaning Boston would still have a hole on their right side. However, given the kind of player he is and his age, he’s the type of defenseman you can’t pass up.
This is another trade where Sweeney will likely have to part with Lohrei, a first-rounder, and significantly more, but it’d be for a defenseman that helps your core now and can be a building block for the future. If Harley wriggles free, the Bruins need to make the call.
Filip Hronek
The Vancouver Canucks are in a full-on rebuild. After trading Quinn Hughes this season, the team has fully embraced the inevitability and reality of their situation: it’s time to start over. With nothing bolted down to the floor and everything potentially on the table, they could be ripe for a trade with the Boston Bruins.
If Sweeney were to make the call over to British Columbia, he would be reaching out to discuss 28-year-old Filip Hronek. The Czech defender is currently in year three of an eight-year contract, which pays him $7.25 million per season.
Hronek is coming off the best offensive season of his career, where he posted 8-41-49 while spending most of the season as the ‘top dog’ in Vancouver. He also raised eyebrows with his impressive performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Hronek is the least offensively gifted of the three defensemen on this list, but still averages 30 or more points per season. Stapling him alongside Hampus Lindholm or Zadorov would allow the Bruins to strengthen their defensive corps. without changing much of the status quo when it comes to roles and responsibilities (i.e., McAvoy on the power play).
Because he isn’t as dynamic, the cost for Hronek would likely be lower than the others on this list. The Bruins would still have to part with Lohrei and a first-rounder, but that package provides a pretty solid starting offer for a deal.
Regardless of which defenseman the Bruins target this offseason, changes need to be made if they want to take the next step. If Sweeney wants to be bold and truly upgrade his team, these three defensemen are the kind of players he should consider.
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