Bruins Should Target Budding Young Center

Sam Belton

Feb 10, 2024, 21:50

Sam Belton

Feb 10, 2024, 21:50

The Boston Bruins should take a chance on a young center.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports - Bruins Should Target Budding Young Center

Morgan Frost is a developing, 24-year-old centreman who could provide the Boston Bruins with forward depth. The Canadian could snugly fit on the Bruins' third pairing. Sportsnet Staff reported a third forward pairing is where he would belong.

While the Philadelphia Flyers are holding on to vital assets, Sportsnet's Rory Boylen reported on Feb. 7 that they may lean towards selling to swap out some chips and improve their chances in the playoffs.

If the Bruins could make a trade for one of the Flyers' strong defensemen such as Nick Seeler, who is high on TSNs recent Trade Bait List, they may make good use of him during the playoffs.

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His last name may be Frost, but his skates are hot, with a top skating speed of 22.93 mph. He would be a good puck-mover, in the 93rd percentile for average skating distance at even strength.

While hasn't been a big goal-scorer lately, at only three scored in 2024 so far, he may improve himself as a complimentary player for the Bruins' excellent roster, and a chip the Flyers could use to help with their rebuild.

The only problem is the Bruins would have to make financial sacrifices to free up cap space for him due to their limited $1 million salary cap space. Frost's qualifying offer is $2.4 million. He is a high-value player, so Philly's asking price would likely be high.

A disadvantage for the Bruins is they have traded away their top three 2024 draft picks. They have a first and third in 2025, and Frost is a valuable enough player to expect the Flyers to demand a first-round pick as part of the deal.

Here is a bargaining chip and line-up moving strategies the Bruins could consider.

Jake DeBrusk

A bargaining chip for the Bruins may be 27-year-old forward Jake DeBrusk, whose two-year, $8M-contract with the Bruins ends this year. He has had ups and downs this season, and was rougher earlier, without a single goal scored in Oct. 2023, and only six from November through December. But he improved in January this year, scoring six goals, and has scored three in his past 10 games.

DeBrusk's high asking price could help the Bruins financially in the event of spending a lot of cap space on a playoff helper such as Frost, but they may not want to let DeBrusk go if he stays hot.

He may be a great UFA investment for another team to improve if he goes into a slump as the Bruins head into the playoffs. This would also free up space for James van Riemsdyk to move into the first-line right-wing position.

Right-winger Jakub Lauko, with two goals and four assists this season, and only 9:39 of average ice time, could be moved down to the fourth line left wing, where he would be better suited alongside forwards 28-year-old Danton Heinen and 27-year-old Anthony Richard. Richard has similar numbers to Lauko, at three goals and two assists.

They could redevelop the fourth line by moving Heinen into the centreman position, putting Richard and sending 25-year-old Jesper Boqvist to hone his skills with the AHLs Providence Bruins, where he has excelled much more than he has in the NHL, with 10 goals and 13 assists with Providence this season.