With the Trade Deadline five weeks away, which centers should the Boston Bruins target?
With the Trade Deadline five weeks away, which centers should the Boston Bruins target?
With the NHL Trade Deadline quickly approaching in five weeks time, the Bruins are in an excellent spot.
For the second year running at this point in the season, Boston sits atop the Eastern Conference standings with 67 points. Considering the talent they lost prior to the season via free agency and retirement, it has been a pretty remarkable run from the B's.
However, there are certainly ways they can further improve the roster. While the Bruins have coped well with the losses of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, the center ice still can be considered a question mark and could use some more firepower.
Here are some players the Bruins should seek after to fortify the middle of the ice:
Elias Lindholm
It is no secret that Lindholm could be up for grabs come the March 8th deadline. And if that is the case, plenty of teams should be pressing their luck to land the center.
And Boston could be the perfect fit.
The Flames forward is currently fourth on the team in points with 31 and sits eighth on the team with 8 goals. While his offensive numbers this season don't necessarily jump off the page, teams know both his offensive potential and what else he brings to the game. Let's not forget that Lindholm is only two years removed from scoring 42 goals in an 82 point season. Let's also not forget he doesn't have the same elite talent around him in Calgary that allowed him to flourish.
It is not just the offense we have seen in the past that makes Lindholm such an intriguing target. He is an excellent two-way center. In the last two seasons, Lindholm has finished second and tenth, respectively, in voting for the Selke trophy. He also is third in the league in total faceoff wins.
With a favorable cap hit of $4.85 million and one year left on his deal, if the Flames are sellers at the deadline, the expectation is he will be dealt. With the amazing two-way expertise of Patrice Bergeron gone, Elias Lindholm should be at the top of the Bruins wishlist.
Sean Monahan
Of the same Calgary regime as Lindholm, Sean Monahan has experienced a revival of sorts with the Montreal Canadiens.
After being traded by the Flames to Montreal in 2022, Monahan has 48 points in 72 total games with the Canadiens. While his offensive production is not what was earlier in his career, he brings experience, leadership, and work ethic to any team he plays on.
Monahan is not the flashiest player, but it is the other things he does that will draw interest at the deadline. The 29-year-old wins over half of his faceoffs at 55.8%. He kills penalties at a high level. Similarly to Lindholm, he is a responsible, high-IQ player in his own zone and could be a great second or third-line veteran center acquisition.
He has had his injury concerns which may scare some teams away. However, being healthy so far this year, Monahan has seemed to have regained some old form with the Canadiens. With the current centers on the Bruins roster, he could seamlessly slide into a third-line center role and headline a hard-nosed checking line that has the potential to create offense as well.
Because Boston surrendered their 2024 first-round pick in the Tyler Bertuzzi trade last season and has no other picks until the 4th round, an acquisition of Lindholm might be difficult to navigate. However, with Monahan, it would be a cheaper rental option, especially with his current $1.985 million contract expiring at season's close.
Adam Henrique
The big key here is cap retention. Henrique is in the final year of a 5-year, $29.125 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks and has a cap hit of $5.825 million. Should Henrique move at the deadline, any team seeking his services will likely need close to 50% cap retention from Anaheim.
However, should Boston be desperate enough to get a deal done, Henrique would immediately slot into the top nine as either a center or a winger.
The versatile, 33-year-old is having a really solid season with the Ducks, totaling 15 goals and 14 assists in 46 games. To support his offense, he also can play a solid two-way game, playing smart in his own end and strong in the faceoff circle.
Henrique is long removed from his 30-goal season of 2015-16 with the New Jersey Devils, but his playoff experience would be very beneficial to depth young players such as Morgan Geekie and Matthew Poitras.
The Bruins would have to be creative to make a trade happen. Retaining salary from the Ducks end would probably indicate Boston would need to sweeten the deal. With very little draft capital, it could take a player off the current roster to push a trade through. We will see how risky Boston feels around the deadline.
Getting any of these three targets could really bolster the middle of the ice for the Bruins. Lindholm would be the big fish, but Bruins GM Don Sweeney would have to figure out a solution that works for both sides. Monahan is the cheaper option and could provide a veteran presence in the middle of the lineup. Henrique's versatility makes him an intriguing option should the Bruins choose that route. With no Bergeron and no Krejci, Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha have delivered in increased roles.
But there is always room for improvement.
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