Two big trades came to pass late last night ahead of the Holiday Freeze. The Montreal Canadiens re-acquired Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick (originally Columbus's pick).
Roughly a half hour later, the Seattle Kraken dealt Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Columbus's 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick (originally a New York Rangers pick).
It's the first market indicator of the price for rentals this season. The 2026 draft is very well-regarded, so Montreal giving up a second-round pick of a team currently in last place in the Eastern Conference is a statement from Montreal.
Danault, 32, remains under contract through next season, with a cap hit of $5.5 million. So far, this season has easily been the worst start to a year for Danault in his career. Through 30 games with the Kings, he's posted just five assists. He's played the fewest minutes per game since the 2016-17 season.
All this to say, the Kings sold very low. There'd been public reports that Danault requested a trade, unhappy with the dip in minutes. If so, that would lower his price even further.
So, a 32-year-old center with a cap hit of $5.5 having the slowest start to his career fetched what looks to be an early second-round pick in a loaded draft.
Meanwhile, Marchment's a pure rental and has four goals and 13 points through 29 games. He can play anywhere in a team's middle six, with some scoring punch. At 30 years old, the price tag makes sense.
Columbus sits in last place. It's fair to wonder if this is their desperation heave, and if things don't work out, they could flip him back to another team at the trade deadline.
So, what do these deals have to do with the Boston Bruins? First, anything Montreal does directly affects Boston. Both teams are tied on 40 points right now, with Montreal sitting third in the Atlantic with the Bruins outside the playoff cut line.
As for Marchment, the Bruins were likely interested in improving their winger depth, especially following Viktor Arvidsson's injury. Still, Don Sweeney remains disciplined and unlikely to make a panic move quickly.
Kiefer Sherwood remains a target and would cost more than Marchment. Sherwood scored a hat trick on the New York Islanders last night, and he and the Canucks will be in TD Garden tonight against the Bruins.
If the Bruins choose to buy, they have added assets from last year's sell-off that allow them to add. If they do not choose to buy after falling below the playoff line, it's equally possible they could pivot to selling. Casey Mittelstadt should fetch a similar return to Danault with how well he's played this season.
Pavel Zacha, a pending UFA, would fetch a monstrous return, including at minimum, a return similar to what the Islanders received for Brock Nelson at last year's deadline (1st round pick, top prospect). Still, a Zacha trade feels highly unlikely, even if the bottom falls out. Zacha's versatility and fit make too much sense not to lock him up and keep him in Boston.
The Holiday Roster Freeze is now locked in, so no new action will come for another week. Still, the pair of trades are worth looking at for Boston.