The Boston Bruins missed out on both of their heavily-rumored trade targets, in Rasmus Andersson and Kiefer Sherwood.
With Andersson, it came down to Andersson refusing to sign an extension. By all major reporting, the Bruins had a deal done with Calgary for days, but the Swedish defenseman all-but forced his way to his preferred destination, the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Bruins reportedly offered to make him the third-highest paid Bruin on the team, behind only David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.
Still, Andersson declined. Boston General Manager Don Sweeney did the right thing, walking away from any deal without an extension.
As for Sherwood, the San Jose Sharks offered two second-round picks to land the rental winger, a price the Bruins could not and should not have matched.
The Sharks still have another second-rounder this year, two first-round picks, and the deepest prospect pool in the league. They could afford to overpay for Sherwood during a career year.
The Bruins, steeped in their retool, should not give up that many assets for a player like Sherwood.
Andersson, however, would have made a ton of sense. He'd have given the Bruins arguably the best top four in the Atlantic Division to go with the elite goaltending of Jeremy Swayman.
There's no player available even remotely like Andersson. Brayden Schneider could be a pivot, with his age fitting into the retool. But, given the assets the New York Rangers likely want, it may not make sense.
Staying with the Rangers, it's probably worth investigating Artemi Panarin. A bona fide superstar, he still likely has another 3-4 superstar seasons left, and the thought of him feeding Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie pucks on a platter should excite Bruins fans.
His cap hit, cost of acquisition, and being a rental all make the trade highly unlikely. Cheaper rentals like Boone Jenner could sense for the top six.
For the bottom six, Blake Coleman's a two-time Stanley Cup champion in this division and could likely be had for cheap from the Calgary Flames. He'd be an improvement over Alex Steeves, though Steeves has played well.
Coleman's versatility would also be appealing, as he's played center with the Flames of late but exclusively played on the wing with the Tampa Bay Lightning during their Stanley Cup wins.
Coleman also exudes the energy this team wants. Someone who gives everything they have in the pursuit of a victory, something this Bruins team does night in and night out.
Defensively, the Bruins likely will continue to roll with their pairings as currently constructed. As fun as Dougie Hamilton reunion would be, the move doesn't seem to make a ton of sense for the Bruins.
The pursuit of Andersson and emergence of Jonathan Aspirot have forced into question the futures of Mason Lohrei and Andrew Peeke, with Peeke's future almost certainly elsewhere.
Peeke's an unrestricted free agent at season's end, and with the full Boston defensive core healthy, either he or Lohrei will be a scratch. Peeke's dealing with a minor injury currently, so it's unclear who would remain out.
Lohrei played his off-side on Saturday night, partnered with Hampus Lindholm.
The Bruins take on the Dallas Stars tonight as they look to push their winning streak to seven games. Where they pivot to next on the trade front remains a mystery, but it's clear Boston's not finished hunting for improvements yet.