The Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins] should be watched closely between now and the 2026 NHL trade deadline. At the time of this writing, the Original Six club has a 32-20-4 record and holds the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. With the Bruins fighting for a spot in the playoffs, there is an expectation that they will be looking to add at the deadline. In a recent article for The Athletic [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7011189/2026/01/31/nhl-trade-deadline-2026-team-needs/], Fluto Shinzawa argued that the Bruins' biggest trade need is to add a right-shot defenseman. "The Bruins went after Rasmus Andersson as a long-term investment. Andersson would have been a good fit with Charlie McAvoy and Henri Jokiharju on the right side. Andrew Peeke is in the last year of his contract," Shinzawa wrote. Seeing the Bruins being urged to add a right-shot defenseman is understandable. When looking at their current roster, it is clear that they could specifically use a top-four right-shot defenseman for their second pairing. St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk is the most notable right-shot defenseman trade candidate, with Andersson being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 33-year-old blueliner has a $6.5 million cap hit until the end of next season, so he would be more than a rental for Boston if acquired. A few other interesting names who have been discussed as trade candidates this season include Connor Murphy (Chicago Blackhawks), Braden Schneider (New York Rangers), Zach Whitecloud (Calgary Flames), and Luke Schenn (Winnipeg Jets). Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Bruins end up bringing in a new right-shot defenseman ahead of the deadline.
