The Boston Bruins are still in the middle of the NHL trade and free agent market for defensemen, which is heating up.
As has been widely documented here, the Boston Bruins have been looking to bolster their blue line for some time now, much to the dismay of some fans and commenters below each report. Since the offseason, Don Sweeney has kept a watch on the NHL trade market for defensemen, whether it’s been for his white whale, Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin, or just as a depth addition.
Following the placement of defenseman Derek Forbort (lower body) on long-term injury reserve on Thursday morning, Charlie McAvoy, the team’s star defenseman, may also miss some time with Sweeney and the Bruins. Early in the third period, McAvoy was forced to leave his team’s 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres due to an elbow reverse hit from forward J.J. Peterka. The Bruins’ star defenseman, McAvoy, is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes at TD Garden despite head coach Jim Montgomery’s insistence that he does not have a concussion. McAvoy was not on the ice for practice on Friday. Could Sweeney’s efforts to add a defenseman be accelerated by his and Forbort’s status?
If that is the case, the general manager of the Boston Bruins has a ton of options in addition to Hanifin, some of which would cost a lot less than the 26-year-old who is expected to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and will be looking for a sizable raise from the $4.9 salary cap hit he has carried for the previous six seasons. Chris Tanev, Hanifin’s teammate and another possible 2024 UFA, is still very much available, but Flames general manager Craig Conroy’s asking price for the 33-year-old, 6-foot-2, 196-pound rearguard has apparently already been rejected by the Toronto Maple Leafs and other interested teams.
The 32-year-old puck-moving defenseman Tyson Barrie has reportedly asked for a trade and is making every effort to make it happen, according to multiple reports that Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz confirmed this past week. In addition, Barrie is in the last year of a three-year deal with a $4.5 million cap hit and could be a 2024 UFA.
The defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes, Tony DeAngelo, is once again available on the NHL trade market despite only having been on a one-year, $1.6 million contract for three months. DeAngelo’s availability right now is dependent on a numbers game on the Hurricanes’ blue line, as usual, but attitude is always a risk.
Talk about an NHL trade involving Logan Stanley, the 2016 18th overall pick, is also beginning to spread. With a one-year contract worth $1 million, the 6-foot-7, 231-pound Stanley, 25, is currently in action.
Last but not least, 26-year-old unrestricted free agent Ethan Bear is currently inviting teams to sign him for the remainder of the season by hosting open practice sessions in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Sweeney and other NHL general managers have a plethora of options when it comes to defensemen, but if they require assistance right away, they will have to act quickly on the NHL trade market before the Holiday Roster Freeze goes into effect on December 20 and lasts until December 27.
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