The Boston Bruins have had a good start to the season. They currently sit atop the toughest division in the league with 24 points in 18 games, but recently they’ve struggled a good bit and their weaknesses have been exploited. Here are some players they should go after in order to continue their quest for the Stanley Cup.
Marc Staal
The former first round pick at age 34 is in his first season with the Detroit Red Wings and although his numbers don’t look pretty, I believe he could make a big impact on this team. Staal is a -7 on the year with two goals and two assists, but his experience alone could boost the Bruins young defensive core as they have nobody older than 30 (John Moore) on their defensive unit. Staal is no stranger to playoff hockey either, as he went on many deep runs in his 13 years with the Rangers. Staal could be a Zdeno Chara replacement taking on the role of a big, strong physical left shot defenseman that this Bruins team needs.
Mattias Ekholm
The 30 year-old defenseman should be another potential candidate for the Bruins. Ekholm has two goals, three three assists, and a +1 rating on the year playing for an underperforming Nashville Predators team. Ekholm, like Staal, is a big 6’ 4” left shot defenseman who also knows what it’s like to go on a deep playoff run, like he did when Nashville went on their Cinderella run to the Cup Final in 2017. Ekholm, unlike Staal, is not a free agent after this season so it may take a lot to pry him away from Nashville, but with the way the Predators are playing they look to be sellers at the deadline.
Mikael Granlund
The 9th pick in the 2010 NHL Draft has had a good start to this season in Nashville with 17 games played, four goals, and five assists. The key for Granlund is that he’s very versatile; he can play left wing, center or right wing, which is the type of player Bruce Cassidy loves; the Bruins at various points this season have struggled for depth point production. Granlund is a free agent after this season, so the asking price may not be that high. If I were Don Sweeny, I would definitely check in on his availability.
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