Could retooling Bruins be buyers this season? It’s complicated.

However, for the entire constructive influence {that a} participant like Andersson would generate with Boston, the Bruins had been additionally clever to not cough up property for a pure rental — as is the case with Andersson along with his new crew (at the least for now).

According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Bruins had been firmly within the combine for Andersson — with Boston reportedly given the chance to speak extension with the then-Flames defenseman to attempt to bridge the hole on a deal and full a commerce.

When Andersson — both fixated on the brilliant lights of Vegas or unhappy with Boston’s contract provide — balked on the phrases, the Bruins made the suitable name to to chop bait.

The 2025-26 Bruins, by all accounts, have exceeded expectations. 

Amid their roller-coaster run of sustained slides and inspiring turnarounds, the Bruins at present sit in a wild-card spot within the Jap Convention with a report of 28-19-2. 

After Boston’s win over the Blackhawks on Saturday night time, they’ve now gained eight of their final 9 video games. 

The roster, as at present constituted, isn’t excellent. However, after a disastrous 2024-25 marketing campaign, a retooling franchise does appear to be properly forward of schedule — with the encouraging returns put forth on the ice additional bolstered by Boston’s prospect pool getting a lot deeper.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply that Don Sweeney and Co. are within the enterprise of giving up draft picks (4 first-rounders within the subsequent two years), younger NHLers (Fraser Minten, Mason Lohrei), or prospects within the system (Zellers, Letourneau, and so on.) to accumulate short-term band-aids that might give this imperfect roster a elevate this spring and provide little in 2026-27 and past.

However the Bruins’ curiosity in Andersson — an asset for each 2025-26 and ideally the subsequent five-plus years — alerts that Sweeney is leaving no stone unturned in hopes of accelerating this crew’s upwards trajectory.

The Bruins is probably not out there for leases like different reliable contenders. 

However, if the suitable participant had been to be up for grabs — particularly a youthful ahead already inked to a long-term deal — the excessive worth set is likely to be one which Sweeney might be prepared to satisfy. 

Sweeney and his workers shouldn’t waste their time perusing by way of pending free brokers like Artemi Panarin, older veterans like 34-year-old Blake Coleman, or helpful cogs who don’t essentially shore up urgent vacancies like third-pairing defenseman Luke Schenn and even new Flames skater Whitecloud.

However what if the St. Louis Blues — looking at an inevitable rebuild — put 26-year-old middle Robert Thomas available on the market? The asking worth could be far steeper than what Andersson value, however Thomas is an elite playmaker (two 80-plus-point seasons) signed by way of 2030-31 at a $8.125 million cap hit.

A cellar-dwelling Canucks crew is likely to be looking for a taker to dump Elias Pettersson’s contract — with the 27-year-old pivot signed by way of 2032 at a hefty $11.6 million annual cap hit. The expert ahead’s play has stagnated as of late (74 factors in final 104 video games) as Vancouver has tumbled to the underside of the Western Convention standings. 

However, Pettersson continues to be only a few years faraway from scoring 102 factors in 80 video games as a 24-year-old middle in 2022-23, and has all of the expertise to hit triple-digits as soon as once more if afforded a change in surroundings.

There’s loads of threat for any crew taking over a depressed asset like Pettersson, particularly when factoring in that contract. However, groups just like the Washington Capitals (Pierre-Luc Dubois, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun) and Philadelphia Flyers (Trevor Zegras) can attest to the rewards that may be unearthed when rolling the cube on struggling skills nonetheless of their mid-20s.

It stays to be seen if the Bruins have the willingness to abdomen the excessive prices (each in property and cap dedication) to pursue these varieties of offers. But when the Bruins want to add earlier than the commerce deadline on March 6, these are the varieties of targets that Boston ought to establish. 

Sweeney may additionally embrace a fluid strategy to the deadline — specializing in big-fish targets if the chance presents itself whereas nonetheless promoting off items that will not match into the crew’s long-term plans. 

A pending free-agent defenseman like Andrew Peeke may realistically fetch a second-round choose on this sellers’ market, particularly recent off of Boston snagging a fourth-round pick from the Ducks for Jeffrey Viel last week. 

There’s lots to love in regards to the present play of Boston’s second line of Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt, and Pavel Zacha. Boston might be tempted to maintain that line intact if the wins preserve piling up, contemplating the crew has outscored opponents, 21-8, when that trio has been out on the ice at 5-on-5 play. 

However, a fleet-footed veteran winger set to hit free company in Arvidsson may additionally land Boston one other second-round choose, with Mittelstadt (signed by way of 2026-27) providing a larger return if the Bruins had been to maneuver him. 

Zacha may conceivably land Boston a powerful return — corresponding to a first-round choose and a blue-chip prospect or younger NHLer. However, once more, there’s loads of temptation that comes with conserving a 28-year-old participant like Zacha in Boston long-term, particularly if Boston is nearer to being a playoff crew that almost all anticipated. 

Due to the upcoming Olympic break, Sweeney and the Bruins solely have 12 video games left on their docket earlier than the commerce deadline arrives. 

The clock is ticking as to which path the Bruins take.

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author masking the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Purple Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.

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