The tide was already rising within the Eastern Conference, however Bruins followers needed to be involved the waters had been reaching close to flood ranges on Friday evening.
The New York Islanders made their play to sneak right into a wild card spot and bolster their heart place for years to return once they obtained Bo Horvat. The New York Rangers made themselves a official Stanley Cup contender with the deal that introduced Vladimir Tarasenko. But the deal that went down Friday evening hit just a bit nearer to dwelling.
Their Atlantic Division rival – and long-time patsy – Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a whopper, acquiring heart Ryan O’Reilly, whom Bruins followers know all too nicely from when he accepted the Conn Smythe Trophy on Garden ice in 2019, and outdated good friend and wrecking ball Noel Acciari for a a bevy of picks, prospects and different items. While the Leafs’ goaltending continues to be unproven and the protection might use bolstering, the workforce that already had the fourth-best file within the NHL bought significantly higher in a single day.
B’s coach Jim Montgomery was in St. Louis the final two years with O’Reilly.
“It’s a really good acquisition by Toronto. He makes them significantly better,” mentioned Montgomery, who maintained he’d nonetheless take his present roster over some other workforce’s. “They’ve got three big-time centers now and… I know Ryan really well and he’s a really good hockey player. He’s someone that cares about winning and has a lot of winning habits to his game.”
What stays to be seen is how a lot the exercise of his convention opponents spurs B’s GM Don Sweeney into motion, and if it modifications the scope of what he desires to do by the March 3 commerce deadline.
There aren’t many names to whom the B’s haven’t been linked recently, however the one which retains arising in the previous few days has been Columbus Blue Jacket stay-at-home left defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, a UFA-to-be for whom the Jackets are reportedly in search of three picks, together with a first-rounder.
It can be a hefty worth for a participant not assured to make the Bruins markedly higher like O’Reilly/Acciari ought to do for the Leafs. Gavrikov might take Hampus Lindholm’s penalty-killing minutes to maintain the Swedish workhorse more energizing for 5-on-5 however that’s a giant bounty to pay for that minimal a bump.
A possible deal for Jakob Chychrun would make a little bit extra sense contemplating he’s on a superb contract with time period (two extra years at an AAV of $4.6 million) although it’s debatable simply how a lot that deal would transfer the needle for the B’s, particularly if it means swapping out Matt Grzelcyk to make room.
Yes, they may use a cheaper depth piece on the again finish, however the feeling right here has lengthy been that they should bolster the scoring punch within the backside six. When the B’s went on their 1-3-1 dip lately, it was the goal-scoring that abandoned them, not their skill to maintain the puck out of the online.
O’Reilly or Acciari would have helped there, however clearly they’re off the desk now. Arizona’s Nick Bjugstad (13 targets, plus-7 in 43 video games), lengthy coveted right here, continues to be accessible. He’d present a lift.
Or do the in-conference strikes trigger Sweeney to assume greater? The greatest participant accessible is San Jose’s Timo Meier. And although there’s not a burning want for a wing now or within the close to future – heart is the long-term want that requires addressing in some unspecified time in the future – the left shot wing who can play both aspect would give any workforce a lift. He’s an RFA with a $10 million qualifying supply due within the offseason. Could the B’s merely deal with him as a rental and simply not qualify him after the season? A 3rd line of Taylor Hall, Charlie Coyle and Meier can be fairly formidable, and a fourth unit of Nick Foligno, Tomas Nosek and Trent Frederic might trigger some points for groups, too.
It’s a tantalizing thought for a Bruins workforce that has out of the blue discovered some firm within the grouping of Cup favourite. …
Of observe
Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron each snapped what for them had been lengthy scoring droughts on Thursday in Nashville. Bergeron went into the sport on a six-game pointless streak and Marchand was at 5 video games.
The slumps didn’t precisely set off alarm bells for Montgomery, however they didn’t go unaddressed, both.
“You talk to them, yes, but you’re not as overly concerned with them as you are with most players because of their habits and their ability to look in he mirror and assess their own game is beyond reproach,” mentioned Montgomery.
“I know (Chris Kelly) met with them and talked about being more connected offensively and supporting each other and dealing with frustration. Those are things that Chris Kelly met with them about. I talked to them about when they’re on their game, what goes on? So that mentally, they’re thinking about that… I said to Bergy, ‘Where did you score that goal against Washington at the start of the season?’ to get him thinking about where he was. Stuff like that. Although that goal he scored (in Nashville), that was McDavid-esque, eh? That was nice.” …
The Islanders had been lacking a Bruin killer of their lineup as Jean-Gabriel Pageau (higher physique) is on IR. Josh Bailey additionally didn’t make the journey after struggling an damage on Friday.
Source: www.bostonherald.com