The idea of the Boston Bruins being sellers at the NHL trade deadline is unusual for the team because of their past. But this season, things have been different for the Bruins.
In July, the team signed top-six center Elias Lindholm and top-four defenseman Nikita Zadorov to improve an already solid roster, aiming to build on their first playoff series win since 2021.
However, through 45 games, the Bruins have been an average team. They started with an 8-9-3 record, which led to head coach Jim Montgomery losing his job. As of Thursday, they are technically in a playoff spot, but they are ranked 10th in points percentage among Eastern Conference teams.
Under general manager Don Sweeney, the Bruins have usually been buyers before the trade deadline, but if they fall out of the playoff race, could they sell instead?
Team president Cam Neely said Wednesday that this is a possibility.
“I think right now we’ve got to look at two paths,” Neely told reporters before the Boston Bruins Foundation gala Wednesday evening. “One that we’re buying. One that we may be retooling a little bit. We still feel like we’ve got a playoff team here. We certainly don’t want to jeopardize getting out of the playoffs because we made some moves that may be good for the future but not good for the present.”
Neely’s comments might be a message to the players. The Bruins are in a tough spot, and if they want management to make moves to improve the team at the trade deadline, they need to start playing better and improve their position in the playoff race.
If the Bruins decide to sell, it’s unlikely that major players will be traded. The team doesn’t need huge changes to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, moving players who could become free agents this summer in exchange for a draft pick could make sense if the team doesn’t see a clear path to the playoffs in early March.
That said, it’s hard to see the Bruins falling so far in the standings that selling becomes the obvious choice.
The main focus for the Bruins should be consistency. They have won more than two games in a row only once this season. After a couple of wins, they often follow up with poor results that halt any progress made.
The Bruins have won their last two games, with their most recent being a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden on Tuesday night. Starting goalie Jeremy Swayman and star right wing David Pastrnak were the team’s top performers in those games.
This is positive for the Bruins, but the question is whether they can build on this momentum or if another poor performance will stop their progress. Now that they know selling is a possibility, it will be interesting to see if this pushes the players to perform better and more consistently.
