Despite a seemingly major downgrade in the offseason, the Boston Bruins have remained a top team in the league. But, their forward group is noticeably the weakest part of their team. After losing both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci in the offseason to retirement, Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle were asked to really step up. On top of that, Morgan Geekie was brought in and also asked to play a much larger role than he has in his career.
The Bruins should remain safely in a playoff spot, so when the trade deadline rolls around, they will be looking to upgrade in a big way. While not having their first overall pick this season, that shouldn’t stop them from making the moves they must. Many thought the window to win was over, but the Bruins seem to have kept it open. The team must take advantage and go all in every year. In this case, there it looks like there is a plan A and plan B in place to add down the middle at the trade deadline. Let’s take a look.
Plan A for Bruins
Plan A for the Bruins is what it has been since the summer, acquiring Elias Lindholm. Due to the Calgary Flames breaking down and it being a very real possibility Lindholm is moved by the deadline, the Bruins will be pushing hard for him. He is the clear number one choice that plays a similar game to Bergeron and Krejci. Lindholm is a great two-way center, and when put with adequate offensive players, can produce. We saw that with his 42 goals and 82 points in 2021-22.
Morgan Geekie is currently serving as the number one center with Zacha on the wing. Whether Lindholm would slide in the second line to allow Coyle to go back to being the third line center or enter on the first line, he would be a major upgrade and make a huge difference. The Flames aren’t looking like they will be making the playoffs. Even if they are still hanging around, it makes more sense for them to sell anyway.
Plan B for Bruins
Plan B is an interesting one brought up by Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now. He said the Bruins could view Tyler Johnson as plan B if they’re unable to bring in Lindholm from the Flames. Johnson has a lot of playoff experience (over 100 games) and two Stanley Cups to his name. He wasn’t necessarily a major piece in the two Cup wins, but he was essential to the bottom-six. That is where he would be slotted in for the Bruins if they had to go with him.
Related: Flames: 3 Teams That May Buy Low on Dillon Dube
Johnson is the second line center on the Chicago Blackhawks this season. That is only because the team is very weak up front. He has been able to produce offensively in the past and the Bruins always bring the best out of players. Adding Johnson would seemingly keep the top-six intact, but bolster the bottom-six, particularly the middle where it is needed. There may not be a ton of options, that is why Johnson could be considered. He would cost far less than a first round pick, so it would be affordable as well.
