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10 players Bruins could target at trade deadline as they look to future
The Bruins could be keeping tabs on the trade market for forwards looking for a change in scenery.
The Bruins’ decision to deal Trent Frederic to the Oilers for draft capital on Tuesday solidified Boston’s position as trade-deadline sellers this week.
But even as Boston looks to make the most out of a disastrous season by unloading assets in a seller’s market, could Don Sweeney and the Bruins also look to accelerate their retool … by adding?
It’s all but a given that the Bruins will not be on the prowl for any presumed rentals or veteran players before Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline — not with the focus on rectifying the misery found in this poorly constructed roster.
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But speaking this week on his “32 Thoughts” podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman signaled the Bruins’ desire to also identify talent that could help the roster in 2025-26 and beyond.
“I believe the Bruins are not only talking about dealing their rentals, they’re also looking at what they can add that can make them better long term,” Friedman said. “I don’t think they’re just looking at this as a rest-of-year conversation. I think they’re looking at it as an into-the-future conversation. Is there anything out there they can add that is effective on a long-term basis?”
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Sweeney echoed a similar approach during his last meeting with the media on Feb. 23.
“I think we’ll take a much more cautious approach as we approach the deadline,” Sweeney said. “That being said — if there are opportunities to improve our team now and certainly moving forward, whether that’s positional shifts or other teams are trying to identify that we may have a strength at, we will look at all opportunities to improve our team now, but more importantly, moving forward.”
Successfully reeling in either a young prospect or a depressed asset looking for a change in scenery (Pavel Zacha with Boston, Pierre-Luc Dubois with Washington) is a task easier said than done.
Here are a few names to keep tabs on if the Bruins are looking at finding some building blocks for the future before Friday’s trade deadline.
Matias Maccelli, LW — Utah Hockey Club
Maccelli is the type of buy-low forward that the Bruins should be keeping tabs on, be it by Friday’s deadline or during the offseason. The 24-year-old forward was once a key cog with the Arizona Coyotes, posting 49 points in just 64 games in 2022-23 before submitting a 57-point campaign in 2023-24.
But, the 5-foot-11 winger has fallen out of favor this season in Utah, scoring just eight goals and 18 points over 52 games while getting scratched from the lineup since Feb. 8. The left wing does play with plenty of pace — something sorely lacking on Boston’s roster — and is signed for one more year at a $3.425 million cap hit before hitting restricted free agency.
Lawson Crouse, LW — Utah Hockey Club
Crouse certainly fits the mold of what the Bruins usually covet in middle-six players. The 27-year-old winger is another intriguing trade target as a 6-foot-4 power forward in the midst of a rudderless season.
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Much like Maccelli, the move to Utah hasn’t been fruitful for Crouse, who has only scored nine goals and posted 13 points over 60 games this season. But Crouse potted 20 or more goals in each of his previous three seasons with Arizona, all while averaging 199 hits per year since the 2018-19 campaign.
Crouse is signed for the next two seasons with an annual cap hit of $4.3 million and could be due for a change of scenery. If he can find his game, there’s a lot to like about what he could provide in Boston’s middle-six — but there is always concern about just how much tread is left on the tires of power forwards once their production starts slipping.
Nick Robertson, LW — Toronto Maple Leafs
The younger brother of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, Nick isn’t the most imposing figure at 5-foot-9 and 178 pounds. But the 23-year-old winger is a gifted skater who could inject some speed and scoring punch into a team’s middle-six grouping.
The Bruins identified Morgan Geekie as a player with more to give if handed more minutes; Robertson fits a similar profile. He scored 14 goals and posted 27 points last season while only averaging 11:23 of ice time per contest in Toronto.
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He has scored 11 goals in 53 outings this season, averaging 12:07 of ice time per game.
Calum Ritchie, C — Colorado Avalanche
If the Colorado Avalanche are looking to pluck a player or two from the Bruins before the trade deadline, they don’t have a 2025 first-round pick to offer up.
But Colorado could dangle arguably the best prospect in their system in Ritchie, who was drafted 27th overall by the Avs in 2023. After a seven-game stint with Colorado this season, Ritchie has spent most of this year with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, where the 20-year-old center has posted 67 points in just 41 games.
Deemed by The Athletic as having “clear second-line potential,” Ritchie would give Boston a legitimate prospect to add to their pipeline, especially down the middle of the ice. But, it’d likely require a substantial return in order to pry him from Colorado.
Trevor Connelly, LW — Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are no stranger to buying at the trade deadline — meaning that they’re also a franchise that doesn’t have a whole lot of first-round picks to offer up.
But Connelly could be a prospect that the Knights dangle to a team ready to part with “win-now” assets. A skilled skater and playmaker on the wing, Connelly was initially projected as a top-10 pick in last year’s draft. He ultimately fell to No. 19 overall after off-the-ice controversies during his amateur-hockey career.
Those optics might scare away some teams like the Bruins, especially after all of the discourse surrounding the team’s ill-advised decision to sign Mitchell Miller during the 2022-23 campaign. Connelly is currently playing at Providence College, where he has posted 12 points in 19 games as a freshman.
Lukas Reichel, LW — Chicago Blackhawks
It’s been a miserable season for both Reichel and the Blackhawks as a whole in 2024-25. The 22-year-old winger has plenty of high-end skill, but has struggled to put it all together with Chicago, posting 35 points over the last two seasons (117 games).
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Even if he’s left a lot to be desired in the NHL ranks, Reichel won’t just be a thrown-in in any deal, given both his age and his contract ($1.2 million cap hit in 2025-26 before hitting RFA status).
Brad Lambert, C — Winnipeg Jets
One of the top prospects in Winnipeg’s system, Lambert is viewed as more of a boom-or-bust talent at the NHL level. While he was once viewed as one of the top prospects in the 2022 Draft class due to his skating talents, he has struggled to deliver at hockey’s highest level.
The 21-year-old center was seemingly poised to make a push for NHL reps this season after a strong 2023-24 campaign in the AHL (55 points in 64 games), but he’s regressed this year amid another year spent primarily in the American Hockey League (25 points in 43 games).
Dylan Cozens, C — Buffalo Sabres
It’d take a sizable package from the Bruins to pry a player like Cozens out of Buffalo.
It hasn’t been the strongest season for Cozens (31 points in 60 games), but he’s still a 24-year-old center with size (6-foot-3), skating, and a ton of skill.
His production has slowed down some since he scored 31 goals and 68 points as a 21-year-old pivot in 2022-23.
But that potential, coveted skillset, and security offered up by his contract (signed through 2029-30 at a $7.1 million cap hit) makes him a player that several teams will be lining up for as a potential 2C for the future.
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Unlike contending teams who will be willing to part with draft picks to acquire Boston’s assets, the Bruins might have to look at moving their own draft selections or younger players in order to spring a deal for a talent like Cozens.
Trevor Zegras, C — Anaheim Ducks
Once viewed as a budding superstar in the NHL, Zegras might have worn out his welcome with Anaheim. While injuries have slowed Zegras down as of late, the 23-year-old’s attention to detail and adherence to a two-way game has often been lacking ever since Anaheim turned to Greg Cronin as head coach.
Given those evident warts in Zegras’ game, a Bruins team that often demands accountable play from its forwards might balk at taking on a player like him. But given Boston’s dearth of scoring talent, would the Bruins opt to roll the dice with a forward who has two 60-point seasons under his belt?
A fresh start could benefit Zegras, but the Bruins might have to brace themselves for some growing pains along the way.
Elias Pettersson, C — Vancouver Canucks
The drama brewing out in Vancouver hasn’t quieted since the Canucks dealt J.T. Miller to the Rangers earlier this season.
The 26-year-old Pettersson is in the midst of a disastrous season, with the skilled forward only scoring 11 goals and 35 total points over 54 games this season. It’s a stark drop-off from the Canucks’ superstar, who posted 102 points just two seasons ago.
Pettersson seems to be lost on the ice, with his dreadful showing during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament (zero points, two shifts in the third period of Sweden’s final game vs. Team USA) further raising concerns.
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“I’ll just be honest: I haven’t been the way I want to be this year. I haven’t played to expectations I have on myself, the franchise has on me. So I’ll be the first to tell you, but that’s in the past,” Pettersson told reporters on Tuesday.
Odds are that the Canucks keep Pettersson around in hopes of him bouncing back with a fresh start in 2025-26. But could the Canucks want to try to get out from Pettersson’s contract, which will pay the underperforming pivot a whopping $11.6 million per year through the 2031-32 season?
“He needs a new start somewhere. Vancouver needs a new start from him. … I think he could do a do-over on another team,” former Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau said of Pettersson on TSN this week, adding: “I don’t know if they’ll ever get equal value for him.”
There’s plenty of risk involved for any team trying to make a push for Pettersson — given both that sizable financial commitment and his stark drop in play this year.
But if Pettersson is up for grabs (a scenario that might be more realistic this offseason), the Bruins have to be willing to roll the dice and put several key assets on the table for a legitimate top-line center — red flags and all.
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