The Boston Bruins have begun to fade this season. They sit in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-6-0 record. While the club could still get back into the playoff hunt, it looks like the Bruins are getting ready to pack it in for the season.
As such, other clubs have begun to take notice. One such team is the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks, as insider David Pagnotta noted, have their eye set on two Boston Bruins’ forwards. The forwards in question are Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha.
It’s hardly news that Zacha and Mittelstadt are on the block. Both have been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time now. But what is interesting is that the club looking to land the Bruins’ centers is Vancouver.
The Canucks have a glaring need down the middle after losing Filip Chytil last week. The Canucks don’t have an experienced top-six center behind Elias Pettersson. So, it would make sense for the Canucks to kick the tires on players like Zacha and Mittelstadt.
A piece in the Fourth Period from October 25 quoted Pagnotta:
“There are players they are exploring on and I would imagine that Boston would be a club that Allvin and (President Jim) Rutherford are going to at least poke on to see what the price tag would be for either of those players.”
As Pagnotta clearly underscored:
“From the Canucks perspective, those are two players that would appeal.”
Of course, it’s unknown what the price tag would be on either Zacha or Mittelstadt. The Bruins look to be hurtling towards a rebuild. So, that situation could mean Boston will be looking for prospects and draft picks to fuel their future.
Bruins Have Shopped Zacha, Mittelstadt for Some Time
Zacha and Mittelstadt were on the block for pretty much the whole summer. The Bruins were purportedly looking to move either one to a club in need of center depth. However, the trade market ground to a halt over the summer.
Since training camp didn’t yield any major injuries, the market continued at a standstill. Since the start of the season, injuries have begun to pile up. The most notorious case was the Florida Panthers after losing star center Aleksander Barkov.
Then, the Canucks lost Chytil, with the New York Rangers also losing Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers hope to get Trocheck back sooner rather than later. But in the Panthers and Canucks’ cases, their injury situations could be prolonged ones.
Boston to Be Major Player in Trade Market
Unless the Bruins can suddenly turn things around, they will likely become major players in the trade market. The Bruins have veteran pieces that could entice teams looking for depth and support.
Like the Canucks, other teams have been looking to add. The Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers have all been the subject of speculation. So, there could be action to come in the following weeks.
As the season gets closer to Thanksgiving, teams like the Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Calgary Flames could all begin to unload pieces.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bruins Forwards on Radar of Western Conference Team: Insider appeared first on Heavy Sports.