The Boston Bruins have had a marvelous start to the 2023-24 season, sporting a 10-1-1 record in their first 12 games. However, even with their hot start, they would benefit from adding a first-line center to their roster after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. The Edmonton Oilers, on the other hand, have had a brutal start to the season, as their 2-8-1 record shows. Goaltending has been their biggest issue, and it is a position that they will need to improve if they hope to turn this ship around.
As a result of these teams’ two big needs, ESPN anchor John Buccigross proposed a potential blockbuster trade to former NHL player Ryan Whitney on X. In it, Buccigross brought up the prospect of the Bruins trading Linus Ullmark, Jake DeBrusk, Matt Poitras, Fabian Lysell, and a 2026 first-round pick to the Oilers in exchange for Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele.
Ryan, would you trade Draisaitl and Foegele for…last years Vezina winner, DeBrusk, Poitras, Lysell and a 2026 1st rounder? The Central Registry would approved this proposed trade for cap and roster implications. https://t.co/zEIDcAriuZ
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) November 3, 2023
Please note that Buccigross is not saying that the Bruins and Oilers have discussed or plan to discuss this deal, and this is purely a hypothetical situation. However, even with this being so, it is a fun trade proposal, so in this piece, I’ll dive into what each team would get from this move and end with my personal thoughts on the idea.
Bruins Would Land Franchise Center
Draisaitl is the biggest name in this trade proposal, and it is easy to understand why. The superstar center is arguably the best player in the NHL after Connor McDavid. With that, he is coming off a monstrous 2022-23 season that saw him post 52 goals and 128 points in 80 games. Needless to say, he would not only give the Bruins a legitimate number-one center but also another franchise-level player.
Along with Draisaitl, Buccigross has the Bruins adding Warren Foegele in this proposal. The 27-year-old winger is a decent bottom-six forward who provides some offensive production and grit. In 11 games this season with the Oilers, he has three goals and five points. With that, he posted 28 points and 96 hits in 67 games played last season.
Ultimately, the real prize of this trade for the Bruins would, of course, be Draisaitl, as he would be a game-changer down the middle. However, Foegele would also have the potential to be a decent depth piece for the Bruins in this swap.
Oilers Would Get Vezina Trophy Winner & Multiple Big Pieces
With Draisatil being one of the best players in the sport, Buccigross has the Oilers landing several notable pieces in a potential swap with Boston. Ullmark would be the main piece heading to Edmonton, as they desperately need help in goal, and he is coming off a Vezina Trophy season. He is also having a strong start to the 2023-24 season, posting a 4-1-1 record, a 2.30 goals-against average (GAA), and a .926 save percentage (SV%) in six appearances.
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However, Ullmark is not the only notable Bruin in this proposed deal. Buccigross also added top prospects Matt Poitras and Fabian Lysell to the deal. Poitras, 19, has emerged as one of the Bruins’ top centers already this season, while Lysell was the club’s 2021 first-round pick and is expected to be a future middle-six winger at a minimum. With that, Buccigross also added a solid top-six winger in Jake DeBrusk to the deal. The Edmonton native has just five points in 11 games this season but also had 27 goals and 50 points in 64 contests last season.
Ultimately, the Oilers would get plenty of quality players and a first-round pick from the Bruins in this hypothetical move. However, at the same time, none of them would be quite as impactful as Draisaitl, hence the big return.
Why It Would Be a No From Both Teams
At the end of the day, this proposal from Buccigross is a fun one that naturally has generated engagement from fans. However, from a realistic standpoint, I just can’t see how either team would make this deal.
From the Bruins’ side of things, yes, they would land a generational talent in Draisaitl, but it would also be at the expense of decimating their already weak prospect pool. Poitras is a gem whom the Bruins need to build around, while Lysell has taken a step forward (nine points in 10 games) during this young season in the American Hockey League (AHL). With that, they would break up their elite goaltending tandem by moving Ullmark. As for DeBrusk, he is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), yes, but Foegele would be a downgrade on the wing. Furthermore, trading a 2026 first-round pick at this stage is just too risky, with the team needing to improve their prospect pool.
Another notable reason why the Bruins would likely avoid this hypothetical move is that Draisaitl is free to test the free-agent market after next season. Thus, it would be giving up a lot for a player who may not have a long-term future with the team. He also has a full no-movement clause (NMC) and a 10-team trade list, so that only makes completing a huge move like this even harder for the Bruins.
As for the Oilers, they would get their much-needed elite goaltender, two strong prospects in Poitras and Lysell, DeBrusk, and a first-round pick, but losing Draisaitl would create too massive of a hole on their roster. Expecting players like Poitras, DeBrusk, and Lysell to replicate Draisaitl’s remarkable production is a significantly tall ask and unrealistic. With that, the Oilers can get a goalie like Ullmark without giving up one of the game’s top forwards in the process. It is just a move that would not make sense for the Oilers at this stage.
At the end of the day, this is a very fun trade proposal by Buccigross, but I personally find it too risky for both clubs to consider. However, do you think this would be a worthwhile move for each club? Let your thoughts be known in the comments.