In this latest installment of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, the Bruins remain one of the top teams in the Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes. Furthermore, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Bruins are also one of the clubs currently making a push for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that the Bruins are one of the teams “monitoring the Timo Meier situation.”
Bruins Remain Linked to Chychrun
In a recent piece for Sportsnet, Friedman noted that the Bruins have considered the idea of acquiring Chychrun. This is not the first time where the Bruins have been linked to Chychrun, as they made a major push to acquire him last season before landing Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks. Yet, it appears that Chychrun is once again on their radar, and it makes sense when noting that the Bruins have Stanley Cup or bust expectations.
It is hard to find too many flaws on the Bruins’ roster right now, and their league-best 41-8-5 record effectively displays this. However, if they can improve their roster even further by bringing in a star like Chychrun, why shouldn’t they at least consider it? The price would certainly be high to get him, but he would stand as a major upgrade over Matt Grzelcyk on the top pairing with Charlie McAvoy.
Insider Links Bruins to Gavrikov
Yet, Chychrun is not the only left-shot defenseman that the Bruins are currently looking at, as Friedman noted that Boston is also in on the Gavrikov sweepstakes. The Blue Jackets will be trading the pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and he is naturally garnering interest around the league because of it. After all, he is a 6-foot-3 shutdown defenseman who plays an immensely reliable defensive game.
Gavrikov would not be as big of a splash as Chychrun, but he would still give the Bruins another very strong option on the left side of their defensive group. He has shown with Columbus that he can handle top-pairing minutes well, so he could also work as a strong partner for McAvoy if acquired.
Bruins Looking at Meier
As noted above, Kaplan named the Bruins as one of the teams currently linked to Meier. Meier is certainly the kind of star forward that the Bruins would love to get their hands on, as he not only provides spectacular offensive production but also physicality in the process. In 56 games played this season, the 26-year-old has 31 goals, 52 points, and 111 hits.
Related: Bruins: 3 Potential Landing Spots for Lysell at 2023 Trade Deadline
If the Bruins acquired Meier, he would give them another option for the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. However, at a minimum, he would make the Bruins’ top nine simply lethal if acquired. Another appealing element about him is that he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA), so the Bruins would still have team control over him this offseason.
Bruins Among Frontrunners for Luke Schenn
The Bruins are clearly aiming to beef up their defensive group, as The Nation Network’s Nick Alberga reported that they and the Calgary Flames are the leading contenders to acquire Luke Schenn. Since last season, I have been arguing that the Bruins should be making a major push for Schenn, as he is a hard-nosed right-shot defensive defenseman who carries a very affordable $850,000 cap hit.
Hearing Boston and Calgary could be emerging as the leading contenders for Luke Schenn if/when the #Canucks are ready to pull the trigger.
— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) February 8, 2023
On a bad Vancouver Canucks team, Schenn has thrived this season, as he has three goals, 18 points, 252 hits, and a plus-4 rating. Adding a player like him to the Bruins’ roster would certainly come in handy, as his physical style of play and immense reliability is built for the postseason. With that, he also could serve as a potential upgrade over Connor Clifton on the bottom pairing.
Bruins Interested in Ivan Barbashev
The Bruins are browsing the trade market significantly, as Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland reported that they are also very interested in St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev. The 2014 second-round pick has understandably been garnering a lot of interest around the league, as he provides solid secondary scoring, grit, and strong defensive play. Thus, it makes sense that the Bruins are looking at him as a potential option for their middle six.
Barbashev is having a decent 2022-23 season, as he has 10 goals and 28 points in 54 games played. Adding that kind of offense to the Bruins’ third line would be beneficial, but it is also important to note that he could be an option for their already-strong penalty kill. With that, he showed just last season that he can produce even more regularly, as he scored 26 goals and recorded 60 points in 81 games. Perhaps joining a team with stronger weapons to work with like the Bruins could help him heat up offensively again.