3 Bruins Dark Horse Trade Candidates for 2024 Deadline

The NHL Trade Deadline for 2024 is less than two months away, despite the fact that it may seem unbelievable. Teams will likely be busy since they have until Friday, March 8th, at 3 p.m. ET to complete their trades before the deadline expires. As the best club in the Eastern Conference right now, the Boston Bruins are a team to keep an eye on. They will therefore try to bolster their roster before to the deadline.

Due to the Bruins’ lack of draft picks, we could see them part ways with some surprising players if they want to make upgrades to their group. As a result of this, let’s discuss three potential dark horse trade candidates for the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline now.

Matt Grzelcyk

One player who may be worth keeping an eye on at the trade deadline is Matt Grzelcyk. The Massachusetts native is in the final season of his contract, and he garnered trade interest at the start of the campaign. With the Bruins having a tight amount of cap space, they could be open to parting ways with his $3,687,500 cap hit in the right kind of deal.

While Grzelcyk has been a solid defensive partner for star Charlie McAvoy, the Bruins could trade the former if it means adding a legitimate top-six center like Elias Lindholm. The same can be said for a legitimate top-pairing defenseman for someone like, say, longtime Bruins trade target Jakob Chychrun.

The 2023-24 season has also been a bit underwhelming for Grzelcyk. Offensively, he has not made much of an impact, posting just two goals and four assists in his first 30 games. Due to this, his relatively high cap hit, and his expiring contract, the Bruins could view him as expendable if it means bringing in an upgrade before the playoffs.

Fabian Lysell

If the Bruins want to make a significant addition before the deadline, they will have to let go of a top prospect. Mason Lohrei and Matt Poitras are both young guys with NHL potential and big ceilings, so the Bruins surely can’t afford to lose any of them. Therefore, if the Bruins make a significant impact prior to the deadline, Fabian Lysell may be the notable prospect transferred.

Lysell, 21, was selected by the Bruins with the 21st overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. After posting a 37-point campaign in 54 games with the Providence Bruins as a rookie last season, he has 11 goals and 30 points in 35 games with the team this season. He also has posted 13 of his points over his previous 10 games, so he is trending in the right direction with his development. Yet, with the Bruins in win-now mode, the idea of moving him for a high-impact player before the deadline is likely not out of the question.

While the Bruins should not actively shop Lysell, it is fair to wonder about his availability over these next several weeks. In fact, he may be the prospect needed to bring in a player like Lindholm.

Jake DeBrusk

One final player who is worth paying attention to leading up to the deadline is Jake DeBrusk. The 2015 first-round pick is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and things have been incredibly quiet on the contract extension as the season has gone on. If Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney does not view him as a long-term part of this group, they could consider adding him to a trade package to bring in a star.

DeBrusk, 27, carries a $4 million cap hit, so the Bruins would gain decent financial flexibility if they added him to a big move. However, at the same time, trading him would certainly come with some risk, as he is a legitimate top-six forward when he is playing at his best.

DeBrusk has 10 goals, 22 points, and a plus-12 rating in 43 games this season. Despite having lower stats this season, he has scored 11 points in his last 12 games. The Bruins will probably keep him if he continues to play like this. However, Sweeney might be willing to add him to a huge deal or a one-for-one hockey trade if he cools off once more like he did at the start of the season (11 points in his first 31 games).

Now, before the deadline passes, we will have to wait and watch whether the Bruins decide to move on from any of these three dark horse trade options. Even though none of them are being aggressively pursued, it wouldn’t be shocking to see at least one of them included in a possible deal if the Bruins want to make a significant acquisition.

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