Report: Bruins, Avalanche ‘believed to be eyeing’ Alex Wennberg

Alex Wennberg

The Boston Bruins could use a little more scoring depth ahead of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which makes a middle-six forward an ideal target for general manager Don Sweeney with the March 8 NHL trade deadline approaching.One player who might be a fit is Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg.The Fourth Period reported Monday that “the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are believed to be eyeing Wennberg.”Wennberg is in the final year of his contract with a $4.5 million salary cap hit. He can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Bruins have just $862,500 in cap space, per CapFriendly. So unless the Kraken retain some of Wennberg’s salary, it might be difficult for the B’s to acquire him.

Wennberg has tallied 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 51 games for the Kraken this season. He is producing 1.41 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 this season, which is his highest rate since 2020-21, per Natural Stat Trick. Wennberg is on pace to score 10-plus goals for the fourth consecutive season and averaging a career-high 18:41 of ice time per game.The Bruins would probably benefit more from a middle-six wing than a middle-six center. They have a lot of guys who can play in the middle. They don’t have a ton of goal-scoring threats on the wing after David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.

The market for centers could be favorable for sellers. The top-two centers rumored to be available — Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan — have already been dealt in recent weeks. Both of those players fetched a first-round pick (more in Lindholm’s case). The Bruins, with a lack of high-end trade assets and no picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 draft, aren’t in a position to win a bidding war.Of course, it’s not guaranteed that the Kraken will become sellers. They enter Monday six points out of a wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference. It’s not an insurmountable deficit. Then again, if the Kraken fall in the standings, it would make sense to trade a few veterans with expiring contracts and get some assets in return.

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