Thanks to their hot start to the season and the age of two of their core players, the Bruins will be going all in this season to win the cup. The Bruins have an established top six with Marchand, Bergeron, Debrusk, Krejci, Pastrnak, and a combo of Pavel Zacha and Taylor Hall rotating on the second line. There are not many players available that would be upgrades for what the Bruins currently got.
Without a doubt, general manager Don Sweeney will be active at the trade deadline as he does his due diligence and leaving no stone unturned. Every big name available right now is most likely linked to the Bruins, including one star from the Chicago Blackhawks. And no, it’s not Patrick Kane, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period:
”The Avalanche and Boston Bruins are two clubs, among others, that have inquired about Toews.”
Pagnotta reports that Kane and Toews, who share player agent Pat Brisson, are all expected to meet with Blackhawks’ management sometime next month. Allegedly, it’s to discuss whether either or both players want to go to a Cup contender.
Toews entered this season with a $10.5 million cap hit and holds a full no-trade clause allowing him to dictate where he ends up. If Boston were going to acquire the veteran center, they would need Chicago to retain 50% and most likely have a third team involved to eat even more cap, as the team currently only has $50K in space.
The 34-year-old Toews has nine goals and seven assists in 27 games in his 15th season with the Blackhawks. Across 1,040 career games, the veteran center has registered 366 goals and 502 assists to go along with three Stanley Cups.
Why look at a 34-year-old Toews and a $10.5 Million cap hit when you can’t sign Pasternak at $11 million because you’re too tight on the cap?