Once again, the March 3rd trade deadline approaches, and once again, the Boston Bruins are linked to all the big names on the market. It is no surprise, though, as general manager Don Sweeney is known for his big deadline deals, with his two most recent ones netting the Bruins Taylor Hall and Hampus Lindholm.
The name the Bruins have been linked to the most this season is center Bo Horvat. The veteran forward’s time in Vancouver has ended, as it’s all but certain the Canucks will trade him.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff doesn’t know exactly where, but he recently shared which team would make the most sense.
According to Seravalli:
‘Boston could be the ideal landing spot for Bo Horvat. He would not only make Boston’s Top 9 forward group one of the most formidable heading into the playoffs, but his addition also might help entice David Pastrnak to extend, seeing that the window to win won’t be completely shut whenever Bergeron decides to hang up his skates.”
Boston would make for a logical landing spot given their current standing as the best team in the NHL and in need of a center of the future once Patrice Bergeron retires. As Seravalli also mentions, the acquisition of Horvat could play a significant role in enticing David Pastrnak to re-sign as a Bruin, knowing he would have an elite 1C locked in for the next eight years.
Horvat also makes sense for this season and not just the long term as he could slot into the third-line center role with Charlie Coyle able to play on the wing.
The Bruins would have to do some maneuvering of their cap space as they currently have no room. They could unload some contracts in the trade or a separate one to make room. The price for acquiring Horvat will not be cheap as the Bruins would have to surrender their first-round pick along with prospects. After his poor showing at the 2023 IIHF World Juniors, would Don Sweeney consider trading Fabian Lysell?
Horvat is having a career year with 29 goals and 16 assists for 45 points. Acquiring Horvat and pairing him with Pastrnak would give the Bruins an elite one-two punch for years to come allowing them to stay in playoff contention annually.
Only time will tell what Don Sweeney is up to, but one thing is for sure, he will once again be an active buyer at the March 3rd trade deadline.
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