These three Bruins should be gone by the trade deadline on March 7.
After dropping their first three games out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Boston Bruins are quickly sliding down the Eastern Conference. Four points out of the final two wild-card spots, the time has come for GM Don Sweeney to sell what he can at the trade deadline on March 7.
This is the perfect time for Sweeney to sell off some expiring contracts that he doesn’t see coming back next season, and while he’ll be taking a “cautious approach’’. With that said, anyone except for a few players should be deemed untouchable. Here are three players who shouldn’t be on the Bruins roster after 3 p.m. ET on March 7.
Justin Brazeau
Trent Frederic was a forward that was generating a lot of trade noise before going with an injury that’s going to cost him some time. He could still be moved, but that injury should turn more attention to Justin Brazeau who is listed on a lot of trade bait boards.
A bottom-six forward who brings some grit and toughness, Brazeau is someone who gets to the dirty areas, is tough on the forecheck and tough to play in the defensive zone. Last season he scored some timely goals in the regular season and even potted a postseason goal against the Florida Panthers. Out of all the names on this list, he’s the least likely to remain a Bruin after the deadline.
Joonas Korpisalo
Don’t get me wrong, Joonas Korpisalo has been surprisingly good this year after a disastrous 2023-24 season with the Ottawa Senators. Acquired as part of the Linus Ullmark trade, he still has three more years remaining on his current deal with the Bruins stuck with a $3 million AAV.
He is a veteran who could be a decent backup for Jeremy Swayman, however, $3 million is a lot to invest in a backup who will play 20-25 games. There are cheaper routes Sweeney could go next year for that position with Michael DiPietro and Brandon Bussi two names in the organization that come to mind. Moving him for anything would be a plus if you can, but this is a deal that would be a lot easier said than done.
Trent Frederic
As mentioned above, Frederic is dealing with an injury that will keep him out past the deadline. That still doesn’t mean he can’t be moved. We saw it last season when Boston acquired Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild. The return may not be great, but it’s highly unlikely he’s seen in the plans for Sweeney.
Cutting ties with him at the deadline is the way to go and he would still be a player that teams would acquire for not only the stretch run when healthy, but also the future. Losing him for nothing is not the way Sweeney wants to go, so moving him, even if injured, is the way to go for the Bruins.
