Bruins proposed trade with Oilers would be a massive mistake

The Bruins will be active this offseason, but trade proposals like this are the opposite of what they should be looking for.

With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the rearview mirror, it's the time of year when fan and media proposed trades and signings are all the talk. The Boston Bruins know they must make some changes to avoid repeating the disaster of last season, and it's only natural for some unconventional proposals to be considered. The What Chaos podcast revealed one of those out-there proposals this past week, following the Edmonton Oilers' loss in Game 6 to the Florida Panthers.

The idea behind the trade is that the Oilers are a competent goalie away from possibly winning the Stanley Cup. While some of Edmonton's best players failed to show up in the final, it was ultimately their goaltending that threw off the team's psyche. Jeremy Swayman wasn't at his best this season, but he has shown an ability to perform when put under pressure and would have undoubtedly been an improvement over Skinner.

In the hypothetical trade, the Bruins get Stuart Skinner in return, which would provide the Bruins with a massive downgrade in their goaltending situation. All signs point to Swayman returning to form next season, and if that's the case, going into the season with a tandem of Skinner and Joonas Korpisalo wouldn't be a good sign for Bruins fans.

The deal also includes a swap of Mason Lohrei for Evan Bouchard. This would be a win for Boston, as Bouchard is one of the top offensive defensemen in the league. However, his defensive game often leaves the fans scratching their heads. While the Bruins would have someone to run the first powerplay, which could be a great combination with him and David Pastrnak, Bouchard would get eaten alive in Boston once his defensive mistakes started to pile up.

The Bruins also throw in a first-round pick, which helps to make up for the gap between Bouchard and Lohrei. While doing that makes sense, the Bruins would be no closer to contending after this trade. The deal could make them much worse. With Skinner's struggles in 2024-25 and the uncertainty of Bouchard's offensive ceiling without two of the world's best players on the ice with him, this deal would have the potential to completely derail Boston's future.

Some are speculatiing that the Oilers will kick the tires on Swayman's ability this offseason. The Bruins currently have a solid core, comprising Pastrnak, Swayman, and Charlie McAvoy. If they don't want to go into a complete rebuild, it wouldn't be wise to move any of those pieces. If anything, the Bruins should be adding without having to move either of the trio, which isn't as easy to do but makes the most sense for their future.

If Boston can add a player like Noah Dobson to run the first powerplay, who is also a better defensive player than Bouchard, while also keeping Swayman, that'd be the smarter move.