NHL Trade Rumors: 5 teams that must make a move before trade deadline

4. Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins on paper are in a good position right now. They hold the first wild card spot and they are just two points out of one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division (as of January 12th). Their forwards are starting to look great. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are both on pace to at least push their career highs. Loui Eriksson is having one heck of a swan song if this is his last season in Boston. They need to get healthy, but once they do, the Bruins will be one of the better teams in the NHL.

What’s keeping them from being a Stanley Cup contender is their blue line. Kevan Miller is often paired with Zdeno Chara. Chara is a great defenseman who will inevitably see his career end in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. He has a generally positive effect on his teammates possession numbers. Except for one player: Kevan Miller.

Whether Miller’s been played on the first pairing out of necessity or by bad decisions, that is something that has to stop. The Bruins don’t exactly have many options. Torey Krug is a good second or third pairing defenseman but hasn’t played particularly well with Chara. The Bruins need to find a top pairing defenseman as soon as possible. It’s something that they can’t just wait for.

The Bruins should get a head start on the NHL trade deadline by making a move for Dustin Byfuglien of the Winnipeg Jets. He’d solidify their blue line and likely make them a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Byfuglien will be sought after heavily by many NHL teams. Why not try to push for him before the trade deadline?

Next: 3. New York Rangers