The Bruins And Blackhawks May Be Making A Massive Trade
As the new season approaches, the Blackhawks find themselves gearing up to hit the ice with Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom sharing the goaltending duties.
With a career record of 2-12-2, Soderblom's past performance raises concerns about his ability to step up for the team. The notion that these two might be able to snatch victories for the Blackhawks appears to be a difficult one to embrace.
The upcoming season might witness one of the least productive goaltending tandems in the league. Mrazek, who posted a 10-22-3 record in the previous season, struggled with a 3.66 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.
His stats with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2021-22 season weren't much better, with a 3.34 GAA and an .888 save percentage.
Mrazek, 31, boasts an 11-season stint in the NHL, some of which were successful. However, it's evident that his performance has waned over time, and maintaining consistency in the net seems to be a challenging task for him.
The Blackhawks are in dire need of a goaltending boost, and their attention could turn towards the Bruins for a potential trade.
The Bruins boast what could arguably be the best goaltending duo in the league with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Adding to the intrigue, the Bruins themselves have navigated a tumultuous offseason.
Recent retirements of veteran centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have left Boston with notable gaps in their top two center positions. Additionally, the absence of a first-round draft pick further complicates their situation.
The Blackhawks could potentially explore a trade, leveraging a combination of picks that might even include their first-round selection, to acquire Swayman from the Bruins.
Swayman, who jointly won the Jennings Trophy with Ullmark last season, boasts an impressive 24-6-4 record from Boston's record-setting regular season. His 2.27 goals-against average and .920 save percentage further underscore his skill and potential.
Bringing Swayman into the fold could potentially transform the Blackhawks into a playoff-contending team. Even if this transformation eludes them, Swayman's presence would undoubtedly resolve their goaltending concerns.
In light of these factors, it seems prudent for the Blackhawks to initiate trade discussions with the Bruins to secure the services of the standout goaltender.
Source: Clutchpoints
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Boston Bruins would trade Ullmark or Swayman and break up the arguably best goalie duo in NHL? | ||
| Yes | 149 | 39.3 % |
| No | 230 | 60.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
