Bruins Should NOT Go Through With This Trade Offer With Edmonton
Here's an interesting rumor making the rounds, but remember, it's just a rumor. According to Jimmy Murphy from Boston Hockey Now, some insiders have mentioned that the Boston Bruins might be involved in trade talks with the Edmonton Oilers this summer. Apparently, the Bruins are eyeing potential centers to fill the gap left by the potential departures of Patrice Bergeron and others.
According to Murphy's sources, the Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan McLeod have caught the Bruins' attention. It seems Nugent-Hopkins is their primary target for a big off-season move, while McLeod is considered a backup plan if they can't work out a deal for Nuge due to contract complications.
To sweeten the deal, the Bruins might be willing to offer defenseman Matt Grzelcyk as trade bait.
However, it seems unlikely that the Oilers would agree to such a trade. They probably want to hold on to both Nugent-Hopkins and McLeod, and it doesn't make much sense for them to trade either player for Grzelcyk. Grzelcyk has only one year left on his contract, with a significant cap hit of $3,687,500. Although he had a decent season with 26 points and a plus-46 rating in 75 games, he might not be the right fit considering the Oilers' salary cap situation.
Nugent-Hopkins, on the other hand, is locked into a fair contract and just scored an impressive 104 points. He brings value to the team in many ways, especially as a key player on the Oilers' exceptional power-play unit. He's a solid two-way player, even though his playoff performance was underwhelming. The Oilers would expect a strong incentive to consider trading him.
As for McLeod, he would be a cost-effective addition for the Oilers this off-season. Since he's a pending restricted free agent, he doesn't have much leverage in contract negotiations, which means the Oilers could secure him at a reasonable price. It's understandable that the Bruins find him attractive, but the Oilers would need a compelling reason to part ways with him.
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Even Murphy acknowledges in his article that these trades might not be realistic due to salary cap complications and the Oilers' reluctance to trade either player.
Could there be a scenario where these trades could happen? Possibly, but it would require the Bruins to retain some of Grzelcyk's salary and potentially involve additional players. We're talking about a blockbuster trade that would shake things up, perhaps including players like Linus Ullmark or Jake DeBrusk.
However, given the Bruins' current cap situation, it's unlikely they could accommodate the trade by taking on additional cap space.
In conclusion, it seems highly unlikely that Nugent-Hopkins or McLeod will end up with the Bruins. According to Murphy, there's no evidence to suggest that the two teams have even engaged in talks about a potential trade. If the Oilers were to consider trading Nugent-Hopkins, it would likely be because they've found a game-changing player on the market, and even then, they would approach it cautiously.
The Bruins are facing their own challenges, with cap issues and the potential departure of key players following a disappointing playoff run. However, the Oilers are not likely to be the solution to their problems. Both teams have their own salary cap constraints, and this trade proposal doesn't align with Ken Holland's perspective as the Oilers' general manager.
