Bruins, Blackhawks are reportedly discussing trades to alleviate Boston’s cap crunch

Bruins

The Blackhawks have over $37 million in accessible cap house this summer time.

With NHL free company set to start at noontime on Saturday, the race is on for the Bruins to search out suitors to take a contract or two off their palms.

In keeping with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Boston may need a possible match with the Chicago Blackhawks.

According to Friedman, Boston and Chicago are “discussing potentialities that might profit the Blackhawks and ease the Bruins’ cap state of affairs.”

Boston is getting into this offseason with just below $5 million in cap house (per CapFriendly), an unenviable fiscal state of affairs for a workforce that solely has 14 skaters at the moment underneath contract. 

If Boston desires to re-up any of its eight unrestricted free brokers (and two restricted free brokers in Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic), it’s going to wish to shed a major chunk of cap room within the subsequent few weeks.

That’s a process simpler stated than finished, particularly with the league’s cap ceiling largely unchanged over the previous three years following the financial turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However the Blackhawks are one of many few groups who’ve loads of cap flexibility, with Chicago at the moment tabbed with $37.5 million in accessible cap house. In addition they have 11 draft picks in 2023 alone, together with one other 9 in 2024.

The Bruins haven’t any scarcity of potential commerce chips in the event that they need to clear cap house. Loads ought to attraction to a workforce in Chicago trying to construct round probably 2023 high decide Connor Bedard. 

Chicago does have holes on the left facet of its protection, making a B’s blueliner like Matt Grzelcyk or Derek Forbort a possible match. Even Mike Reilly makes some sense as a puck-moving asset (and Illinois native) who might thrive in top-four minutes with the ‘Hawks. 

And if Boston is trying to half methods with both Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman, a workforce like Chicago does make sense — particularly the latter. 

As one of many few groups with a bevy of cap room, Chicago has loads of leverage over a workforce just like the Bruins. If it’s a left-shot defenseman or perhaps a strong asset like Corridor, Boston’s return will not be all that spectacular.

However given the cap financial savings generated, the true asset for Boston would be the fiscal flexibility accessible to retain (or add) high expertise to this roster in 2023-24.