NESN

Teemu Selanne, Ray Whitney Among Top 10 Potential Bruins Trade Targets

It's that time of year again. The NHL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and like most teams, the Bruins are putting together their shopping lists for the expected frenzy.

The Bruins have traditionally been active at the deadline under general manager Peter Chiarelli, who has picked up some huge additions over the years. The likes of Andrew Ference, Aaron Ward, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley are among the players brought into the fold with deals in the days and weeks ahead of the deadline in recent seasons.

While all those players went on to make important contributions in Boston, none was part of a true blockbuster deal. Expect that trend to continue this year. The Bruins are likely to be active, looking to add depth both on defense and up front, with the later area taking on even more importance with the uncertainty surrounding Nathan Horton's recovery from a concussion.

But don't expect the Bruins to acquire a big-name player with a long-term cap-crushing contract like Rick Nash or Jeff Carter, or risk the team's chemistry and/or mortgage the future to land a marquee name like Jarome Iginla, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, Zach Parise or Ryan Suter, even assuming any of those players were to actually become available.

Those names may elicit excitement from the fantasy GMs out there, but they aren't what the reigning champs need. Instead, here's a more realistic look at the Top 10 Potential Trade Targets that would fill the needs the Bruins are looking to address.

Click here to see the Bruins' top 10 potential trade targets >>

Have a question for Douglas Flynn? Send it to him via Twitter at @douglasflynn or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.