The top trade target is off the board.
The New York Rangers on Monday, just hours before the 3 p.m. ET. trade deadline, have re-signed winger Chris Kreider to a seven-year contract extension.
There were five teams considered legitimate suitors for Kreider should he have been traded, the Boston Bruins among them.
So, who is left for the Bruins to go after? Here are a couple of options.
Kyle Palmieri, RW, Devils — With Kreider staying in New York and J-G Pageau going to the Islanders, Palmieri becomes arguably the top player available on the trade market. He has 22 goals and 20 assists on a bad New Jersey Devils team this season, so one has to think he could thrive all the more in a better situation. He also has another year left on his $4.65 AAV deal following this campaign, so that is going to drive his trade value up.
Josh Anderson, RW, Blue Jackets — Anderson is a similar situation to that of Andreas Athanasiou. He’s had a bad year when available, but he also hasn’t played since Dec. 14 due to a shoulder injury. That said, his bruising style of play is tailor-made for playoff hockey, and he’s coming off a tremendous 2018-19 season in which he put up 27 goals and 20 assists. He too is a restricted free agent after this season, so though he is having a down year and hasn’t played in two months, he likely won’t be a bargain.
Joe Thornton, C, Sharks — It sounds like it’s the 40-year-old center’s call on whether or not he gets traded — especially now since Patrick Marleau already has been sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thornton’s not nearly the same player he used to be, and it’s unclear how he would fit in given the Bruins’ center depth. However, Boston and the Colorado Avalanche have been linked to Jumbo Joe for a little while now. Should he become just a depth player for the Bruins who could run the risk of being healthy scratched, he might not be willing to move.
The Bruins already have acquired Ondrej Kase, so even if they stand pat the rest of the way, it’s not as if they were totally inactive.
