Are the Boston Bruins going to go hard for Chris Kreider

How bad do the Bruins want to bring home their native son, Chris Kreider to Boston? We may just find out soon, but it is going to be hard for them to beat out the likes of both Colorado and St. Louis who may not only be willing to part with a first round pick but a top prospect.

Boston Going For It

In a recent article for the Boston Globe, Matt Porter emphasized that the Bruins could really use what Chris Kreider brings to the table. He even suggest that holding on to some of their younger players was not the best move to winning it all this season.

The Bruins need a mid-aged, top-six winger such as Kreider, even if it means shipping out their first-round pick, something Sweeney said he regretted doing in 2018 when he and Rangers GM Jeff Gorton struck a deal for Rick Nash. He shouldn’t be afraid to include a young roster player, since that will be part of the ask. As good as Jake DeBrusk (23), Danton Heinen (24), or Anders Bjork (23) could be, Kreider (28) offers a mix of maturity, physicality, and pace that would fit with David Krejci better than any of those three.

Boston Globe

The Rangers have long been after Jake DeBrusk and if Boston would add him in a deal with their 1st round pick, I am fairly certain the Rangers would take that over the Blues 1st and Jordan Kyrou. As for the Avs who would be giving them a better first in the mid 20’s, no guarantee they would give up a prospect as good.

Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)

DeBrusk would be a fit

Jake DeBrusk who is the son of former Ranger, Louie DeBrusk is a 23 year old LW that would take Kreider’s spot on the 2nd line. The RFA will be looking for a new deal this summer, and with 18 goals and 34 points in 52 games, he will get a deal in the 4-5M range for sure.

Of course, it’s unlikely the Bruins will give up all that without the guarantee that Kreider will re-sign. If the Rangers don’t allow them to negotiate before a deal, then the 1st round pick should be conditional. The objective is to get DeBrusk and he’s a better prospect than what any other team is likely to give.

Other possibility

The other option as noted by ESPN’s Chris Peters is Anders Bjork who’s also 23. He’s a winger with 18 points in 49 games who will be an RFA this summer as well. This would be a less attractive option for Jeff Gorton and likely have him dealing Kreider to the West.

ESPN hockey analyst Chris Peters on Friday floated a trade idea, in which the Bruins would acquire the New York Rangers left wing by the Feb. 24 NHL trade deadline. Peters believes Kreider would provide the impact the Bruins might need in order to return to the Stanley Cup Final and recommends they offer Anders Bjork, a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2021 draft in exchange for the 28-year-old Boxford, Mass., native.

NESN

The bottom line is simple, if the Bruins want Kreider it’s DeBrusk or bust.

Anthony Scultore has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL since 2014. His work also appears at... More about Anthony Scultore

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