The Boston Bruins are gearing up to use NHL free agency and the trade market this offseason to enhance their center depth.
Throughout the past season, the Bruins made several attempts to acquire center Elias Lindholm. They entered trade talks with the Calgary Flames before Lindholm was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on February 1, and continued discussions with the Canucks leading up to the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline.
With an anticipated $20.5 million in salary cap space, the Bruins are expected to pursue Lindholm again. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound center recorded 15 goals and 29 assists over 75 games during the 2023-24 regular season with both the Flames and Canucks, and added five goals and five assists in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“We talked about Elias Lindholm, and how he’s a player they liked before he got traded to Vancouver,” Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, discussing the Bruins’ offseason strategy in free agency.
However, Friedman also suggested another potential target for the Bruins: Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson. “I am expecting them to be in on him if he hits the market. Someone else said to me — throw Chandler Stephenson’s name in there.
I think there are a lot of people expecting that Stephenson will be on Boston’s radar. People definitely believe Boston is going to get a center. When the Bruins say they’re going to do something, they tend to do it. And they tend to attract good players because they’re generally a very well-run organization.
So I think there’s — whether it’s Lindholm or Stephenson or somebody we’re missing right now. There’s definitely a belief Boston is going to do something here down the middle as they have promised.”
Stephenson, 30, tallied 16 goals and 35 assists in 75 regular season games this past season. The 6-foot, 209-pound center had one assist in the Knights’ seven-game series loss to the Dallas Stars in the first round. However, he played a crucial role in their 2023 Stanley Cup run, with 10 goals and 10 assists in 22 playoff games.