The Bruins are still in on Ryan McDonagh.
Although the general idea remains that the B’s aren’t willing to give up NHL players in order to get the Rangers defenseman and captain, Don Sweeney apparently hasn’t given up on his attempts to bring him to Boston. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweeted on Thursday that he’s hearing the Bruins are still “in the mix” for McDonagh, but the “price needs to drop.”
The aforementioned price has reportedly included rookie winger Jake DeBrusk in any potential deal. Trading the talented 21-year-old would run counter to recent comments by Bruins president Cam Neely that the B’s don’t want to disrupt their chemistry at the NHL level.
Clearly, the Bruins would much rather dip into their deep pool of prospects to swing a deal for McDonagh. It appears that they’re biding their time ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline to see if the price goes down, and then they’d make a real push for McDonagh’s services.
Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Could A McDonagh Trade Still Happen?
A package like Anders Bjork Ryan Donato, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon, to go along with a first-round pick, would be much more palatable for Sweeney, especially considering how well it’s worked with what they have in the NHL this season. (UPDATE: Bjork will miss the rest of the season and the next six months total after shoulder surgery, so he’s off the table.)
That’s a lot to give up, and it probably wouldn’t happen unless McDonagh agreed to a long-term deal – but you have to give up something to get something the caliber of McDonagh, and it would be worth it if he helped you win a Cup (or more).
Moving DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo, Danton Heinen, or other NHL-ready talent simply doesn’t look to be in the Bruins’ plans.
LeBrun also reported that the Maple Leafs are a potential suitor for McDonagh. So if they are willing to give up attractive pieces off the NHL roster, then the B’s might have too stiff of competition there. But in their current situation, the Bruins are probably better off avoiding an overpay for a player who is not guaranteed to stay in Boston beyond next season.
It’s still most likely that Nick Holden will be the team’s move on defense. But Sweeney is probably still in the market for a winger that he can park next to David Krejci. Here’s a list of players they could be targeting at an affordable price.
— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.