The Bruins have made their move on defense
Less than 48 hours away from the 2022 NHL trade deadline, the Bruins have found their top-four, left-shot defenseman.
It will come from a familiar trading partner for the Bruins, too, as the Bruins have acquired defenseman Hampus Lindholm from the Ducks in exchange for a five-piece return that includes a 2022 first-round round pick, second-round picks in 2023 and 2024, and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and John Moore.
The Ducks are also retaining 50 percent of Lindholm’s remaining salary for the 2021-22 season.
A 6-foot-4, 216-pound defenseman, Lindholm has posted five goals and 22 points through 61 games this season, and has almost completely served as a mentor to first-year NHLer Jamie Drysdale on Anaheim’s top pairing.
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Lindholm has been a do-it-all defenseman throughout his Anaheim career, and 2021-22 has been no different, with 1374:57 of total time on ice, which is second to only Cam Fowler among all Anaheim skaters, and is the 30th-most in the NHL this season.
A career-long Duck since being selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Lindholm has totaled 57 goals and 222 points, along with a plus-74 rating, in 582 career games with Anaheim.
The 28-year-old Lindholm is a pending free agent, but it stands to reason that the Bruins have a significant interest in keeping the Swedish defenseman around on an extension given the price they paid, and his long-term viability as a top-four option.
An extension between the sides may even get done before the deadline.
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2022 NHL trade deadline: A look at Don Sweeney's trade deadline history
2016
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 03: Lee Stempniak #20 of the Boston Bruins warms up before the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at TD Garden on March 3, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Lee Stempniak from Devils in exchange for 2016 fourth-round pick and 2017 second-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 34-23-6 (third in Atlantic Division, seven points above ninth place).
Sweeney’s first crack at addressing the Black and Gold’s constant need for help on the wings, Stempniak was brought to the Bruins in the midst of a Jersey run that included 16 goals and 41 points in 63 games. In Boston, Stempniak put up three goals and 10 points over 19 games, as the Bruins went 8-8-3 to finish the year and finished a tiebreaker short of the postseason.
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 01: John-Michael Liles #26 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the first period against the Calgary Flames at TD Garden on March 1, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire defenseman John-Michael Liles from Hurricanes in exchange for forward Anthony Camara, 2016 third-round pick, and 2017 fifth-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 34-23-6 (third in Atlantic Division, seven points above ninth place).
A depth defenseman pickup, Liles put up six assists in 17 games with the Bruins to round out the 2016 stretch run, and re-upped with the B’s on a one-year deal for the 2016-17 season.
2017
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 4: Drew Stafford #19 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the first period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden on April 4, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Drew Stafford from Jets in exchange for conditional sixth-round pick in 2018.
Bruins record when acquired: 33-24-6 (second in Atlantic Division, four points above ninth place).
Another attempt at addressing the team’s middle-six scoring woes, Stafford was a worthwhile addition for the Bruins, with four goals and eight points in 18 games with the Bruins. That sixth-round pick turned to a fifth-round pick sent to Winnipeg (and later landing in Nashville) when the Bruins clinched a playoff spot. Stafford would score two goals in six playoff games with the Bruins, and spent the final two years of his NHL career with the Devils. He’s also the only Bruins player to appear in an Every Time I Die music video, though that came during his Buffalo tenure.
2018
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 16: Nick Holden #44 of the Boston Bruins skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre. (Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire defenseman Nick Holden from Rangers in exchange for defenseman Rob O’Gara and 2018 third-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 36-13-8 (second place in Atlantic Division, one point out of first place).
The first move of what has been Sweeney’s busiest deadline of his general managing career, the Bruins brought Nick Holden to town as a third-pairing stabilizer. A 6-foot-4 left-shot defenseman, Holden tallied one goal and five points in 18 games with the B’s, and appeared in two postseason games with the team. Holden has since bounced between Vegas and Ottawa.
DETROIT, MI – FEBRUARY 06: Frank Vatrano #72 of the Boston Bruins heads up ice in the first period while playing the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on February 6, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins trade winger Frank Vatrano to Panthers for 2018 third-round pick
Bruins record when traded: 37-13-8 (second place in Atlantic Division, one point out of first place).
A space-making move for the Bruins, Sweeney recouped the third-round pick he lost in the Holden deal by sending Frank Vatrano to the Panthers. Vatrano has stuck with the Panthers, too, and tallied 71 goals and 124 points in 269 games with Florida over the last five seasons. The Bruins later used that third-round pick to draft Jakub Lauko.
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 16: Rick Nash #61 of the Boston Bruins waits for a faceoff against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Rick Nash from Rangers in exchange for forward Ryan Spooner, winger Matt Beleskey, defenseman Ryan Lindgren, 2018 first-round pick, and 2019 seventh-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 37-14-8 (third place in Atlantic Division, five points out of first place).
Sweeney’s first try at a big home run swing, the Bruins sent out five pieces in exchange for Nash, and No. 61 finished with three goals and six points in 11 regular-season appearances, and added three goals and five points in 12 playoff games. A concussion suffered on a high hit from the Lighting’s Cedric Paquette interrupted and derailed Nash’s Boston run, and ultimately forced Nash to retire at the end of the season. The trade will always be one of the biggest ‘what if’ scenarios involving this core, as both Nash and the B’s were interested in a potential long-term partnership.
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 27: Tommy Wingels #57 of the Boston Bruins skates on the ice before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden on February 27, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Tommy Wingels from Blackhawks in exchange for conditional fifth-round pick in 2019.
Bruins record when acquired: 37-15-8 (third place in Atlantic Division, five points out of first place).
A depth move at the deadline, Wingels scored two goals and five points in 18 games with the B’s, and appeared in four postseason games. The conditional fifth-round pick the B’s sent to Chicago in that deal ultimately became a fourth when the Bruins advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Wingels had a direct hand in that, too, as he absorbed the hit that got the Leafs’ Nazem Kadri suspended for three games in the middle of the first round.
2019
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: Charlie Coyle #13 of the Boston Bruins reacts after scoring a goal in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game One during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire center Charlie Coyle from Wild in exchange for winger Ryan Donato and 2019 fifth-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 35-17-8 (second place in Atlantic Division, 18 points out of first place).
Certainly the most impactful trade of the Sweeney era in terms of its direct impact on a long playoff run, the Bruins made out like bandits when they acquired Coyle from the Wild in exchange for Ryan Donato and a late-round pick. Slotted behind Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci on the B’s center depth chart, Coyle excelled as a puck-possession pivot, and racked up nine goals and 16 points in 24 playoff games for the Bruins on the way to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. His nine goals were tied for the most on the team, while his 16 points were the fifth-most among all B’s.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 23: Marcus Johansson #90 of the Boston Bruins celebrates after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period Game Seven during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Marcus Johansson from Devils in exchange for 2019 second-round pick and 2020 fourth-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 36-17-9 (second place in Atlantic Division, 17 points out of first place).
Originally acquired to skate to the right of David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on Boston’s second line, Johansson’s best fit ultimately came on the B’s third line with Charlie Coyle and Danton Heinen. The Swedish wing put up one goal and three points in 10 regular season games with the Bruins, and added four goals and 11 points in 22 playoff games.
Johansson has played for the Sabres, Wild, and Kraken since leaving the Bruins as a free agent in 2019, and could very well be on the move again this deadline with the Kraken out of contention.
2020
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 27: Ondrej Kase #28 of the Boston Bruins takes a shot against the Dallas Stars during his first game with the Bruins at TD Garden on February 27, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Ondrej Kase from Ducks in exchange for forward David Backes, defenseman Axel Andersson, and 2020 first-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 38-11-12 (first place in Atlantic Division, three points above second place).
The Bruins tried to make their best out of a garbage situation when they had to attach a first-round pick to rid themselves of the David Backes contract. Rather than just dumping him with the pick and moving on in the name of cap space after Backes’ role entered an uncomfortable territory for the Bruins and led to the veteran landing on waivers, the Bruins ditched Backes but took a chance on the oft-injured Ondrej Kase in the process.
But after Kase had a stop-and-start jump into life with the Bruins in a COVID-interrupted 2020 campaign, the Czech wing’s concussion woes return and limited Kase to just three games during the 2021 season.
The Bruins ultimately decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Kase and let him walk to the Maple Leafs, where he’s battled injuries but been productive when healthy, with 12 goals and 25 points in 47 games this season.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – AUGUST 29: Nick Ritchie #21 of the Boston Bruins fights Barclay Goodrow #19 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in Game Four during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Nick Ritchie from Ducks in exchange for forward Danton Heinen.
Bruins record when acquired: 39-12-12 (first place in Atlantic Division, five points above second place).
A ‘change of scenery’ trade for both Ritchie and Heinen, the Bruins thought that adding the big-bodied Ritchie would help the team score some of the more dirty, high-danger area postseason goals that the team struggled to produce when going up against bigger defenses. And though Ritchie’s 2020 fit with the Bruins proved to be a troubling one, Ritchie bounced back in 2021 with a career-high 15 goals and five power-play goals and 7th Player Award honors.
But the Bruins ultimately decided not to bring Ritchie back for another round after a disappointing 2021 playoff run, and Ritchie landed with the Maple Leafs on a two-year, $5 million deal. That deal turned out to be a disaster for all involved, really, as Ritchie would fail to fit on the Leafs’ top line and score just two goals in 33 games with Toronto before the team waived him, and ultimately sent him to Arizona in a cap-clearing move.
Heinen, meanwhile, would score just 10 goals and eight assists in 52 games with the Ducks, but has since rebounded with the Penguins, with 13 goals and 24 points through 54 games this season.
2021
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 13: Mike Reilly #6 of the Boston Bruins skates during the first period of a game against the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on April 13, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire defenseman Mike Reilly from Senators in exchange for 2022 third-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 21-12-6 (fourth in East Division, four point above fifth place).
When the Bruins’ decision to go with a youth movement and walk away from Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug failed to pan out the way the Bruins envisioned, Sweeney made a call to Ottawa and swung a deadline deal for Mike Reilly. An underrated puck-moving threat, Reilly put up eight assists in 15 games with the Bruins to close out the regular season, and added another four helpers in 11 postseason games.
The Bruins ultimately kept Reilly around on a three-year, $9 million extension, and are currently playing him next to Charlie McAvoy on the Black and Gold’s top defensive pairing.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 15: Taylor Hall #71 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the first period against the New York Islanders at TD Garden on April 15, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Trade: Bruins acquire winger Taylor Hall and forward Curtis Lazar from Sabres in exchange for winger Anders Bjork and 2021 second-round pick.
Bruins record when acquired: 21-12-6 (fourth in East Division, four point above fifth place).
Aided greatly by the fact that Taylor Hall had a full no-movement clause and made it clear that he wanted to go to Boston, the Hall-to-Boston trade remains Sweeney’s greatest deadline heist as the B’s general manager. Finally solving the team’s never-ending quest to acquire that high-ceiling second-line wing, Hall was productive and immediately bought in on what the Bruins were selling him, and has since emerged as a core piece for the team.
The Bruins also acquired valuable fourth-line piece Curtis Lazar in that deal, while Anders Bjork has put up seven goals and 12 points in 66 games with the Sabres.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has been covering the Bruins since 2010, and has been a member of the Boston chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association since 2013. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
