The Bruins are reportedly looking at the NHL hits leader ahead of the trade deadline

The Boston Bruins are popping up in fresh trade rumors, this time for a veteran defenseman that they’ve reportedly looked at recently.

Top hockey insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has posted a series of trade ideas, based on some of his own informed speculation. And he has heard the Bruins have already called the Vancouver Canucks about veteran defenseman Luke Schenn. If you’re a Bruins fan, you should feel good about Schenn. More on that below.

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• Schenn, 33, has made a career out of being a big-bodied, stout presence in the defensive zone. He stands at 6-foot-2 and 226 pounds and makes the most of his size. So far this season for the Canucks, he’s dished out a league-high 203 hits and blocked 70 shots. He’s also dropped the gloves four times, which is a good amount these days.

  Tell me this guy wouldn’t immediately endear himself to the Bruins faithful.

  The Bruins have relatively lacked that heavy, physical element in recent years, which ostensibly led to the signing of Derek Forbort. Schenn is a right shot defenseman, so adding that presence on that side of the blue line would have a chance to make a noticeable difference. Especially if and when they have to deal with injuries to Charlie McAvoy or Brandon Carlo.

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  DENVER, COLORADO – MARCH 23: Luke Schenn #2 of the Vancouver Canucks shoots against the Colorado Avalanche during a game at Ball Arena on March 23, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

• The Bruins have the luxury of not necessarily needing to add high-end talent to their roster. They have their best forward depth in years, powered by the return of David Krejci and the acquisition of Pavel Zacha, which have allowed Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle to power the third line.

  On defense, they have enough depth to play McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm on separate pairings. If they can add Schenn, they’d have valuable insurance for a possible injury and add a size/physicality combo that they’re simply not going to get from Carlo or Connor Clifton.

  It’s good for Bruins fans to know that this is the kind of move Sweeney needs to make, and the major pieces are already in place. Now, perhaps you’re still not satisfied with a depth move. It remains to be seen if the Bruins still take a big swing to put themselves over the top, in what’s shaping up to be an “all-in” kind of year. Such a deal may be welcomed in Boston.

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  VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 21: (L-R) Don Sweeney and Cam Neely of the Boston Bruins attend the 2019 NHL Draft at the Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

• For now, it’s a promising sign that the Bruins are at least looking to sew up any remaining holes they have on what is currently a loaded roster. In the meantime, we’ll continue to keep you covered on everything Bruins here at 985TheSportsHub.com, and you can get weekly Bruins thoughts from me and Ty Anderson on the Sports Hub Underground podcast.

  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster 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? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.