As the rumor mill continues to churn out its updates and tidbits between now and the upcoming trade deadline, you continue to get the sense that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is a man who knows what he wants.

With the Bruins linked to countless options, one position has come into focus for the Bruins, and with some additional insight and further confirmation from Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman on Saturday night.

“I do think one of the reasons that [Vladislav] Gavrikov was given the trade-related sit-out by the Columbus Blue Jackets is because the Bruins are in on him,” Friedman said during a ’32 Thoughts’ segment. “I think they’re also looking at [Jakob] Chychrun, but I do think they’re in on Gavrikov as well. One of the issues, I believe, is [salary] cap. The Bruins have to do some things to make this work, but we’ll see where this goes over the next couple of days.

“I think left D is an area that Boston has targeted.”

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• Friedman’s latest reporting on the Bruins and Gavrikov follows what’s been relatively consistent reporting on the Bruins’ reported interest in the Columbus defenseman, with some even considering the Bruins the current ‘favorites’ to land him.

  A 6-foot-3 left-shooting defenseman, Gavrikov has recorded three goals and 10 points, along with 56 hits and 89 blocked shots, through 52 games this season. Gavrikov has also sat out the last three games in what can be best described as asset management, as the Blue Jackets do not want to risk Gavrikov (who is a pending unrestricted free agency) getting injured between now and the Mar. 3 trade deadline. 

  Prior to his trade-related scratchings, the 27-year-old Gavrikov logged a staggering 182:16 of shorthanded time on ice this season, which ranked as the third-most among all NHL defensemen this year.

  One of 24 defensemen to log at least 150 minutes of shorthanded time on ice this season, Gavrikov sits 11th in expected goals against per 60, 10th in scoring chances against per 60, and eighth in high-danger scoring chances against per 60. Gavrikov ranks 12th in shots blocked per 60 among that group of 24, too, at 9.22.

  Beyond his heavy penalty-killing duties, Gavrikov was essentially thrown to the wolves by the Blue Jackets, who put the Russian defenseman out there for a heavy 359 defensive-zone faceoffs. That’s the second-most among all Blue Jackets, and his 37.35 percent offensive-zone faceoff percentage is the lowest among all ‘CBJ’ defenders.

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  Nov 10, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (4) in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Nationwide Arena. (Gaelen Morse/USA TODAY Sports)

• And with the Blue Jackets in the basement and in the Connor Bedard sweeps and with Gavrikov unwilling to sign an extension with Columbus, the Blue Jackets are looking for an absolute haul in exchange for his services.

  According to reports, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is looking to replicate the David Savard trade the team made back in 2021, which sent Savard to Tampa Bay (via Detroit) and netted the Blue Jackets a first-round pick, third-round pick, and fourth-round pick.

  The Bruins, for what it’s worth, do have the picks to make that trade happen, as they’re only lacking second-round picks in 2023 and 2024 as a result of last year’s Hampus Lindholm trade and a 2024 seventh-round pick due to last year’s trade for Providence defenseman Michael Callahan.

  Whether or not they have the appetite to pay that price, however, is the real question.

  If the Bruins are willing to pay that price to bring Gavrikov into the equation, you’d almost have to think it would come with an extension, a la the Lindholm-to-Boston trade last year.

  A career-long Blue Jacket, Gavrikov is more than a defensive-zone stopper, and established career-highs in goals (five), assists (28), and points (33) last season. In fact, with 32 even-strength points last year, Gavrikov finished the 2021-22 season as the 12th-highest scoring left-shot blue liner at evens.

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  COLUMBUS, OH – MAY 6: Vladislav Gavrikov #44 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins battle for control of the puck in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 6, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

• But the Bruins’ scouring of the trade market has consistently linked them to Arizona defenseman Jakob Chychrun, and the latest update on the B’s deadline pursuits was no different.

  A 24-year-old lefty, Chychrun has tallied seven goals and 28 points through 36 games this year, and has posted a team-best plus-8 rating (he’s actually one of just two Arizona regulars to have a plus rating this season).

  He is also once again looking for his way out of the desert, and has made it known to Coyotes management that he would like to be traded to a playoff contender. The Bruins certainly fit the bill there.

  Oh, and he’s on an absolute sweetheart deal by 2023 NHL standards, as he’s signed for $4.6 million per season through the 2024-25 season.

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  ELMONT, NEW YORK – JANUARY 21: Jakob Chychrun #6 of the Arizona Coyotes skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on January 21, 2022 in Elmont, New York. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

• With all that in mind, it’s no shock that the Coyotes are also looking for a haul in return for Chychrun, as word around town is that the Coyotes are seeking two first-round picks and a top prospect in exchange for Chychrun.

  That’s a whole lot of futures.

  If the Bruins were to make that kind of trade, you’re talking about two straight seasons without a first or second-round selection, which could be tough to stomach, but if you’re ‘all in’ it certainly fits that bill.

  But the fact that Chychrun has substantial term makes that a bit easier to swallow, you’d imagine, and it’s hard not to get excited about the potential of a defense featuring Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Chychrun for the stretch run and at least two more seasons after that.

  A full-time NHLer since he was just 18, Chychrun has totaled 60 goals and 170 points in 373 career games with the Coyotes, and has averaged at least 20 minutes per game for the last six seasons.

  Playoff experience is an issue, as his only nine games of postseason experience came inside the bubble back in 2020, but if you’re looking for a positive to cancel out those concerns, you can take comfort in the fact that Chychrun finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting during the pandemic-delayed 2021 season.

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  GLENDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 22: Jakob Chychrun #6 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the game at Gila River Arena on March 22, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

• What’s interesting about the Bruins’ interest in Gavrikov and Chychrun, and the idea of ‘targeting left D’ as a whole, is that it’s arguably the Black and Gold’s strongest area as an organization.

  Headlined by Lindholm and his career year, the Bruins have strong left-side support with Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort, and have Jakub Zboril on deck as the fourth option on the left side. The Bruins also have left-shot defenseman Mike Reilly in the minors, and 2020 second-round Mason Lohrei has continued to make strides at Ohio State University and a jump to the pro ranks could be around the corner.

  By most standards, you’d think the Bruins have about as solid a group as you could ask for in a hard-capped league and with the best record in the entire league.

  Now, the Bruins could simply want an embarrassment of riches on the left side, or they could have questions about guys like Grzelcyk and Forbort holding up over the course of a four-round run.

  The idea of Grzelcyk being ‘targeted’ in the postseason has become a talking point in recent postseasons, we all know, but Grzelcyk is playing perhaps the best hockey of his life this year, and has taken his game up a notch in the last month. Same for Forbort, who has been a shot-blocking machine (and at key moments for the Bruins) and one of the best penalty killers in hockey this season. You also saw how the B’s penalty killing took a noticeable dip when they lost Forbort back in November.

  But the cap issues facing to the Bruins are certainly real.

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  Apr 16, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) celebrates with Craig Smith (12) and defenseman Mike Reilly (6) after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden. (Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports)

• It’s no secret that the Bruins would like to move Mike Reilly ($3 million per year through 2023-24) and free up some cap space, and it’s no secret that Reilly wants to be back in the NHL. It appeared as if the Bruins were going to find a way to make that happen for the 29-year-old defender shortly into his AHL run, but a trade has yet to materialize, and Reilly has put up four goals and 18 points in 24 games for the P-Bruins.

  The Bruins have also placed Craig Smith, who is in the final year of a contract that comes with a $3.1 million cap hit, on waivers earlier this season and were not given an ‘out’ by way of a claim.

  It didn’t help when the Bruins had to put Jake DeBrusk on long-term injured reserve (that move didn’t allow the Bruins to ‘bank’ away deadline cap space), and the injured Vinni Lettieri counting against the B’s books while injured hasn’t made it any easier for the Bruins to create cap space.

  If and when they can find a resolution there, their deadline plans can come into greater focus.

  Or, as Sweeney has frequently done with his deadline dealings (David Backes in 2020 and John Moore last year), perhaps it’ll be a ‘two birds, one stone’ kind of situation that helps them attack both issues.

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