The Boston Bruins are holding onto a playoff spot, and the team could look to add to its roster ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Boston could look to add some more secondary scoring, as well as a right-shot defenseman, and the Bruins could try to fill both needs in one trade. Bruins analyst Kevin Paul Dupont linked the team to Ryan Donato and Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Chicago could be a trade match for both needs, with two Blackhawks with Boston ties as targets: forward Ryan Donato and defenseman Connor Murphy,” Dupont wrote in an article published on Saturday. “Donato, once one of the Bruins’ top prospects up front (center/wing), in the offseason signed a four-year extension ($4 million AAV) to remain in Chicago in the wake of his career-high production (31-31–62) under then-coach Luke Richardson. He has fallen back this season (13-12–25) under new bench boss Jeff Blashill.
“More committed to strength and conditioning now than during his days in Boston when fresh off the Harvard campus, Donato, 29, could be a comfortable, versatile fit in Marco Sturm’s top six. In many ways (size, speed, production) his game mirrors what Sturm brought to the ice in his playing days.”
Donato would be a solid middle-six forward for the Bruins who can add some more scoring to the lineup. He had a career year last season, recording 31 goals and 31 assists for 62 points, and although he only has 13 goals this season, he’s still an effective forward.
The price to acquire both Donato and Murphy would be high, but it would bolster Boston’s lineup and make them much tougher to play against in a playoff series.
The Bruins are currently 32-20-5 and holding onto the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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