The Bruins’ trade deadline approach was on display this weekend: if they are making a move, they are looking for term and avoiding short-term rentals. Boston backed away from a Rasmus Andersson trade and watched another rumored target, Kiefer Sherwood, get moved.
After the Bruins were in the “driver’s seat,” the Vegas Golden Knights flew in and acquired Andersson on Sunday. They gave up defenseman Zach Whitecloud, a first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick, and a prospect defenseman.
San Jose traded for Sherwood on Monday afternoon. The cost was defenseman Cole Clayton and two second-round picks.
“On Saturday night, the Boston Bruins believed that they could get a deal done with the Flames, and there would be an extension,” Elliotte Friedman said on Monday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. “Everything changed on Sunday morning.”
Friedman reported that Andersson’s agent, Claude Lemieux, called the Flames on Sunday morning and said that the defenseman would go to Boston, but is unwilling to sign an extension. Then, he added that Andersson would not sign an extension with any team at the moment.
“Whatever Boston was willing to do, it wasn’t on the table once Andersson had made it clear he was not signing an extension,” Friedman added. “So, at that point in time, anyone who was getting Andersson was getting him without a current extension.”
Frank Seravalli reported on Monday’s episode of Frankly Hockey that the Bruins presented an offer. From his understanding, it was around seven years with a $9 million cap hit.
On December 30, the Bruins sat 14th in the Eastern Conference. Since then, the Bruins have gone 8-1-0 and now rank fifth. The Bruins are being strategic about their trade deadline approach; they are not eyeing rental options. The front office is looking to build the future roster.
Friedman immediately pitched the idea that Calgary should call Boston back now that they have Zach Whitecloud.
“If I were the Flames, I might call Boston right away, say, ‘Hey, this didn’t work out. How about this?’ This is me just spitballing, I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I do think there’s the possibility it could occur. Zach Whitecloud, he looks like a Bruin.”
While Friedman emphasized that he was spitballing, the suggestion aligns with Boston’s preference for players with term rather than pure rentals.
Whitecloud is a 29-year-old, right-handed defenseman. He played top-four minutes for Vegas, while also serving as a reliable penalty killer. After this season, he has two years left on his current contract at $2.75 million per year.
He has seven points in 47 games, and he has only played more than 70 games once in his career (2024-25). He won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2022.
Elliotte Friedman reported that the Bruins offered a package including Mason Lohrei and a 2027 first-round pick; Toronto’s 2026 one was off the table. Teams around the league could take that and pitch offers to Don Sweeney.
“Now, do other teams call Boston and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got something here with term. I like that package. What are you willing to do with me?’ So, other teams know that Boston is willing to do this.”
Both Lohrei and the first-round pick have extreme value, so the Bruins will not toss those aside for someone who could leave in July.
Elias Pettersson and Vincent Trocheck are centers with years left on their contract. They have been in trade rumors recently, but the Bruins have a considerable amount of centers as it is.
The Bruins checked in on Kiefer Sherwood earlier in the season. The Canucks traded him to San Jose, but not with an extension. If he does not extend, he will be a free agent on July 1. Frank Seravalli reported last month that 20 teams have called Calgary about the availability of Blake Coleman; he is a free agent at the end of next season, and he will be 35.
The trade deadline is not until March 6. However, the roster freeze from February 4-22 limits teams’ abilities to make trades; there are 12 days from the end of the roster freeze to the Trade Deadline.
Boston will continue to navigate their approach to the deadline as the Olympic break draws near. This weekend offered Bruins fans a clearer idea of the front office’s mindset.
On the other hand, Andrew Peeke was named as a trade target on Chris Johnston’s trade board (No. 23). Peeke is a right-handed defenseman on an expiring contract. Right-handed defensemen are a need across the league. Although Dougie Hamilton is available, Peeke serves as a reliable and cheaper option for teams crunched against the cap.
READ MORE: Evaluating Which Bruins Could be Moved at the Trade Deadline
As Boston continues to surge up the standings, the front office has looked at adding help to the team for both now and the future. However, the “future” part appears to be of the utmost importance.