[ad_1]
The Boston Bruins could add a scorer by the trade deadline, and trading to Conor Garland wouldn’t mark the first time Don Sweeney has plugged a hole in the roster with a local kid.
SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Tuesday that Garland could be a good choice for the Bruins, which comes days after his report that he believes the Arizona Coyotes would move the winger for the right price.
From Friedman’s column on Tuesday:
A name that surprised me: Conor Garland. I don’t think Arizona isn’t planning much, but this one is very intriguing. He ends his current contract at $ 775,000, is almost a points per game player and is tied for 24th in the NHL for evenly strength points. I’m told the way the Coyotes see it is that they need to replenish themselves, and moving him could do that. He’s also eligible for arbitration this summer and next, followed by unrestricted free agency, so a well-deserved raise is on the way.
One thing Arizona has told the teams is that they are not interested in the multiple choices that are late in the rounds. So you have to bring more than that.
What’s the price, we don’t know (more on that later). What we do know is that Garland is actually a good choice.
Boston has struggled to create a 5-to-5 score through their last three lines, and they’re running out of internal options to fix that – Sweeney admitted. Maybe if Ondrej Kase returns it could help, but the nature of his injury is so uncertain that it’s probably best to view his potential return as a plus, not a salvation.
Garland, meanwhile, is in the middle of an escape. The 25-year-old right-winger had 22 goals and 17 assists in 68 games last season, and already has nine goals and 16 assists in 31 games this season – all while playing for a lifeless Arizona team.
For years the Bruins have tried to find a stable fit on the second row right wing. Garland could absolutely be that guy. Additionally, he signed for just $ 775,000 this season and is expected to be a restricted free agent this offseason eligible for refereeing.
Money is therefore not a problem. But one thing is certain in trades involving promising, young, team-controlled players on cheap offers: the return usually has to be high. This is especially interesting given that Garland is playing for the Coyotes, who have a horrendous prospect pool, a bad cap situation and don’t have their first-round pick in 2021.
Simple logic points to “the right price” for Arizona, including first-round pick (s), as well as valid and NHL-ready prospects. The latter part is especially true for the Bruins if Friedman’s note that the Coyotes are not interested in late first round picks is true.
If you are the Bruins, it’s hard to part ways. However, if you can get a legitimate goalscorer, that’s something you probably think about for a long time. Garland is a young player, and by acquiring it, maybe you go downstairs and things only get better for him. He has 31 goals and 33 assists in his last 99 games, so improving that would make him one of the top six useful winger.
The flip side is that he’s only in his third season in the NHL. What if he’s a 50-point player and that’s his cap? You’ll obviously take that, but maybe it’s best to hope that Jake DeBrusk finds his form and becomes that guy because you’ve not only already seen that potential of him, and that wouldn’t imply that the Bruins have to give up a tonne. so they can land Garland.
But if there’s anything we learned two years ago when the Bruins sent Ryan Donato to the Minnesota Wild for Charlie Coyle, it’s that sometimes you have to take risks. Acquiring Garland would undoubtedly cost more, but Coyle’s trade was a decision that worked well for the Bruins, even though parting with Donato was difficult at the time.
Sweeney & Co. know the way the Bruins’ offense is going is unsustainable and something will likely have to be done. Even though Garland isn’t the most proven player in the NHL, he puts a lot of work together on a disappointing team. Who knows what the Coyotes want for him, but unless it’s absurd, it makes perfect sense for the Bruins to go after Garland.
Thumbnail photo via Matt Kartozian / USA TODAY Sports Images
[ad_2]
Source link