Should Bruins pay this reported asking price for a Luke Schenn trade? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins reportedly have shown interest in some of the top defensemen rumored to be available before the March 3 NHL trade deadline, including Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes and Vladislav Gavrikov of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Those two players likely will cost multiple quality trade assets, and the Bruins could be outbid by several other teams given the weakness of their prospect pool and lack of second-round picks in 2023 and 2024.
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One lower-tier defenseman to keep an eye on is Luke Schenn of the Vancouver Canucks. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported last month that the Bruins reached out to the Canucks to inquire about Schenn.
What would it cost to land Schenn?
Well, according to Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, a third-round pick and another asset is the asking price. He also reported Monday that the Bruins and Calgary Flames are “still” in the mix for Schenn.
A third-round pick and an average prospect (or another middle-to-late-round pick) wouldn’t be too high of a cost for Schenn.
The 33-year-old defenseman wouldn’t be a game-changer for the Bruins, but he would provide valuable defensive depth on the right side of the blue line. Schenn blocks a lot of shots, he plays a physical style of hockey, he can kill penalties and he would bring plenty of playoff experience as a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Depth on the blue line is massively important in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins cannot afford for an injury on the back end to derail their title pursuit, so it’s critical they add a veteran defensive presence to the blue line ahead of the trade deadline.
