Since the firing of head coach Claude Julien, the Bruins seem to have located a sense of urgency. On a four-game winning streak, the team’s offense has been coming up with timely goals that were missing at various points during the course of the season. However, there is no question that something is missing for this Bruins team that could be the difference making it to the playoofs or not. Whether the main issue is scoring depth or defensive depth, the team definitely needs to add a piece or two if they want to start truly considering a playoff run as a possibility. Here are some of the best fits for the Bruins at the March 1 Trade Deadline:
            Gabriel Landeskog: This is a name that was attached to the Bruins since January. The Avalanche Captain is in the midst of a poor season, but he has shown a tremendous scoring ability in seasons past. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him good. However, the harsh reality of this is that a player of Landeskog’s caliber would not come cheap. The Bruins don’t exactly have a lot of assets to work with right now, but with enough draft picks and prospects they may be able to steal Landeskog from the rebuild-ready Avs.
            Kevin Shattenkirk: Shattenkirk’s name has been attached to Boston for quite some time. For starters, he is a Boston University product. Then, at this past year’s draft, rumors began to float around of interest from the Bruins. However, the teams were not able to strike a deal. Now, with free agency getting closer, the Blues will have to make the hard choice of whether or not to sign him to a contract that pays Shattenkirk the $7 million per year he wants, or trade him for at least some assets. The Bruins are in desperate need of some help on the blue line, probably even more so than their need for scoring depth. Shattenkirk is another commodity that will not come cheap, but perhaps a package of a first round pick, Ryan Spooner, and Colin Miller would be enough to pry Shattenkirk from St. Louis.
            Thomas Vanek: Now, going off of the Bruins track record, they will probably look for a more inexpensive option to at least get the team into the playoffs. Thomas Vanek is that cheap option. Detroit is now, more than likely, in seller mode. Vanek presents an intriguing option, as he was signed to a short-term deal for low value. Detroit will most likely be selling high on Vanek with his solid performance this season. However, that price will still come much cheaper than the one they would be looking at with Landeskog or Shattenkirk. This seems to make the most sense for a team on the playoff bubble without a lot of assets at their disposal.
The Bruins don’t need to do a ton at this year’s deadline. In all honesty, there isn’t a ton they can do without dismantling the team already in place. The best course of action for the Bruins this year is a low-risk high-reward acquisition, and then plan to grab Kevin Shattenkirk in the off-season.