Could the Boston Bruins’ most dynamic offensive defenseman be on the trading block this season? As you may already know, the Bruins have a plethora of players that are going to become restricted free agents after this upcoming season. Some of them will likely be looking to get a big pay day, so could that mean that Torey Krug will be the odd man out?
After this upcoming season, the Bruins will have four restricted free agents (RFAs) that have all made an impact on the Bruins this past season. These players include Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Ryan Donato, and Danton Heinen. The Bruins will also have to deal with upcoming RFAs such as Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Zachary Senyshyn who spent the previous season in the AHL with Providence.
Re-signing all these players is going to be a challenge for Don Sweeney as the salary-cap situation for the Bruins looks ugly and it does not seem it will be getting any better, unless there is a change in personnel. Next off-season, the Bruins are going to have a little more than $10 million in cap space and you can assume that McAvoy will end up getting paid about half of that. So, that leaves the Bruins about five or six million to sign players who are likely going to be asking for pretty good money, so is a trade imminent?
Krug, who is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL, might just be the odd man out as his $5.25 million cap hit is certainly not helping the issue.  Although he is not overpaid, he is easily one of the most attractive trade pieces on the Bruins’ current roster, and you could get a reasonable return for him as well.
There are other players on the roster who, as a fan, you would prefer to get traded before Torey Krug. David Krejci and David Backes, for example, both are well past their primes but could help a championship-caliber team. However, the problem with them is that they both are ridiculously overpaid and combine for a $13.25 million cap hit, and no team with a brain would ever take on those salaries.
So, unless the NHL raises the salary cap another $5 million after this season, you should expect a big trade coming from the Bruins, and as of right now, the most attractive trade piece that the Bruins can survive without is Krug. After all, I’m sure the Bruins could live without the defensive breakdowns that come with Krug. This past season, Krug recorded 59 points, which is terrific for a defenseman, but the fact that he had an even plus-minus rating even though he mustered all those points really shows that he is a defensive liability.
Sweeney has made it clear that he is tired of seeing the Bruins’ young talent making an impact around the league. Therefore, it is more likely that Sweeney will veer on the side retaining young talent before the veterans. Ultimately, the goal is to keep everybody, but unless there is another increase in the salary cap, it looks like there is going to be a change, and do not be surprised if that change is in Krug’s uniform.