Keith Yandle to the Bruins doesn’t seem like a fit at the moment
Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston: The Boston Bruins have been one of the teams linked to Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle. The Bruins decided this offseason to start off the year with some of their younger defensemen after not re-signing Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug.
Would the Bruins want to add the veteran, and would they be able to fit his salary cap hit in? Elliotte Friedman noted that he’s not convinced there’s a match.
The Bruins have about $4.7 million in salary cap space. Yandle carries a $6.3 million salary cap hit for two more years. The Bruins have to keep in mind their pending UFAs in David Krejci, Sean Kuraly, Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, and RFA Brandon Carlo. Charlie McAvoy‘s deal is up in 2022.
Have to agree that given his age (34), contract, and their youth movement on the blue line, adding Yandle may not be a good fit.
Teams that could have trade interest in Patrik Laine
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: Though Winnipeg Jets forward Patik Laine is listed as day-to-day, there is some speculation that he could miss a couple of weeks with an upper-body injury.
The Jets explored the idea of trading Laine this past offseason but didn’t get a deal they liked enough to pull the trigger. Some still believe a deal could happen this season. He carries a $6.75 million salary cap hit and will be an RFA with arbitration rights this offseason. He’s owed a $7.5 million qualifying offer and he could be in the $9 million range on any extension.
There has been speculation of a Laine for Pierre-Luc Dubois swap and it does make some sense.
Anyone potentially interested would want to know what an extension for Laine might look like. He’s two years away from unrestricted free agency and teams may not be willing to give up the assets without having some sort of idea. Teams may want a three- or four-year extension in place before trading for him.
Other teams likely to have interest in Laine could include the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Carolina Hurricanes have been brought up by some but given the salary he’ll be looking for, it doesn’t make much sense.