Pressure mounting for Don Sweeney to make a power move
Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston: With the trade deadline just days away, Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney has added pressure to acquire a player. This is because the Tampa Bay Lightning traded for Blake Coleman and offered New Jersey a package that Boston could not. Also, Pittsburgh added Jason Zucker days before. Those are two playoff contenders that upgraded.
Does Boston need that “upgrade”? That answer seems to be yes. Furthermore, Tyler Toffoli wound up in Vancouver so that is another forward ticked off the list. Names remain out there but they are dwindling. One player rises as a classic buy-low candidate and that is Josh Anderson. The question is, is he 100 percent?
After that, there are names like Ilya Kovalchuk, Andreas Athanasiou, Mike Hoffman, and Sam Bennett. The problem becomes how close does one wait until the trade deadline. This reminds most anyone of a game of chicken. If Sweeney waits too long, does Boston completely miss out or overpay? The time is ticking.
Boston looking at Josh Anderson perhaps?
Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston: At first, the whispers for Josh Anderson were soft and muffled. However, the sources are starting to suggest Boston has an interest with the Columbus forward. Most trades often happen when things go quiet and that stage has not been reached just yet. On the other hand, this is no conventional trade deadline.
Again, it has to be emphasized that the cost for Josh Anderson will be lower than other players. If Boston loses out on the Chris Kreider sweepstakes, they need a quick, contingency plan. That plan is Johnson more than likely. Kreider may sign an extension with New York also.
Anderson practicing with Columbus is encouraging but teams, like Boston, want to see him healthy before the deadline. It will be close, however. Fortunately for the Bruins, Anderson expects to cost less than what Tampa gave New Jersey and maybe what Pittsburgh gave up for Zucker. Now the puck is on Don Sweeney for him to decide on a move or not.