Bruins Rumors: Still In Play To Trade First-Round Pick For Defenseman
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Welcome to the social media era, where rumors count as reports and the truth doesn't matter.
Whatever the Bruins end up doing at Friday night's NHL Draft in Buffalo, the rumors swirling around them certainly sound nice and juicy. They mostly involve their shrinking trade options for defensemen, specifically good ones. But the good news is, these rumors still can't be ruled out.
The most persistent and pervasive rumor is about St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who not only would be a prime target for a Bruins trade but has apparently expressed interest in playing on the east coast, perhaps even specifically Boston. Pre-draft rumors continue to trickle out that the Bruins and Blues are inching closer to a deal that would be based around the Bruins acquiring Shattenkirk for at least one of their first-round picks, likely their own at 14th.
HockeyBuzz.com Bruins reporter Ty Anderson tweeted an NHL executive told him he is "extremely confident" that the Bruins could acquire Shattenkirk or Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler in a trade before the draft. With the Ducks locking up Sami Vatanen long-term and possibly looking to do the same for Hampus Lindholm, that could suddenly make Fowler, one of the better two-way threats in the league, expendable.
My only issue with the rumors is that we're talking about Don Sweeney. We're talking about the Bruins. When was the last time they pulled off this kind of trade? Sweeney, and before him Peter Chiarelli, has certainly traded away significant assets but has never brought one in via trade, certainly not one the caliber of Shattenkirk or Fowler. To expect a big trade like this is to expect the unprecedented to occur - and I'm in the business of being real and true.
The ultimate truth may be that the Bruins do not plan to part with the 14th pick or pay the price for a guy like Shattenkirk. Personally, I find the rumors of trying to acquire Florida Panthers blueliner Dmitry Kulikov to be much more palatable by Sweeney's standards. I won't discredit Sweeney for a failure that hasn't happened yet, but there's little reason to be confident that he can close a major deal, either.
But right now, the truth doesn't matter. This is draft day and the rumors are flying fast & furiously. So take these rumors and enjoy them now for what they are, because they may be all you're going to get.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
