Trade rumors revolving around Torey Krug have heated up once again, but the Boston Bruins would be making a big mistake if they got rid of the defensemen.
It seems like Boston Bruins fans are constantly trying to get rid of Torey Krug. Some say he is too small well some say he struggles in his own zone. Still, I think the Boston Bruins would be making a big mistake by trading Krug.
Trade rumors started to heat up again with Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney attending an Edmonton Oilers home game against the Calgary Flames. A trade being thrown out there is a move involving Torey Krug and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
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Now, this would be a disastrous move. Even as a defensemen Krug is much better in the offensive zone. Last season Krug had 14 goals and 45 assists while Nugent-Hopkins had 24 goals and 24 assists.
You have to account for Krug being a defenseman. He doesn’t get as many scoring opportunities as a forward. Yet he is still able to rack up points.
Also, I don’t know about you, but the Boston Bruins have plenty of natural centers. Adding another would just create more confusion in the lineup making process.
Even with all this in mind, there are more Boston-centric reasons that the Bruins should keep Krug on the roster no matter who the Bruins are trading for.
So here are 3 reasons the Bruins need to keep Torey Krug.
1. Krug is a top defensemen for the Bruins
The Boston Bruins have plenty of young defensemen that are talented, but Torey Krug is one of the top defensemen on the roster.
Right now he is a leader on the ice. With Zdeno Chara out due to a knee injury, Krug is one of the veterans on the ice.
Krug is also very talented. He is great in the opponent’s zone and has a wicked slap shot. Krug missed a good chunk of games early on, but he is still putting up some good numbers.
In 19 games Krug has 2 goals and 15 assists. Putting up .89 points a game as a defensemen isn’t bad at all.
If the Bruins got rid of Krug they would be losing a lot of scoring immediately. Boston would also have to rethink their power play since Krug does a ton of damage with the unit.
Krug also has been playing pretty great as of late.
2. Krug is catching fire
Torey Krug has taken a while to get the puck in the net, but now it seems like he may never stop. Krug only has two goals this season, but they have come in his last two games.
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It seems like Krug is about to pop off. He was already racking up assists. Now that he is scoring goals his numbers should skyrocket.
Krug will also benefit from having Zdeno Chara back. This will allow him to focus more on his offensive game and not being a workhorse in the defensive zone.
It makes no sense to trade Torey Krug at this point. He is just getting started. If Boston got rid of him, they would notice the difference almost immediately. He plays such a major role on this Bruins roster.
If Torey Krug was to be traded the Boston Bruins would have a big hole to fill, and I don’t see anyone who can replace him.
3. Krug is a future leader
Now I have already said that Torey Krug is one of the elder defensemen. With this comes some added responsibility.
Soon Zdeno Chara will have to retire. He can’t play hockey forever. This will mean there will be a big leadership hole in the locker room. Now I expect Patrice Bergeron to get the “C” on his chest, but guys like Brad Marchand and Torey Krug will have to step up.
I can picture Krug being a solid leader. He can help young defenseman like Connor Clifton and Matt Grzelcyk become better players. Krug can also help the Bruins shorter defenseman improve their game and become better overall players.
Krug has probably already had to become a vocal leader on the ice due to injuries.
So hopefully the Boston Bruins will keep Torey Krug because if they trade him I don’t see how Boston can replace such a talented