3 Trade Targets for the Bruins This Offseason
By Ryan Bunton
2. Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
Another center on this list, Zibanejad would be a much better fit to the Bruins' style of play than the aforementioned Zegras. The 31-year-old is a solid two-way player, receiving Selke Trophy votes in four of the last five seasons. Zibanejad can feature on all special teams units and should immediately slot in as a first-line center in Boston.
Zibanejad has scored the 20th-most points in the entire NHL over the last three seasons and has averaged 31 goals per season in that span.
New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury stated that "nothing is off the table" after the Rangers crashed out in the Eastern Conference Final. This would presumably include potentially shopping Zibanejad, who has six years and $51 million ($8.5 million AAV) remaining on his contract. On the north side of 30, you have to wonder if his production will continue to decline as well, leaving Boston with an albatross of a contract.
The Rangers might be apprehensive to trade Zibanejad to another Eastern Conference rival. And as mentioned before, the Bruins don't have a lot of trade assets at their disposal, so offering a package attractive enough could be challenging. Add in the contract that they would be taking on, and this hypothetical might be a long shot.