Another season with another trading frenzy...

After a relativley quiet first 3 months of the season, and after settling in after a rough start to the season along came January.  In the span of two weeks the Bruins made 11 trades that dramatically changed the teams direction, and it was all because of goaltending!

Since trading Hellebuyck during the summer of 2020 the Bruins goaltending has been in question.  The Bruins had Darcy Kuemper for the 2020/21 season but was lost to free agency at the end of the season.  Going into the 2021/22 the Bruins had planned to run with the tandem of Ullmark and Driedger but a rough first month to the season the Bruins acquired Mike Smith in Novemeber.  While he did put up decent numbers like Kuemper the season before he was a UFA at the end of the season, which brings us to the middle of January.

The Bruins GM has never been afraid of making deals, the list of names of star players that have put on the spoked B is extensive but while some may see it as random the deals alwasy serve a purpose.  It was decided that the Bruins biggest question mark going forward was goaltending, Ullmarks salary was jumping to over $5mill next season and the Bruins GM wasnt confident that he would be worth the price.  

Trade talking that involved 3 other GMs ended up with the Bruins trading David Pastrnak (who is the franchise leader in basically everything) for a massive return that included pieces that were used to aquire Mackenzie Blackwood from the LA Kings and Kaapo Kahkonen from the New Jersey Devils.  These trades gave the Bruins longevity at goaltending that they haven't had for awhile and combined both of their salaries are about $2mill less that what Ullmark would've made.

After trading Mike Smith in the Kahkonen deal and with the current condition of the Atlantic the Bruins decided that a mini rebuild could be possible with still having a chance to make the playoffs. With the trades the Bruins went from around $16k in cap space to over $15mill and before the trades had 5 d that would be gone in a year or two to having 4 long term dman under $1mill.  Presently it may hurt the Bruins but the depth and the long term pieces acquired were worth the risk.

Given the past trade history we will see if many of these players will last with the Bruins but for know they serve a purpose.