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The Boston Bruins waited until the trade deadline actually passed to make their move.
Or announce it, at the very least.
In a day that the Black and Gold seemed more than comfortable sitting out, it was at 15 minutes past the deadline that the Bruins struck, as general manager Don Sweeney nabbed winger Drew Stafford from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2018.
The conditions of the deal are relatively simple. If the Bruins make the playoffs, the pick becomes a fifth-round choice. And if the Bruins win a playoff round and Stafford suits up for 50 percent of the club’s games, the pick then becomes a fourth-round selection. That is the highest that the pick can go for the Bruins, by the way, regardless of what happens beyond that point for each side.
The 31-year-old Stafford isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire this season -- he’s scored just four goals and totaled 13 points in 40 games for the Jets this season while also missing 24 contests due to various injuries -- but was admittedly bogged down on the Jets’ depth chart and in terms of opportunities given the jumps forward by players like Nik Ehlers and Patrik Laine.
A fresh start and an ability to play in different roles excites the Bruins, too.
“I think he can play, probably, anywhere on the right side,… Sweeney said. “Good shot, strength, can get to the net, and has a power play acumen. Hopefully, he can contribute in all those areas.…
It was a classic low-risk, high-reward trade that the Bruins have become somewhat known for, but the biggest difference this time around was that the B’s did not get bent over a barrel to make the deal.
A sixth-round pick for a fill-in on your third line is nothing for a deadline price, especially when you look at the club’s recent history of sixth-round picks (some round six notables for the Bruins include Tyler Randell, Zane McIntyre, and Anton Blidh). And if it becomes a fifth, it would have meant that your mission was accomplished and that your team made the playoffs, something the team has not done since 2014. A fourth-round pick with his involvement means that Sweeney did his job and found a piece that contributed when it mattered most. The Bruins have spent a lot more than a mid-to-late round draft pick in their futile attempts to address both of those things over the last two seasons.
At best, Stafford helps the Black and Gold out with some much needed secondary scoring or becomes a go-to option on the club’s third line with Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano, a spot currently occupied by Jimmy Hayes but not exactly seized by No. 11, who has two assists and eight shots in eight games.
At the very worst, he’s an experienced 13th forward that you cut ties with after the season.
But the Bruins believe there’s something there with Stafford’s game.
“We’re fortunate that we were able to add Drew to our lineup,… Sweeney said. “I felt that it was an area that we could add, and I was going to look to do that without pulling way into the things that we’d been sort of committed to doing. [Stafford] has the ability to play up and down the lineup, has scoring attributes, has size and strength, and hopefully will be a good complement to our group.…
What you like most about this deal for the Bruins is that the club kept their word and did not deviate from their long-term goals with a trade that moved a pivotal piece of their future out of town. But he did not abandon the idea of this team causing a stir come playoff time, and recognized that they could use even more support depth-wise, despite having wins in seven of eight games under Bruce Cassidy.
For a club that’s often said one thing and done the opposite, this was huge for the second-year GM.
Said Sweeney: “I think our players have played well and had some players respond to some situations that they’ve been put in. As I said, our core players are not surprising me in the roles they’ve taken in the last little while and, hopefully, going forward. So, again, trying to commit to them and a winning approach that we’re always going to maintain here. But, always understanding that striking deals as you might describe are pretty difficult without sacrificing some of the things that we’ve committed to.…
Stafford is expected to arrive in Boston late in the afternoon on Thursday and be with the team for their head-to-head with the New York Rangers. Stafford is probably not expected to play in that game, you would imagine, but that will ultimately be a ‘coach’s decision’ according to Sweeney.
A Wisconsin native, Stafford is a four-time 20-goal scorer, and has 179 goals and 392 points in 707 NHL games, along with four goals and nine points in 24 career playoff contests.
Ty Anderson is the Boston Bruins beat writer for WEEI.com, and has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010. He can be heard on the Saturday Skate program on 93.7 WEEI (Boston), can also be found in the New England Hockey Journal magazine, and has been part of the Boston Chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.