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Bruins trending toward trading away 6-foot-3, 27-year old originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Bruins aren't heading for a full-on rebuild.
But before Friday's NHL trade deadline, they do have some assets they can find a way to reallocate.
Andrew Peeke fits that mold.
The Athletic's Chris Johnston lists Peeke on his latest trade board, and he believes all the signs are pointing toward a deal.
"A recent healthy scratch and the Bruins' failed pursuit of Rasmus Andersson don't exactly bode well for the future of the right-shot defenseman in Boston," Johnston writes. "The pending unrestricted free agent is a trade chip for an organization retooling on the fly. He is a mobile skater who excels in the defensive aspects of the game. While big at 6-foot-3, he isn’t known for being overly physical."
MORE: Maple Leafs getting help from Flyers to trade veteran center
The biggest key, as with many players this time of year, is the fact mentioned by Johnston that Peeke is on the verge of free agency.
If he has fallen out of favor in Boston, it behooves the Bruins to extract any value they can for him now, even if it's a minimal cost.
Peeke has a cap hit of $2.75 million, which isn't particularly egregious. Most teams would have space for that.
The real question is whether other teams will want Peeke. But there are certainly multiple teams that could use a right-shot defenseman right now, and Peeke's size and relative youth compared to some guys available at this deadline could give him some appeal.
Stay tuned, because it sounds like the Bruins very well may have a deal coming on this front by Friday.
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- Canadiens know trade cost for Robert Thomas
- It'll be complicated to trade for Steven Stamkos
- Alex Ovechkin has shared an update on his retirement plans
- Evgeni Malkin gets big news on a possible future