NHL Trade Speculation: 5 Hypothetical Deals That Make Sense For Both Sides
By Ryan Ritchie
Minnesota Wild trade Jonas Brodin to Boston Bruins in exchange for Ryan Spooner and Seth Griffith
Both of these teams are in similar scenarios in the sense the front-office may be at risk if either team falters in 2016-17. GM Chuck Fletcher and Don Sweeney are both in a position where the right impact move might be enough to save their jobs.
Expendable Options
Now, it’s completely possible that the Wild have already come to terms with the fact that Las Vegas is taking one of Jonas Brodin or Marco Scandella at next year’s expansion draft. However, if that is in fact the attitude, Minnesota ownership mid as well hand Fletcher his pink slip right now. The best thing they can do is trade one of those extra left-handed shots, and attempt to protect the other via conditional draft pick (or by some other means).
For Boston, there’s no real need to move center Ryan Spooner. He’s coming off a breakout 49-point season in 2015-16 and served as a solid number three behind Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. The option does however exist to slide newly signed David Backes into Spooner’s spot on the third line. Even if Backes remains at RW, prospects such as Frank Vatrano, Danton Heinen, and Austin Czarnik will join PTO invite Peter Mueller to challenge Ryan Spooner in training camp.
Why Spooner and Griffith Make Sense
Admittedly, there’s a ton of talent going out the door for Boston in this deal. Spooner is coming off a 49-point campaign with the Bruins, while Griffith racked up 77 points in 57 games down in Providence. Both of these guys are undersized (Spooner 5’10 184lbs, Griffith 5’9 192lbs), so there’s an inherent risk being taken on Minnesota’s part.
Spooner relies more on his speed, creativity, and elusiveness to create space and loves to dish the puck to teammates. Griffith can also be deemed a bit of a playmaker, although he has a knack for finding the back of the net a little more frequently than Ryan Spooner. Seth is a fierce competitor not afraid to get into corners or fight for pucks and relies much more on his hockey sense.
No, Ryan Spooner won’t solve the Minnesota Wild’s woes up the middle because that’s something that might only be addressed through the draft/prospect pool. He could however help mask the holes on this roster by giving the third line a 50-point producer. It could allow for both Mikael Granlund/Charlie Coyle to permanently play the wing, or even push Eric Staal to the wing (if necessary).
Seth Griffith could be NHL ready this Fall. In fact, he looked ready to make an impact in 2015-16 after posting 10 points in 30 games for the Bruins in the previous season. Unfortunately, Seth sustained an injury during training camp/preseason and wound up missing the first month or so.
Why Brodin Makes Sense
As it stands today, the B’s are placing future hopes on a lot of prospects that will need to develop in a hurry with Zdeno Chara starting to reach his expiration date. Why not take a little pressure off guys like Jakub Zboril and Charlie McAvoy (who might be forced into the lineup early) by acquiring another defender?
We already know GM Don Sweeney is actively seeking another blue liner, and there’s perhaps no better fit than Jonas Brodin. He’s a top four left-handed defenseman capable of logging north of 20 minutes/game. Brodin won’t help much on the man advantage, but could give the Bruins penalty kill a major boost. There’s nothing offensively flashy about his game (single season career-high of eight goals – 19 points in 2013-14), but he makes up for it with stellar defensive play.