Team: 2018-19 Boston Bruins

Initial Creation Date: Jul. 5, 2018

Published: Jul. 5, 2018

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

I believe that Erik Karlsson will be traded this off-season and I believe that Dallas will be the destination. However, if the Stars want to avoid giving up the likes of Miro Heiskanen or Radek Faksa, they'll need to keep the price down by taking on Bobby Ryan as well. The only problem is that the Stars can't really afford an overpaid offense-only asset they'll need to sign Karlsson and Seguin to major long-term extensions.

Enter the Bruins. After the Tavares and McDonagh/Miller deals, Boston faces the possibility of being a top five NHL team that is third-best in their own division for years to come. The team needs to take a chance. However, they too are handcuffed by overpaid, low upside players like Backes and McQuaid. The Bruins should be willing to swap bad contracts if the return are players with more potential offense perhaps just in need of a change of scenery. Bobby Ryan was once an offensive force and fills the Bruins' need for a top-nine right winger.

The proposal: Dallas and Ottawa come to terms on a Karlsson/Ryan trade. Likely something along the lines of Shore, Honka, Tufte, and a first. The Stars then also send McQuaid to Ottawa, as the experienced defender can at least help to make up for the team's loss of their veteran leader on the blue line. The rest of the deal is between Boston and Dallas only. The Bruins take on Ryan's full contract. They can only hope that he can rediscover his offense. In exchange, the Bruins send Backes to Dallas. Backes makes more than a million less than Ryan and has one less year on his deal. He can also play an important bottom-six role and bring locker room presence that Dallas needs. What else do the Bruins get for taking on Ryan? Another bad contract but without much risk. Spezza has also been bad of late, but has one year left and the Stars - who considered buying him out - can afford to retain most of his contract. The Bruins need a third-line center and perhaps Spezza and Ryan can both provide a boost to one another. Finally, given the high chance that Ryan's contract remains a monstrosity, the Stars send over the rights to Oettinger and the B's get their heir to Rask. The Stars can afford such a move with Colton Point also in the fold.

In the end, the Senators get a nice package of young pros and futures and a veteran defenseman, the Stars get a superstar defenseman without losing too too much or entering cap hell, and the Bruins get some veteran offensive upside to compete in the Atlantic and a goalie of the future.

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