Will Lysell Need To Be Part Of A Bruins Trade For Kane?

No one knows yet if the Boston Bruins will get invited into the Patrick Kane NHL trade sweepstakes but if they do, what would be the asking price of the Bruins be from the Chicago Blackhawks?

NHL Insider for The Athletic and TSN, Pierre LeBrun, reported Tuesday night that Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, told him that there should be ‘clarity’ on whether or not Kane will waive his full no-move clause ‘relatively soon’ According to LeBrun, Brisson wants his client, the Chicago Blackhawks, and interested NHL trade suitors for Kane to have at least ten days before the March 3 NHL trade deadline to find the best fit for a potential trade.

If Patrick Kane decides to waive the NMC, and the Boston Bruins are a team he’s interested in being moved to on the NHL trade market, the common belief around the NHL right now is that Bruins top prospect Fabian Lysell will need to be included in any Bruins trade package to acquire the future hall of fame winger.

“I think you’re looking at three components here,” an NHL source opined to Boston Hockey Now on Tuesday. “Based on what I’m hearing as far as what Kyle would want, Fabian Lysell needs to be in the Bruins’ pitch for Kane if they really want him. I’d be really surprised and impressed with Donny [Sweeney] if he could pull of this trade without that kid in there. So you’re looking at Lysell, a first round pick and a mid-tier prospect.”

Left-shot defenseman Mason Lohrei is a Bruins’ top prospect that has continually, and likely will continue to come up in any NHL trade rumors of the Bruins going big-game hunting prior to the trade deadline. However, as this source pointed out, one of the Blackhawks’ biggest strengths in their prospect pool is left-shot defensemen.

“They’re so stacked down the left side for years to come, so I just don’t see the fit there with Lohrei,” the same source said.

While this scout shares the opinion of many around the NHL when it comes to Lysell being a key trade component if the Bruins are to acquire Kane, it’s worth noting that, as LeBrun pointed out in his column (below), Kane’s full control of where he can be traded to could very well bring his price on the NHL trade market down as it did with Claude Giroux last season and current Bruins winger Taylor Hall the season before.

‘I would venture to guess, based on how the veteran agent handled Claude Giroux’s trade process a year ago — Giroux also had a full no-move clause — that if Kane gives it the green light, we’re probably talking only two or three teams involved, maximum.

That, as it did for the Flyers a year ago, may limit Chicago’s potential return.

Beware the power of the no-move or no-trade clause on both the potential return in a trade and how it limits the market. It wasn’t just Giroux recently. Taylor Hall rightfully used his no-trade leverage to land in Boston two years ago at the deadline, with the Sabres only getting a second-round pick out of it.’

That’s an excellent and extremely valid point by LeBrun, and based on Sweeney’s trade record, not just with Hall, but others too, not only may Sweeney be able to avoid moving Lysell for Kane, but if need be, he could lure another big fish in with Lysell in another trade. One thing is for certain, Don Sweeney is exploring all options, and once again isn’t afraid to swing for the fences heading into the trade deadline.