How Former Bruins Have Performed Since The Trade Deadline

The NHL trade deadline was one month ago, and nothing has gone right for the Boston Bruins since.

Or, depending on how you look at it, perhaps everything has gone according to plan.

After years of buying at the deadline, the Bruins were sellers on the trade market this year, trading away any and all pieces they could for future assets with their hopes of making the playoffs seemingly unlikely.

Over the last few weeks, the Bruins have completely bottomed out with a record of 3-10-1 since the deadline. They sit dead last place in the Eastern Conference standings, are officially eliminated from postseason contention, and hold the fourth-best odds to receive the top pick in the NHL Draft Lottery.

But while the Bruins themselves have little left to play for at this point, the players they traded away are helping their new teams prepare for the playoffs.

Brad Marchand:

The thought of Brad Marchand playing for any team other than the Bruins, let alone the Florida Panthers, was once inconceivable. Nevertheless, the Bruins traded their captain to their arch-rival in a shocking move for a conditional second-round pick in this year’s draft.

Marchand was injured at the time of the trade and has made little impact since making his Panthers debut. After tallying an assist on the game-winning goal in his first game for Florida, Marchand has gone pointless in his last five games.

The Panthers as a team have had a hard time lately, losing each of their last five games.

Still, the defending Stanley Cup champions have already secured their spot in the playoffs, which, after all, is what they acquired Marchand for.

Brandon Carlo:

The Toronto Maple Leafs have greatly improved on defense this season, and adding Brandon Carlo has only added more depth to their back end.

Just as he was with the Bruins, Carlo has been a reliable, steady presence along the blue line for the Leafs. He’s logging 18:25 of time on ice per night and 1:50 when the Toronto is shorthanded, and carries a plus-five rating.

While Carlo’s numbers with the Leafs look good, the question remains whether or not they’ll be enough help them finally make deep run in the playoffs.

Charlie Coyle:

Charlie Coyle was out of place with the Bruins this year.

As much leadership as he brought to the locker room, asking him to play top-six minutes was simply far more than what the forward is capable of.

But now, Coyle seems to be in the perfect spot with the Colorado Avalanche, as he’s changed the entire makeup of their lineup while anchoring their third line.

Coyle has done it all in Colorado as a two-way center, recording a goal and five assists in 15 games and spending time on both the power play and penalty kill.

Trent Frederic:

Like Marchand, Trent Frederic was injured when the Bruins sent him to the Edmonton Oilers.

After finally debuting for the team this past weekend, Frederic is back on the shelf and may be there for the rest of the regular season. On his very first shift in an Oilers uniform, Frederic appeared to reaggrevate the same ankle injury he suffered while still with the Bruins.

Trent Frederic seems to be experiencing some discomfort after his first shift with the Oilers.

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He later left the game, did not return, and didn’t play in Edmonton’s matchup on Monday against Anaheim either.

Frederic is an unrestricted free agent after this season, and there’s no guarantee he’ll re-sign with the Oilers. If all they get out of him is seven minutes of ice time, the trade only looks better and better for the Bruins.

Justin Brazeau:

Justin Brazeau was a solid late-season contributor for the Bruins last year, and the Minnesota Wild were hoping he’d be the same for them.

That hasn’t been the case so far.

Brazeau has averaged under 10 minutes a night on the fourth line in Minnesota and has just one point through 16 games, while the Wild, in general, have struggled and are at serious risk of missing the postseason altogether.

BONUS: Jim Montgomery:

Jim Montgomery’s time in Boston ended well before the trade deadline.

The Bruins fired their head coach in mid-November, eventually leading to him joining the St. Louis Blues soon after.

It took a little while, but Montgomery’s Blues have become the NHL’s hottest team of late. They’ve won 12 of their last 13 games and have rocketed out of the Western Conference’s mushy middle and firmly into a wildcard spot.

Montgomery did not fit well with the Bruins to begin this season. But given where they are now, he’d be the perfect coach to have behind the bench.

C’est La Vie.

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