What many see as a pivotal 2026 NHL trade deadline, the deals began falling before deadline day. Some teams have already pounced and added, as they hope this is a stretch run that ends with a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As far as the Boston Bruins go, they didn't really make a statement to general manager Don Sweeney and the front office in terms of going out and adding to their club. They dropped a 6-3 decision to a Nashville Predators team on the road against a team that has already been selling pieces. There was no excuse for the Black and Gold not leave Nashville with two points.
Instead, they left a lot of doubt in a lot of people's minds about what to do at the deadline. The locker room would love for Sweeney to add, but they are not looking like a team on the road that is going to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Late Thursday night/early Friday morning, Sweeney and Bruins got a bad message from one team fighting for a playoff spot with them.
Columbus Blue Jackets strike ahead of the trade deadline landing a Bruins target
The Bruins were a team that was linked to Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland. Very early Friday morning, the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are one point behind Boston for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, swooped in and landed the Massachusetts native for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a 2028 second-round pick.
Where the Bruins going to pay the price for Garland? Unlikely, however, the fact that he went to the club that is the hottest in the NHL right now and is battling the Black and Gold for the final playoff spot is bad news. Very bad news.
Again, the 2025-26 Bruins sitting in a postseason spot on trade deadline day is a great story, but it doesn't mean they're built for the playoffs. This team is flawed and not one that is a threat to come close to winning a playoff series. The retool is still at least a year away, and that's the way Sweeney needs to remember on Friday: sell, get assets, and continue with the retool going into next season.