NHL Rumors: 5 Offseason Trade Targets Linked To Bruins
They need a true first-line center, and they need more speed on the right side of their blue line.
Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston laid out a offseason trade board addressing both needs. Here are five names from that list.
Robert Thomas - St. Louis Blues
Thomas is the most ambitious swing and the one with the most noise behind it.
He is 26 years old with 64 points in 64 games this season and a contract running through 2030-31 at $8.125 million per year.
ROBERT THOMAS TIES THE GAME WITH SEVEN SECONDS TO GO SENDING THIS GAME TO OVERTIME 🫨#MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/bWsO0EMYly
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 31, 2026
Daily Faceoff confirmed Boston had conversations with St. Louis about Thomas ahead of the deadline. Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported the Blues' asking price centered around three first-half-of-the-first-round assets and will not drop this summer.
The price is enormous, but the Bruins' need is real.
Jason Robertson - Dallas Stars
Robertson had 45 goals and 51 assists in 82 games and scored in six consecutive playoff games across this postseason and last.
Frank Seravalli: Re Jason Robertson/Stars: They're looking for I believe something in that $14 million a year range - Big Show (5/29)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 1, 2026
He is a restricted free agent with a case to exceed Mikko Rantanen's $12 million AAV per Johnston, and if Dallas cannot find extension common ground, a sign-and-trade puts Boston immediately in the conversation.
Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks
McTavish dropped from 52 points last season to 41 this year, was scratched in multiple playoff games, and is 23 years old under contract through 2030-31 at $7 million per year.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic confirmed Anaheim is not shopping him, but that several teams have already called.
Bruce Garrioch: Mason McTavish has five years left on a deal that will pay him $7 million U.S. per season; He is linked to the Senators because his father, Dale, was one of the first hires Staios made when he took over in Ottawa in 2023 - Ottawa Citizen (5/30)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 1, 2026
The risk Goss identifies is a fair one: the Bruins already have one expensive center underperforming in a top-six role. Adding another one at a similar price is a gamble.
Mavrik Bourque - Dallas Stars
If Robertson's price is too high, Bourque is the more attainable Dallas option.
He posted career highs with 20 goals and 21 assists across a full 82-game season, and his even-strength production would have ranked fifth among Bruins forwards this year.
Dallas cannot comfortably afford both Robertson and Bourque under a rising cap, which creates a natural opening. He's also a potential offer sheet candidate given his compensation tier requires only two first-round picks.
Simon Nemec - New Jersey Devils
Nemec is the right-shot defenseman the Bruins' first-round exit made obviously necessary.
He is 23, a pending RFA, an excellent skater, and a puck-mover who could have helped Boston specifically against Buffalo's suffocating forecheck.
As Goss argued, betting on Nemec developing into a top-four defender with a change of scenery is a safer investment than a long-term UFA deal for a player at a similar ceiling.
Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
.jpg)
