Did The Chicago Blackhawks Just Force Their Rivals To Go For Loui Eriksson?
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- If there's anything you absolutely cannot do as a Western Conference NHL team right now, it's let the defending champions trade for arguably the best player available and do nothing in response.
The Chicago Blackhawks' chances of coming out of the West - and winning their fourth Stanley Cup in seven seasons - just went up dramatically, as the team brought back Andrew Ladd after the veteran winger spent five-plus seasons in Atlanta and Winnipeg. Ladd won a Stanley Cup in his rookie year with the Carolina Hurricanes, and again in 2010 with Chicago. His toughness and intangibles are tailor-made for the playoffs, and he will likely play on Jonathan Toews' left wing and fit in there perfectly.
With the Blackhawks landing arguably the top player available for trade (at least, as far as what is known), that leaves the Boston Bruins with perhaps the most valuable asset left on the block in Loui Eriksson. Despite Cam Neely's assertion that the team and Eriksson are discussing a contract extension, it still appears more likely that they trade him before Monday's trade deadline.
The Blackhawks were arguably already the frontrunners to win the Western Conference. Now, with Ladd back in the fold, their top rivals almost have no choice but to try to add Eriksson to their lineups.
Take the Anaheim Ducks, who entering Friday sit tied for last in the Western Conference in goals for with 147. Yet, they have a +2 goal differential thanks to their strong defense and goaltending and sit comfortably in the Western Conference playoff race with a 32-19-8 record. It's unlikely that they can sustain that kind of success in the playoffs with such a dearth of scorers, and Eriksson would be a great fit on Ryan Getzlaf's wing.
Could the Bruins package Eriksson in a deal for one of the Ducks' several solid blueliners? Pending restricted free agents Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen could be candidates to move, while Cam Fowler is less likely and more expensive with two seasons still remaining on his contract. The Ducks also have nearly $8 million in cap space, according to Spotrac, which is plenty of space for them to re-sign Lindholm or Vatanen. Their situation is about as tricky as the Bruins' right now, but Eriksson could be the piece they need to put them over the top for a deep playoff run and their backend is the area from which they can easily afford to subtract.
SEE ALSO: 7 Possible (And Realistic) Trade Partners For The Bruins And Loui Eriksson
The St. Louis Blues are not just a conference rival but a division rival for the 'Hawks and could use another scorer for the stretch run and playoffs. They also have about $3.49 million in cap space and, with captain David Backes a pending unrestricted free agent, talented winger Jaden Schwartz a pending restricted free agent, and Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Steen signed for just one more season, they can't retain everyone for the next several years. Someone has to go, and perhaps the Bruins could package Eriksson with other assets to land Shattenkirk, who wouldn't necessarily give the Bruins the defensive ability they need but would easily become a top-pairing defenseman in Boston and infuse the backend with speed, skill, and energy.
The Los Angeles Kings, meanwhile, lack a first round pick in 2016 and could stand to add offensive help. However, other analysts who follow the team have said they should actually add to their defense at the deadline. This would mean the Kings are more likely to send the Bruins their 2017 first round pick and top prospects like defenseman Kevin Gravel, winger Adrian Kempe, or center Nic Dowd, all of which are the kinds of players who would eventually fit the Bruins well. Kempe, in particular, is the closest thing to an equivalent of the prospect the 'Hawks sent for Ladd, center Marko Dano.
The key word there is "eventually." If the Bruins can only trade Eriksson for picks and prospects, it would obviously only make the current roster worse. The Bruins may have to part with some of their many top prospects and picks to improve the team right now.
The Bruins' situation with Eriksson as the trade deadline rapidly approaches is a complicated one. But since the Blackhawks have acquired Ladd and leapfrogged their rivals, they may have just made an Eriksson deal that much easier to close.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.