Why Today's Minor Trade Opens Door For NCAA Signings: BONUS POD

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The Boston Bruins made a minor league trade on Thursday, clearing a contract spot to sign

James Higgins as well as some other college draftees and free agents.

For Lockdown Bruins, your daily podcast on the Boston Bruins, part of the Lockdown Podcast

Network, your team every day.

What is up Bruins fans and welcome back to the bonus episode of Lockdown Boston Bruins.

This is a daily show where we discuss all things spoke to be, we're part of the Lockdown

Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network.

I'm your host Ian McLaren, I am a lifelong Boston Bruins fan, and I've been covering

this team, the NHL and hockey at large for various major outlets for nearly 20 years.

On this bonus episode, we're going to break down why the Bruins made a minor trade on

Thursday, and also bring you everything you need to know before puck drop tonight between

our Boston Bruins and the visiting San Jose Sharks.

But let's start with the trade, the trade deadline passed, but you're still permitted

to make deals, minor league deals, and for players like yes, that can't play on your

team for the Stanley Cup playoffs basically.

The Bruins sent out Dalton Bancroft and Massimo Rizzo to the National Predators in exchange

for Maverin Mudder.

Now why did they make this trade?

It's not about adding Mudder who's got four goals, 20 points, and 299 penalty minutes

in 149 AHL games, 6 foot 3, 213 pound bruiser, not likely to crack the Bruins roster anytime

soon.

It's not that they didn't like Bancroft or Rizzo who they just got last week from the

Flyers in a deal that included Jackson Edward and Brett Harrison go in the other way.

It's really all about freeing up a contract slot more than anything else.

The Bruins have 44 out of a possible 50 contracts sign.

And as I discussed on today's bigger episode of Lockdown Boston Bruins, Boston College

could be finished their season as early as this weekend.

Now while it's unlikely that Wilmore Dean LaTorno are going to sign out of Boston College,

it's very likely that James Higgins will make the jump to the Boston Bruins sooner than

later.

And Andre Gasso has to be signed as well.

In fact, the Bruins have a handful of college draftees that must be signed before August

15th, less they lose them for nothing down the road.

August 15th is the deadline to sign the likes of Philip Svetaback, the gold tender who

is drafted in the fourth round back in 2021, Cole Spicer, a 2022 fourth round draft pick,

Mason Langerburner, a 2025th round pick, Oscar Yelvik, a 2021th round pick, and Gasso

who was picked in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL draft.

So the Bruins, A, looking to add Higgins, like ASAP, he's got 21 goals, 21 assists to

lead the team in scoring, hockey Easton scoring.

In fact, Dean LaTorno still a ways away, Andre Gasso is there though and he could be able

to sign and jump up to Providence sooner than later.

Yelvik in that situation, who knows if he'll be signed.

But the whole point is that you have 50 contracts, lots available.

The Bruins by sending two guys out and bringing one in, they freed up a spot, they now have

six spots to fill at their choosing, right?

James Hagenwatt is on, Boston College's season could be over as soon as this weekend.

And he could sign his entry level contract and join the club like Monday per se.

And then you have not only your drafted college guys that are able to sign or need to be

signed by the 15th of August if the Bruins want to keep them in the organization.

But there are other college undrafted free agents who become available as their teams finish

their seasons.

And the Bruins have been in on those kind of players in the past, like Bancroft, who

was signed around this time last year out of Cornell and who had two goals, three points

in 39 games with Providence this season.

So I added all up and you know, we see a guy who in San Jose made a pretty big impact

as a college for agent in call and graph.

He's been playing on the top line with Maclin Celebrini and Will Smith.

So if the Bruins can get out there and, you know, continue the retool by signing some

college players who are more advanced in their development, then draft ease out of junior

or heading to college guys out of high school, then that just lifts the level of the organizational

depth as well.

So this trade, it's not about murder, it's not about Rizzo or Bancroft.

It's about freeing up that contract slot, making sure James Hagen's is taken care of

sooner than later, getting gasso in the fold as well, leaving room for some of the other

guys, like if they signed Hagen's plus the guys who are due contracts by the 15th, that's

your six slots right there.

If they're not going to sign any of these guys, you still have the flexibility to sign

some other college free agents as well.

So that's the point of this trade.

More pressing tonight.

They host the San Jose Sharks, big two points on the line, and we'll preview that game.

Even more in depth, they'll bring you all the latest in terms of what you need to know

about this game as the podcast continues.

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All right a couple lineup changes for tonight's game against the Boston Bruins well one I

guess that being Alex Steve's entering the lineup in place of Mikey AC Mont.

He played in the win over the Washington capitals on Saturday and head coach Mark Oster wants

to keep everybody involved get Steve's in the mix he did have a stretch where he played some

pretty good hockey earlier this season promoted to the top line and he earned himself a two-year

contract extension that will pay him 1.625 million over the next couple of seasons he stuck

on nine goals seven assists for 16 points in 39 games and he will be on the third line earlier

today we talked about James Higgins and where he might play when he arrives in Boston the third

line left wing is a prime opportunity for an upgrade but it might be better to put Higgins on

the top line so he's playing with more established vets in Lindholm Posternock instead of pairing

two relatively inexperienced guys in Minton and Higgins together working geeky of course playing

on the right side of that line right now for Steve's just keep a simple get on pucks be physical

help make some plays and you know a lot of the all three of those guys on that line can finish

so hopefully they can get some offense going from the fourth line interestingly it'll be Jeremy

Swamming getting the start for the Bruins he played on Tuesday 15 saves in the win over the

Kings 906 save percentage through 42 games this season and if I mark a storm I'm relying heavily

on McAvoy down the stretch there's three away games coming up in the course of four days from

Saturday till Tuesday after tonight's game they go to Washington then New Jersey then Montreal

I'm going back to Swamming on Saturday give Corpus Sallow the start against the devils on Monday

and then go back to Swamming against the Canadians play Swamming as much as you can down the

stretch because he is your clear number one goalie he's playing amazing hockey and he's a guy that

needs to be relied upon down the stretch more and more try the McAvoy will play if there was any

doubt he did suffer an injury to his mouth in the Kings game but he returned scored the game

winner in overtime good to go against the sharks and he'll be back on the first pair with Jonathan

Aspero and quietly having one of his best offensive seasons of his career 46 points through 52

games and a huge congrats to David Posternock and his wife Rebecca they welcomed a baby girl

into the world which is why David Posternock did not participate in Thursday's morning skate

he is expected to play against the sharks on that first line with Mirat Huston Dinov and Elias Lindholm

and hopefully bringing that big data energy to the table to help the Bruins win their 14th game

in a row at home which would be their longest streak since 2022-23 when they were ruling on all levels

playoff atmosphere expected at TD Garden big two points on the line we learned earlier that the

red wings are going to be without Dylan Larkin for a couple weeks so it gives the Bruins an

opportunity to jump up in the standings overtake T-Troy for the first wild card spot maybe try to get

into the top three in the Atlantic where you're guaranteed a playoff spot the sharks though won't

be an easy out they've got a ton of talent including of course Macklin Celebrini 90 points

in 62 games centering the first line of call and graph who I mentioned earlier and Will Smith

Celebrini of course played one season at BU won the Hobie Baker Award as a freshman

Will Smith played one season at Boston College 2023-24 and they'll be looking to

impress some old friends who may be in the stands tonight keep an eye on graph though he's a real

X factor to meet your orlov play 23 games with the Bruins back when they set that home or record or

not the home record but one 14 in a row he'll be back trying to make an impression and the sharks

are fighting for a wild card spot in the western conference there one point out of the playoff

picture so do not take them lightly by any stretch all right that's it for today's bonus

episode of Lockdown Boston Bruins you are now officially up to date and ready for puck drop in

just a couple hours please do subscribe on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube if you have

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thank you again take care of yourselves take care of each other enjoy tonight's game go Bruins

and we will talk to you again on tomorrow's next full episode of locked on Boston Bruins your favorite

team every single day