NHL trade deadline: Why Bruins should call Ducks about Rakell, Lindholm

The Anaheim Ducks and the Boston Bruins have worked out a few deals with each other in recent years, and as the March 21 NHL trade deadline approaches, B's general manager Don Sweeney should make another call to Southern California. 

The Ducks surprisingly found themselves in a playoff spot for most of the season but have slipped in recent weeks. Anaheim is three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card berth in the Western Conference. The Ducks also have lost five consecutive games with just two wins in their last 10 matchups.

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It's not inconceivable that the Ducks could still reach the postseason, but it's going to be a challenge. Another issue for the Ducks is they have a couple important players with expiring contracts. Anaheim isn't a franchise that typically lands top players on the free agent market, so losing these players for nothing would be a real blow to the team's ongoing rebuild/retool.

The Ducks got the ball rolling Monday by trading defenseman and pending UFA Josh Manson to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 second-round draft pick. 

The other two notable UFA-to-be are defenseman Hampus Lindholm and center/right wing Rickard Rakell.

"I've heard he's likely to get moved, we'll see what happens there," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said of Rakell during an NHL Network appearance Monday. "Lindholm -- I think Anaheim is willing to go five years there (on a new extension), but is that going to be enough? 

Let's take a look at Rakell and Lindholm and analyze their potential fit in Boston.

Rickard Rakell

Rakell is an ideal trade target for the Bruins on several fronts, and one of them is his versatility. 

He's capable of producing as a No. 2 center and as a first- or second-line right winger. The Bruins need help at both positions, especially at center where the loss of David Krejci is still hurting Boston's roster. That said, Erik Haula has played pretty well in the No. 2 center role alongside Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak since Jan. 1. 

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So, if the Bruins acquired Rakell, he could slot in where Jake DeBrusk is playing right now -- first-line right wing next to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Rakell has averaged 21.5 goals over the last six seasons, including a pair of 30-goal campaigns in 2016-17 and 2017-18. 

Rakell's production was not great over the last three years, but he's turned it around this season. He's averaging 1.03 goals per 60 minutes, nearly double his 0.58 rate last season. 

If the Bruins could get the 28-year-old forward for a second-round pick and a prospect (or another draft pick instead), that would be a deal worth doing. A first-round pick is too steep of a price for a player who could walk in free agency this summer. His salary cap hit for this season is just $3.8 million and he has zero no-trade protection, per CapFriendly.

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Giving up valuable assets to acquire Rakell would be even more worth it if the Bruins could reach an extension with him before free agency begins in July. Would he agree to something in the range of four years at $6-6.5 million per season?

The Bruins traded for Taylor Hall last season and signed him to a four-year, $24 million extension before he hit the open market. That type of extension would make sense for Rakell if, like Hall, he proved to be a good fit in Boston.

Hampus Lindholm

Lindholm is a smooth skating, offensively gifted defenseman in the prime of his career who could excel on the first or second pairing in Boston. He also plays on the left side of the blue line.

That's exactly what the Bruins need in a d-man.

Lindholm regularly plays 22-plus minutes per game against quality competition and tallies anywhere between 25 to 35 points over a full season. Bruins fans got a first-hand look at Lindholm's impressive playmaking ability when he tallied three assists in a 5-3 Ducks win in Boston on Jan. 24.

The Swedish defenseman is not known for playing a physical game, but he does have good size at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds.

The cost for Lindholm could be huge. Top-four defenseman who are 28 years old aren't cheap, whether they're acquired via free agency or trade. It's hard to imagine the Bruins getting Lindholm without surrendering a first-round pick. Boston's prospect pool ranks among the worst in the league, and unless Sweeney is willing to move Fabian Lysell or Mason Lohrei -- the B's top two prospects -- a first-round pick might be his most valuable asset.

The Bruins traded first-round picks in 2018 and 2020, but their championship window is quickly closing and it will slam shut if Patrice Bergeron retires this summer. Re-signing Lindholm in the summer also would soften the blow of giving up multiple quality assets to acquire him before the trade deadline.

The Bruins need another dynamic top-four defenseman in addition to Charlie McAoy, and Lindholm certainly fits the bill.