Bruins reportedly interested in pair of defensemen from Devils originally appeared on NESN. Click here to add NESN as your preferred source.
The Boston Bruins are looking to add some defensive help and are now linked to two defensemen from the New Jersey Devils.
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Boston clings to a playoff spot and is expected to be a buyer before Friday’s trade deadline. The Bruins have been linked to a number of players, and now RG.org’s NHL insider James Murphy reported Wednesday night that the team has shown interest in Devils defensemen Simon Nemec and Johnathan Kovacevic.
“According to multiple NHL sources on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the Boston Bruins’ shopping list on the NHL trade market has not changed. General manager Don Sweeney and his staff remain focused on the top four right-shooting defensemen and the top six forwards (wing or center), and in that order…
“Back to the Boston Bruins and their search for a top-four right-shooting defenseman, a trusted NHL source told RG to keep a close eye on the New Jersey Devils, specifically defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic and 2022 first-round pick Simone Nemec.”
Sources tell Murphy that the Bruins and Devils have indeed been in early talks, and those are two players Bruins general manager Don Sweeney likes.
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Kovacevic is in the first year of his five-year, $20 million contract, so he will be the long-term answer on Boston’s blueline. He was injured at the start of the season and didn’t make his season debut until January 11, but Kovacevic was a shutout defenseman.
Nemec, meanwhile, was drafted second overall in 2022 but has struggled to find his place on the team. He is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and Nemec’s name was in trade rumors before the deadline. The right-shooting guard has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 48 games this season.
Ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, it’s clear the Bruins are looking to bolster their blueline for a playoff push.
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