The Boston Bruins proved last season they’re not to be underestimated. 

They improved by 12 more wins, which pushed them into a playoff spot after finishing fourth in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division.

The Bruins made some notable changes of their own, acquiring veteran sniper J.J. Peterka from the Utah Mammoth, then trading backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers.

However, Boston’s biggest area of need is their talent and depth at the center position. 

Pavel Zacha is coming off a career-high 30-goal, 65-point season, and he slots in as their No. 1 center. Elias Lindholm, youngster Fraser Minten, and fourth-liner Sean Kuraly fall behind him.

Here’s a tantalizing thought – Boston GM Don Sweeney could give his team the boost they need to keep up in the Atlantic by trading for Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin.

While it’s been reported that Larkin doesn’t have Boston on the list of teams he’d waive his no-trade clause for, that’s Sweeney’s job – he needs to convince Larkin and his agent the Bruins would be a terrific destination for him. 

Attracting veteran talent has been an attainable goal for Bruins brass in the past, and there’s no reason to believe Boston can’t make an attractive pitch to Larkin and persuade him the Bruins are a great landing spot for him.

The Bruins have four first-round draft picks in the next three drafts, which is exactly what the Red Wings would need to jumpstart a rebuild. Although it would take a massive trade package to acquire Larkin, so Boston would have to significantly deplete its prospects pool.

With David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, a deep defensive core, and a solid starting goalie in Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins have enough pieces in place to be competitive in 2026-27. But it’s also true Boston’s lack of a true No. 1 center puts them behind a number of teams in the league’s pecking order. 

Some may suggest 2025 first-round draft pick James Hagens could, over time, mature into a difference-making center, but there’s no assurance he'll even end up sticking at that position.

The Bruins currently have $5.3-million in salary cap space, but that won’t be enough to pay for a true No. 1 center. If they don’t win the Larkin sweepstakes, Boston will have to pay a heavy price to acquire another player of a similar caliber. 

Hagens has many people who believe in him, and TheHockeyNews.com’s prospect expert Tony Ferrari says Hagens could turn out to be the Bruins’ top center.

Ferrari also noted in his recent Prospect Pool Rankings series that Boston’s crop of young talent isn’t especially deep, so trading for a first-line center will deprive the Bruins of the prospects they don’t have a wealth of. That could prove to be the wrong move by Sweeney.

There’s going to be numerous teams seeking a center who’s not just a consolation prize to Larkin, but a true needle-mover.

What other centers are out there? It depends whether you think Sweeney will make an offer sheet for a dynamic, young, star center.

If the San Jose Sharks ever let young forward Will Smith get to the open market, Smith could be offer-sheeted by the Bruins. Smith played his formative years with the NCAA’s Boston College Eagles, so there could be an affection there that Sweeney can take advantage of.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli also remains an RFA. While Sweeney would have to clear out significant salary to put together an extension or an offer sheet, there's a clear injection of youth and skill down the middle that he could provide to the Bruins.

Maybe you land a player like Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson, who is a UFA next summer and has ample playoff experience.

While these options may seem like a long shot, Sweeney needs to get creative in order to  address his center position. If Boston misses the playoffs or end up with a similar first-round exit next year,there’ll be legitimate questions about their talent and depth down the middle. 

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