We keep on chugging in the off-season targets series today with the third defender on the list, and the third trade target on the list in Boston defender Johnny Boychuk, an Edmonton native who fills a major hole. The Bruins defender, a pending UFA in the summer of 2015, will likely garner interest this summer, and could come to Edmonton and fill a hole in the top-four area of the blue-line.
Why He Is Out There?:
Two reasons, and neither of them are his fault. Boychuk is entering a contract year, and is going to get PAID on the open market next July. Think about the contract Andrew MacDonald got in Philly, and remember Boychuk is a far and away the better player. The Bruins likely won’t have the money to pay full market value here.
Secondly, Boston is loaded on the back-end, and has more on the way. Both Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg are better players, while Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug and Kevan Miller are all young players that had a big impact on the B’s this season. That’s five guys already, while tough defender Adam McQuaid will be returning from injury. Matt Bartkowski is there too, and that’s seven defenders, the B’s won’t carry eight.
I’d suspect Boychuk, Bartkowski and McQuaid are being dangled as trade bait, and one of them will be moved for offensive help this summer.
What Does He Do Well?:
Boychuk is a level down from Ehrhoff and Phaneuf, but he still does a lot right right. He can handle 20+ minutes a night and be an effective player, while playing a solid shut-down game and bringing physical play to the table. He’s only 30 years old, so he’s still in the heart of his career and has a number of good years left on the tires.
Boychuk has a rocket for a shot and can be the point man on a power-play if need be, in fact he’s played that role from time to time in Boston. He’s a guy the Bruins trust a lot, and is a player that we can safely say is an established top-four option in this league.
He’s not as great of a puck mover as the first two defenders we talked about, but he’s an extremely sound defender who protects his own end, throws the body around and can handle solid opposition. Watching him the last few seasons in Boston, he kind of reminds me a little bit of Jason Smith.
Boychuk is a great possession player as well, as his Corsi For % numbers show. This past season he was sitting pretty at 55.1%, while he posted 53.3% in 2012-13 and 56.6% in 2011-12. He’s been strong in the playoffs too, playing over 50% in all three of the Bruins most recent trips.
He posted 23 points in 72 games this year, which is decent offensive production from a guy on the back-end.
Where Will He Play, and Where Should He Play?:
As currently constructed, Boychuk would play on the top-pairing in Edmonton, likely with either his old teammate Andrew Ference or youngster Martin Marincin, who might be the perfect fit. That’s a little high in the batting order, and ideally Boychuk plays on the second pairing or as the number two behind a guy like Phaneuf or Ehrhoff. He’s a very good defender, but he’s a guy not yet proven carrying a unit.
He’s usually been the number three guy in Boston, behind both Big Z and Seidenberg. That’s the ideal role for this player, but you can get away with him as your number two defender.
What Will He Cost?:
The Bruins need to find a way to put the puck in the net more. Missed chances killed them against Montreal, and one can argue the B’s don’t have a legit finisher on this roster right now. Remember, Iginla will be a UFA on July 1st, and while Marchand and Lucic are good goal scorers, they aren’t snipers.
The Bruins will want a goal scorer, and Edmonton can provide a few. Jordan Eberle and David Perron are likely two names the Bruins would be highly interested in. Eberle for Boychuk is a lopsided deal in Boston’s favor, and the B’s would likely need to add more to get that done, but Perron for Boychuk could be a deal that makes sense.
Personally, I wouldn’t move Perron, I think he is exactly what the Oil need up front, but you’ll have to give to get, and Boychuk is a quality defender that would improve your back end. It would likely cost one of these two to get Johnny in his hometown.
Closing Argument:
Johnny Boychuk is a very good defender, and is a guy that would immediately improve the Oiler blue-line if he were to come to town. He’s a guy that is proven in a top-four role, has a bomb for a shot, plays physical, has size and can handle 20+ minutes a night. The Oilers don’t have many guys like that, in fact they don’t have a single one.
Boychuk, on his own, won’t fix this defense, he would have to be only one of two or three moves to improve the unit, he’s not like Ehrhoff or Phaneuf in the sense that you can plug him in as your number one and be certain you are getting a top guy. He’s a number two/three guy on a good team, so factor that in.
If the Oilers decide they want to add two good defenders this summer, Johnny Boychuk should certainly be under consideration for trade. He’s situation reminds me a little of David Perron’s just one year ago, a good player that could shake free because of cash. Let’s say MacT nabs Ehrhoff and Boychuk…..then we are in business my friends.
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