Countdown to TradeCentre: Bruins ready to swing big?

The NHL's Mar. 21 Trade Deadline is approaching and teams are making decisions on whether to buy, sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

As we get closer and closer to the March 21 trade deadline, one team that could be particularly aggressive is the Boston Bruins.

According to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, general manager Don Sweeney wants to maximize the Stanley Cup window of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand while also reinforcing the future around players like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman.

The Bruins brought in Taylor Hall, Mike Reilly and Curtis Lazar at least year’s deadline and currently sit four points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for third in the Atlantic Division entering play Saturday.

Shinzawa and Corey Masisak wrote earlier in the week that the Bruins could be interested in trading for San Jose Sharks centre Tomas Hertl with the intention of offering him a contract extension. The pending unrestricted free agent has not yet been able to secure one with the Sharks and TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said in Tuesday’s edition of Insider Trading that the Sharks would explore dealing the 28-year-old if they were unable to lock him up. As of Tuesday, LeBrun reported the Sharks were not taking formal offers for Hertl with the focus instead concentrated on re-signing him.

Shinzawa and Masisak write that Hertl could be a good fit on Boston’s second line and play alongside Pastrnak, his fellow Czechia native, for potentially years to come. Hertl is likely to command at least a first-round pick or an elite prospect, neither of which the Bruins are keen on parting with,