Future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla has been skating with the Providence Bruins this week as he thinks about an NHL comeback at 40. Iginla looked like he was pretty close to the end (just 14 goals in 80 games and a minus-30 rating) while playing for the Colorado Avalanche and L.A. Kings last season and it’s clear at this point he’s probably not even the player he was in his one-year stint with the Bruins in 2013-14.
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The official word from Don Sweeney is that the Bruins are doing Iginla a solid by letting him work out with the P-Bruins this week and Iginla would need to sign with a team by Monday in order to be eligible for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Could Iginla be an option for the Bruins even though it doesn’t seem likely?
In a word, maybe...but it would only mean that Don Sweeney struck out on everything available going into the Monday afternoon trade deadline.
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Michael Grabner is off the board after being traded from the New York Rangers to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a prospect and a second-round pick and that sets a pretty strong market for sellers in the rental winger market this weekend. Still, the Bruins are interested in Rick Nash, Thomas Vanek and Patrick Maroon at the top of their trade wish list, but realistically are probably only going to be willing to pay the price for Vanek or Maroon.
Rangers GM Jeff Gorton is looking for two prospects, including one “A” prospect, and a first-round pick in exchange for Nash, who is clearly the top hired gun on the winger market. Even beyond those names, there is Evander Kane and Mike Hoffman and a host of others that should be moved ahead of Monday afternoon.
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There’s also this with Iginla: If the Bruins were a second round-and-out playoff team when Iginla was much closer to his prime four years ago, what would the 40-year-old really be able to bring them this time around? It would be something of a cool rallying cry for the playoffs to “Win One for Iggy”, but this is about players that can actually help the Bruins in this spring’s playoff run. With all due respect to Iginla, he ranks fairly low on that list right now but could be a “safety school” option for the Bruins if they come away empty-handed with trades.
