Things are spicing up across the NHL ahead of Monday's deadline and Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney got busy on Friday.
Sweeney acquired forward Ondrej Kase from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for David Backes, a 2020 first-round pick and defensive prospect Axel Andersson.
The Bruins retained 25 per cent of Backes' $6 million cap hit through next season in the deal, meaning he will count for $1.5 million against their cap for this season and next.
With the Bruins having now freed up some cap space, there's some more moves to be made.
According to Eric Engels of Sportsnet in Montreal, the Bruins remain in the mix to land Ilya Kovalchuk of the Canadiens.
The problem is that the reported cost to land Kovalchuk is likely a 2nd round pick.
It's hard to imagine Sweeney giving up both his first and second picks from the 2020 NHL Draft.
