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The Boston Bruins have a glaring need heading towards the home stretch of the 2025-26 season. After finishing bottom of the Atlantic Division just a year ago, Boston is currently in a playoff place. The Bruins have quickly bounced back, mostly because of their potent offense. Led by David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie, the club has averaged an impressive 3.39 goals per game during the current campaign.
While Boston’s offense is humming, they do have issues on defense. More specifically, the Bruins could use reinforcements on the right side of the blue line. In fact, Bleacher Report recently pointed to this specific position as the team’s biggest need in the trade market. At the moment, there is a significant drop-off in the club’s depth chart in the role behind Charlie McAvoy.
Boston GM Don Sweeney previously attempted to bring in Rasmus Andersson to boost his team’s defense. The move, however, eventually failed as the star ultimately joined the Las Vegas Golden Knights. It was then revealed on February 17 that the Bruins are attempting to sign Justin Faulk. The St. Louis Blues veteran is one of the top blueliners available ahead of the March 6 deadline.
If Sweeney opts not to acquire Faulk, he could pivot to New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider. Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson has even named Boston as a top potential landing spot for the youngster. New York is likely fielding offers for Schneider as they are heading towards a rebuild. The Rangers have already traded away Artemi Panarin and are expected to continue offloading players in the coming days.
Braden Schneider Would be Good Fit in Boston Bruins Roster Plans
GettyBraden Schneider likely needs a change of scenery.
The Rangers expected the former first-round draft pick to become a mainstay in their defense. Schneider previously showed real signs of growth during his first few seasons in the NHL. Despite this, the now 24-year-old blueliner has endured a relatively rough 2025-26 campaign. In fact, he has just 11 points in 57 games this season.
Boston, however, may not be too worried about the lackluster statistics. After all, practically no Rangers player is having a stellar season. Schneider is still rated fairly highly around the league and may even benefit from a change of scenery. He would also seemingly fit well in Sweeney’s roster plans looking ahead.
The Bruins prefer to acquire players under the age of 30 to align with their current group of stars. Although Faulk is the better player right now, he is about to be 34. Sweeney may very well resist a move for the Blues veteran and instead target Schneider. Even if Boston does go after Faulk, the Rangers blueliner could also be a solid contingency plan.
Bruins Can Afford to Strike a Deal with Their Rivals
As Richardson points out, Boston has the money and attractive pieces to make a deal work with New York. Sweeney may dangle fellow defenseman Mason Lohrei in the Schneider sweepstakes. The left-handed blueliner has been linked with a move away from Boston for months. If the Rangers do not want Lohrei, draft picks, and/or prospects may get the deal done.
Schneider currently carries a $2.2 million AAV cap hit in his final year under contract. According to PuckPedia.com, the Bruins have just under $4 million in current cap space. The defenseman is set to become a restricted free agent in the summer.
Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore
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