Trade Candidates: Brian Boyle

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have largely underachieved but some of their players are quietly having big seasons.  One of those is Brian Boyle who is quietly positioning himself for a nice pay day while giving GM Steve Yzerman one of the more intriguing trade options on the market.

Contract

Final year of a three year, $6MM deal – Will be a UFA in July.

2016-17

Boyle quietly sits in the top five in goals on the Lightning this season, continuing his upward trend in offensive production that he has shown since signing with them in the 2014 offseason.  He’s on pace for over 30 points, something he hasn’t done since 2010-11 with the Rangers.  Injuries to several forwards up front have resulted in Boyle seeing more ice time than usual as well; he’s averaging 13:42 per game, his highest since 2012-13.

Simply talking about his production is selling him short though.   He’s above the 50% mark at the faceoff dot once again and can play both center and the wing.  Boyle logs a regular shift on both special teams as well.  That type of flexibility in terms of position and role has made him a very valuable role player for Tampa Bay this year.

Season Stats

47 GP, 12 goals, 7 assists, 19 points, +7 rating, 41 PIMS, 87 shots, 13:42 ATOI, 54.6 CF%

Potential Suitors

The list of teams that would be interested in a versatile 6’7 forward in Boyle would be longer than the list of teams that wouldn’t have a use for him.  Here are a few teams in particular that would likely value his services though.

In the East, the Blue Jackets jump out as a good fit.  Boyle has plenty of postseason experience (something that can’t be said for many on their roster) and he played his best hockey under John Tortorella back when both were with the Rangers.  Columbus also has the cap space to fit him in without sending any money back or having the Lightning retain salary.  The Capitals may be an all-in team this season and have a vacancy in their bottom six, though it may have to be on the wing.  GM Brian MacLellan made a move to add a veteran penalty killer last year in Daniel Winnik and could conceivably do the same here with their top six in solid shape.  They don’t have the cap space to take him on, however, which could complicate things a bit.

Out West, he would be a terrific fit in Chicago.  The Blackhawks have been forced to use a lot of youngsters in the bottom six for cap reasons and could benefit from an experienced veteran who can fill a big role.  GM Stan Bowman has a history of dealing for bottom six upgrades at the deadline as well.  That said, as is always the case when it comes to the Blackhawks, making the finances work would be a challenge.  The Oilers are believed to be looking for an upgrade over rookie Drake Caggiula on their third line and Boyle would fit that bill well while giving them some more experience on a team that doesn’t have a lot of playoff-tested players.  They also have the cap space to bring him in while leaving enough room for the expected bonuses of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Likelihood Of A Trade

There’s little doubt that Yzerman would like to keep Boyle around but unless he’s willing to take a discount on his market rate and sign early, there probably won’t be an extension forthcoming.  As a result, there’s a very good chance he gets dealt unless the Lightning go on quite a run this month to get back into the playoff race.

Boyle could command one of the top prices at the deadline in a trade market bereft of top six rental talent and with a lot of teams fairly tight to the cap.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be one of the most-targeted players over the next month which will set the Lightning up for what should be a fairly significant return in a deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.