Torey Krug was quick to become a fan favorite in Boston, which isn’t a surprise. Krug is an undersized defenseman but he is one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL. Krug has put up pretty impressive numbers these past few seasons, including a career high 59 points in the 2017-18 season.
Krug has been in a lot of trade rumors all summer long and it sure feels like they won’t be stopping any time soon. Some fans think trading Krug would be a huge mistake and it would come back to haunt Boston. Some have mixed feelings about Krug because some also want him traded for a top-six forward, which is a huge need right now.
He can move the puck out of the zone and work the power play very well. The NHL is changing and it’s not all about big defensive defenseman anymore, it’s about puck moving defenseman that like to jump into the rush and create plays. Boston already has a couple of defensive defenseman right now, which is why trading Krug, their only true offensive defenseman, would be a big mistake.
Krug has a lot of talent and he’s a valuable piece in the Bruins organization, but he also makes a decent amount of mistakes which at times both can and have cost him. I’ll start by stating the obvious. Krug has big defensive problems.
Being an undersized defenseman, Krug has trouble defending against the bigger guys in his own zone, leading to a lot of goals against. Krug is also found out of position a lot of the time. Krug can work on his defensive game in his own zone, but will he be traded before then? Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney went out this summer and signed free agent John Moore to a five-year contract.
Moore is a left-handed defenseman that can move the puck but also plays a solid defensive game as well. This move may have surprised people, seeing that Boston already has a surplus of left-handed shooting defenseman. Moore can come in and play several minutes at a time, helping Bruins captain Zdeno Chara lessen his time on the ice.
Most fans still don’t believe this is why Boston signed John Moore. They have started to speculate that Boston will move Krug for a top-6 forward. Don Sweeney also sat down for an interview with NHL.com and said the following with regards to the potential transaction at stake, “Look, you never know. I’m not actively shopping Torey. People call on a lot of different guys that we have. I have private conversations with each and every general manager, but we value what Torey brings to the table. It’s very difficult to replace a 60-point guy. He’s grown with our organization. He’s grown into a leadership role on and off the ice. He’s a big part of our success. I’d say it’s unlikely.”
Sweeney never straight out says that he wouldn’t trade Torey Krug. He doesn’t want to trade Krug because of what he brings to the team but anything is possible. With that being said, the Bruins could still make a decent trade package with Krug involved if they really want to solidify their offence for perhaps a brighter future on the horizon.
At the end of the day, rumors are just rumors and fans will continue to speculate. Sweeney makes the call when it’s all said and done. Whether it’ll be the right call or not, we’ll just have to wait and see.