With the trade deadline only days away the Bruins made their first big move Friday afternoon. The defending Eastern Conference champs acquired Ondrej Kase from the Ducks in exchange for David Backes, a 2020 first-round pick, and prospect Axel Andersson.
In 49 games this season, the 24-year-old has seven goals and 16 assists. He also has one shorthanded goal and has already landed 135 shots on net. His best season came in 2017-2018 when he had 20 goals and 18 assists. Kase is in the second year of a three-year contract that carries a $2.6 million cap hit.
That's No. 20 on the year for Ondrej Kase and the clinching goal for the @AnaheimDucks! #MINvsANA https://t.co/HayWlyTtMq
— NHL (@NHL) April 5, 2018
Although Kase’s numbers don’t jump off the page, he is a solid addition to the Bruins lineup. Over the past two years, he’s ranked 39th in 5v5 points/60 min among all players who have played at least 500 minutes. He was also hampered by injuries last season and is only two assists away from tying his career-high.
Additionally, the Bruins will only be retaining 25 percent of Backes’s contract and will be on the hook for $3 million next season. That gives Don Sweeney more room to improve the roster and re-sign key players in the offseason, such as Torey Krug.
Believe #nhlbruins are sending a first-round pick to #nhlducks, along with David Backes (1 year left at $6M) as part of deal for Ondrej Kase.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 21, 2020
By acquiring Kase, the Bruins have added depth to their forward group and unloaded some of the Backes contract. Although the Bruins may not be done dealing, Kase is the first domino to fall. The Bruins were also able to improve their roster without having to deal Heinen or Bjork, who have been mentioned heavily in trade rumors. Although Andersson is a promising prospect the Bruins are deep at defenseman.
While Kase does come with health concerns, he is still young and can drive the offense. The trade deadline is still two days away and the Bruins have finally jumped into the action.
