Report: Bruins called Canucks about Luke Schenn's availability

The Boston Bruins are absolutely rolling right now with a league-best 34-5-4 record, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't make an upgrade or two before the March 3 NHL trade deadline.

Depth is massively important in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Bruins have found that out the hard way in some of their recent postseason runs.

Additional depth on the blue line would be an ideal path for general manager Don Sweeney to take over the next couple weeks. One defenseman who could be available is Luke Schenn of the Vancouver Canucks.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Monday that the Bruins have called the Canucks to check in on Schenn.

"It’s my understanding that the Bruins have already had a chat with Vancouver about him, although this is the time of year when contenders are calling a lot of teams to explore what’s out there and potential prices. Still …"

Schenn is a defensive defenseman who plays a tough, physical style of hockey. He can play in any defensive situation, including the penalty kill, where he's averaging 1:50 of ice time per game for the Canucks (third-most on the team). Schenn doesn't provide a ton of offense, but he has tallied 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 43 games after posting just 17 points in 66 games last season.

Schenn also would bring a wealth of postseason experience. He has played in 31 career playoff games between four different teams. He won two Stanley Cup titles with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Veteran defensemen are always in high demand around the trade deadline, so there should be plenty of teams with some level of interest in Schenn. Two of his former teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Lightning, would be good fits for Schenn. Both of those clubs could use another quality defenseman for the playoffs.

Schenn will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer and has a 2022-23 salary cap hit of just $850,000.