The Boston Bruins, like many NHL teams, continue to scour the hockey landscape for potential deals that can help strengthen their position for the season's second-half and beyond.
There has been limited movement to this point, mostly because, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, teams continue to wait for the first trade domino to topple, set the market and ignite a chain reaction of trades.
"There really isn't a lot going on," said a league executive, per Garrioch. "At this point, I would think teams are waiting for the first domino to fall and once that happens it might open things up for teams to make moves."
There are a number of names being linked to a variety of places, but the Bruins keep popping up as a team desperate to make one deal that'll push them into the playoffs.
They've been connected with names like Antoine Vermette, Zack Kassian and Jordan Eberle. But Garrioch throws a new name into the ring - Dallas Stars winger Erik Cole.
The 36-year-old Cole has 12 goals and 11 assists this season. The longtime Carolina Hurricane is a little long in the tooth, and his potential addition won't add the kind of excitement Bruins fans may be hoping to see in a deal. However, he's a gritty veteran presence who could help steady a Boston team that boasts an ever-increasing group of NHL youngsters.
He's in the final year of his contract, which carries a $4.5 million cap hit. Playing alongside Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky this season, Cole's play has improved dramatically from the past couple of years, which saw him lose a number of games to injury and others simply to ineffectiveness.
Cole is injured and "out indefinitely" at the moment, though the expectation seems to be that he'll miss at least a couple of weeks.
The Stars currently sit sixth in the seven-team Central and could become sellers should the season continue to slip away, with Cole a prime candidate as a trade piece and potential playoff rental.
