The Bruins currently sit on the cusp of a playoff spot, but they have played more games than their opponents, and Brad Marchand's name has come up in trade talks.

The Colorado Avalanche pulled of a gutsy transaction Friday night, trading franchise player Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-team deal. It’s that type of blockbuster trade that could force other teams to start making moves before the upcoming break for 4 Nations Face-Off (Feb.

Boston Bruins forward Charlie Coyle sent interim coach Joe Sacco a strong message about one of the youngest promises on the roster, who plays alongside him and Brad Marchand.

The Bruins defenseman has been working his way back from a lower-body injury suffered Nov. 12 in St. Louis with lots of off-ice rehab sessions and, lately, some solo on-ice workouts with skills coach John McLean.

The Bruins must determine if a trade is worth the fallout of trading one of the club’s best players of all time.

Boston Bruins left wing Cole Koepke (45) collides with Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the crease during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) AP

The Bruins took a short-lived 1-0 lead on Mason Lohrei’s goal in the first period, but the Sabres rattled off the next four goals to ice it.

After two solid, well-structured wins at home over Ottawa and Colorado, the road version of the B’s showed up in Buffalo and were steamrolled by Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka hat tricks, 7-2. The B’s fell to 9-14-3 away from the Garden and now have a minus-25 goal differential, neither of which is a good sign for the club’s long-term health.

For this matchup against the Sabres, the Bruins' forward group will be getting a boost. This is because forward Cole Koepke will be back in the lineup after missing each of the Bruins' last five games.