Three post-NHL trade deadline Bruins storylines to follow before playoffs

Three post-NHL trade deadline Bruins storylines to follow before playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NHL trade deadline was not an eventful one for the Boston Bruins.

They made two small moves — acquiring forward Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets — but neither addition is expected to move the needle much.

The Bruins have typically been pretty aggressive in upgrading their roster before the trade deadline, especially when they are near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. But this year was a little different because the Bruins lacked sufficient draft capital, prospects and salary cap space to make major deals.

Now that we know what the roster will look like for the remainder of the regular season, let’s look at three storylines we should be following closely before the playoffs.

How will Linus Ullmark finish the season?

Ullmark was mentioned in a few trade rumors in the weeks leading up to the deadline and reportedly nixed one potential deal using his no-trade clause. He told reporters after Saturday’s win over the Pittsburgh Penguins that he’s “very happy” to be with the Bruins. The Swedish netminder also admitted he’s glad the trade deadline has passed.

“Oh thank God, yes. It’s tough,” Ullmark said. “You try to act tough beforehand. You don’t want to show any emotion. It’s kinda like in a playoff situation. But it is tough on players. This is the first time when I’ve had to go through actually be rumored about. I’ve always felt safe. But then once it actually starts picking up more and more and you hear those outside noises, it takes a toll on you.

“Then there’s the emotional part of it and you start thinking about your family, and then there’s all these questions you don’t have any answers to. So yes, I’m very happy that it’s over with. I’m very glad and happy to be here.”

It wouldn’t be surprising if the uncertainty surrounding his future and the trade rumors had a negative impact on his performance over the last two months. Ullmark posted a lackluster .896 save percentage and 2.84 GAA in 13 games between Jan. 6 and last…