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Welcome Matt Bartkowski to the trade rumor mill

Buffalo Sabres v Boston Bruins

Buffalo Sabres v Boston Bruins

NHLI via Getty Images

Though he’s struggled to get games in Boston this season, Matt Bartkowski’s name has surfaced as a potential target for the Mar. 2 trade deadline.

Per The Province, two Bruins scouts were in attendance for last night’s Canucks-Ducks game, and also notes that Vancouver’s VP of Player Personnel, Jon Weisbrod, is a former Bruins collegiate scout that “followed Bartkowski closely” a few seasons ago. (The 26-year-old spent two years at Ohio State.)

Then there’s this, from TSN’s Insider Trading:

“We’ll keep an eye on the Vancouver Canucks obviously with Bieksa out for a long period of time (6-8 weeks after hand surgery). They’re reaching out to teams and looking for help defensively.

“They’ve connected with the Boston Bruins with some interest in Bartkowski, but if they’re going to make that move the Bruins are going to likely have to add a d-man themselves.”

Bartkowski has only appeared in 20 of Boston’s 48 games this year and has routinely been parked in the press box as a healthy scratch. It’s been a major regression, especially on the heels of a 2013-14 campaign in which he played in 64 games, averaged 19:32 TOI per night and finished tied with Dougie Hamilton for third among Bruins d-men in assists, with 18.

Bartkowski is also a UFA at season’s end, and Boston has two key blueliners it needs to re-up with this summer: Hamilton and Torey Krug, both of whom are RFAs.