Trade Rumor: Bruins wonder why Larkin list skips them

David Pagnotta says the Bruins would like another winger, while Elliotte Friedman hears they wonder why Dylan Larkin's list skips them.

Boston has little to complain about right now. The Bruins are 13-4-1, have won four straight and beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 last night, which keeps them on top of the Atlantic.

Pagnotta indicated that Boston would prefer a winger to a center if an opportunity to add one shows up, and he called the Larkin situation a different one.

That split matters. Larkin is a center, so the winger shopping list and the Larkin chatter are two separate threads. Nothing here is a deal, and no target beyond Larkin has been named.

Friedman added the more curious detail. He said he has heard Boston has been wondering why it isn't on the Larkin trade list.

Wondering is the key word. A first-place team asking why it wasn't invited to the party tells you the front office is paying attention, even if it isn't pushing.

We've followed this run closely, including how David Pastrnak leads a Bruins run built on depth. A winger-first approach fits that picture.

Why a winger makes more sense than a center

Pastrnak has 24 points through 18 games. Elias Lindholm has 15, and Morgan Geekie and John-Jason Peterka have 14 each. All three are listed as centers.

With that much production up the middle, chasing another center would be the harder case to make. Adding help on the wing is the smarter call, and I'd rather see Don Sweeney wait for the right one than force a move.

Detroit, for its part, sits at 7-8-3 and has lost three straight, the last one a 4-0 defeat at Colorado on Saturday. Larkin has 6 points in 10 games this season.

Boston plays Montreal on Thursday, and we will keep tabs on any movement before then.

Quick hits

PITTSBURGH PENGUINSKris Letang did not hold back after the Penguins' 5-2 loss in Anaheim, according to Dan Kingerski. When a veteran defenseman gets brutally honest, the room usually hears it.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNINGRyan McDonagh's split-second decision with the clock running out is the talk around the Lightning after Sunday's 4-3 loss in Winnipeg. That one will sting for a while.

NEW JERSEY DEVILSConnor Hellebuyck says he's "disappointed" he can't "face the music" in Winnipeg, as the Devils keep him out of Tuesday's game. You can feel for the guy.

ANAHEIM DUCKSGreg Beacham reports the Ducks are the first team to score at least 5 goals in 8 straight games since the 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings. That is a long wait for a scoring run like this.

CALGARY FLAMESGino Hard says Matthew Coronato won it in overtime for the Flames, 4-3 over the Flyers at the Saddledome tonight. A nice finish for the home crowd.