NHL Trade Rumors: 5 Players Boston Bruins Should Target for Stanley Cup Repeat

The Boston Bruins should be buyers at the trade deadline and make one, maybe two moves to strengthen the club to add some depth and talent to the roster in preparation for their Stanley Cup title defense in the playoffs.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli talked about his intentions at the deadline in a recent ESPN.com article.

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"Obviously we have a lot of cap room, so there’s a lot of flexibility," Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told ESPN.com Thursday. "I would like to add depth-wise on the forward front and depth-wise on the defenseman front. But I don’t want to subtract anything."

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Last season, the Bruins acquired defenseman Tomas Kaberle from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a big-time trade, but it was the adding of center Chris Kelly and winger Rich Peverley that really gave the team some more skill and depth that was crucial to their title run.

Let's look at five players Boston must target before the February 27 trading deadline.

Tim Gleason, Defenseman, Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason is a very good player who excels in his own zone with his tough, physical play and hockey intelligence.

He's definitely someone who many top contenders such the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers will target at the deadline to improve their own depth.

Gleason would give the Bruins another top-four caliber defenseman who is not a liability in his own zone.

Tim Gleason's cap hit for this season is $2.75 million, and he is an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

Ray Whitney, Left Wing, Phoenix Coyotes

Ray Whitney is a very good offensive player and would give the Bruins another quality playmaker and scorer.

The 39-year-old forward has scored 15 goals with 26 assists for 41 points this season for the Phoenix Coyotes.

That's pretty impressive for an aging veteran who does not play with many top-tier offensive players alongside him.

Whitney has a salary cap hit of $3 million and is an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

The Coyotes aren't contending for a Stanley Cup right now, so the Bruins likely would not have to give them players on the NHL roster to acquire Whitney.

Ales Hemsky, Right Wing, Edmonton Oilers

The Bruins probably won't want to meet the asking price for Edmonton Oilers right winger Ales Hemsky, but if Boston suffers any injuries on the wing from now until the trade deadline, they should consider acquiring the Oilers winger.

Hemsky isn't having a great season and has battled injuries, but he is a quality player who would add speed, scoring and skill for the team at forward.

He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so the team won't have to make a future commitment to him if Hemsky fails in Boston.

Tuomo Ruutu, Winger, Carolina Hurricanes

Tuomo Ruutu would be a quality addition to the Bruins' roster because of his versatility in that he can play well at both center or on the wing.

The Carolina Hurricanes forward has scored 15 goals with 11 assists for 26 points this season on a bad team, and he would excel with much better players around him.

Ruutu likely wouldn't cost the Bruins any of their better prospects and is an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

Ryan Suter, Defenseman, Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators star defenseman is one of the top targets of this year's trade deadline because he is super talented, just 27 years old and is an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

He's a top-tier NHL defenseman and still hasn't reached the peak of his career.

Suter also is very physical, plays excellent in his own end and would thrive in the Bruins' "big and bad" culture.

Suter would likely cost a combination of draft picks, top prospects and proven NHL talent. Boston would be wrong to give up a lot just to acquire him as a rental, so if they made a play for Suter, it would most likely be with the intention they'd re-sign him long-term.

This would be a bold move by Chiarelli, but it makes sense for this year's team and the future.

Follow Nicholas Goss on Twitter for NHL news and analysis. Follow @NicholasGoss35.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.