Acquired in a trade on February 20, the deal for Holden seemed in hindsight to be a bit of wheel-greasing with New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton in advance of the bigger news about a week later. Boston did need some additional shoring-up on defense, and Rob O’Gara was deemed the expendable piece, along with a 2018 third-round pick. Behind a secure top-six, Holden was brought in to fill in down the stretch, providing rest or as an injury replacement. When Charlie McAvoy went down for essentially all of March, however, Holden’s value was realized.
Nick Holden was an insurance policy the Bruins shouldn’t have needed to cash.
