Welcome back to NHL Predictions! Every day, Last Word on Hockey provides insights and analysis to predict the outcome of the games on the NHL schedule.

The Boston Bruins face a crucial game against the Carolina Hurricanes amid inconsistent play and trade talks. Boston is struggling without captain Brad Marchand, while the Hurricanes are riding a winning streak and aiming for dominance in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, and the game airs on WRAL. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET Thursday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. The Hurricanes (36-22-4) are second in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division,

The Bruins are not expected to trade captain Brad Marchand despite his pending free agency and the playoffs slipping away.

The defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers made their first big move ahead of the NHL trade deadline by acquiring hard-nosed forward Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins.

The Boston Bruins are mathematically still in the playoff race. As the Trent Frederic trade indicates, the existential vibe doesn’t match those numbers. The Bruins aren’t blowing up the whole project but this is the first of multiple expected moves that will remove a long-standing “win-now” branding attached to the Bruins.