What to do, what to do, if you're the Boston Bruins and pending unrestricted free-agent winger Loui Eriksson remains unsigned into Monday, as the clock ticks down to the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline?

As far as I can ascertain, Bruins GM Don Sweeney has prepared for all three options on the Eriksson front: get him signed to an extension; keep him past the deadline and hope it's worth it to make the playoffs and maybe win a round or two, and also use the extra months to get him signed; or trade him.

To me, the final option seems the most likely, even for a team that's sitting in a playoff spot.

The reason I feel that way is that Sweeney is in his first season at the helm of the Bruins. His mandate is to retool the team on the fly, which suggests the big-picture vision should trump any short-term goals.

Of course, it's all a moot point if Sweeney can get Eriksson signed in the next few days, but that would mean either convincing Eriksson to come down on term for a shorter deal, or the B's being willing to go longer term. Either way, the length of a potential contract is an issue.

From talking to other sources around the league, Boston is a very active team on the phones, not only to gauge the trade market on Eriksson, but also because they will be looking to add pieces too, particularly on defense.

Keep in mind, the Bruins already have two first-round picks this June, their own plus the San Jose Sharks' pick from the Martin Jones deal. So the Bruins don't necessarily need another high pick in a deal for Eriksson, but they could use a young player instead. Unless, of course, they turn around and use the high pick from an Eriksson trade to then deal for a defenseman.

Whatever the outcome, it's going to be an interesting few days, to say the least, for the Bruins' first-year GM.

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