The Boston Bruins have been on a record pace since the start of the year, and they have made a trade with the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild to bolster their Stanley Cup chances. The Bruins acquired forward Garnet Hathaway and defenseman Dmitry Orlov as they attempt to add grit to their competitive lineup.

Boston sent forward Craig Smith, a 2023 first-round draft pick, a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-round selection to the Capitals. The Bruins also acquired the rights to forward Andrei Svetlakov from the Wild for Boston's 2025 fifth-round pick.

The Bruins have the best record in the league as they enter Thursday night's road game with the Seattle Kraken. They are 43-8-5 for 91 points, placing them 7 points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins have a chance to top the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for points in the regular season. The Habs had 132 points (60-8-12) that season.

Hathaway and Orlov are both rentals, as they are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

Hathaway is a feisty forward who will battle in the corners and is not afraid to drop his gloves. He comes with what is left of his $1.2 million cap hit. Orlov is in the final year of a long-term deal.

The Capitals retained half of Orlov’s salary, leaving the Bruins responsible for about 25 percent of Orlov’s $5.1 million cap hit.

Garnet Hathaway has 9 goals and 7 assists through 59 games this season. He also has a plus-6 rating and 52 penalty minutes. Orlov has 3 goals and 16 assists in 43 games with the Capitals.