Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney addressed the media prior to the Bruins-Lightning tilt at TD Garden Sunday and said that the Bruins have had multiple trade discussions regarding Loui Eriksson and also continue to try and reach an agreement on a new contract with him. As the deadline approaches, though, that seems more and more unlikely.

As first reported by Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com earlier in the day, with the Bruins and Eriksson still at an impasse with contract negotiations for the pending unrestricted free agent, trade talks heated up Sunday afternoon, with the Bruins apparently shifting their focus to the Minnesota Wild and possibly 22-year-old defenseman Jonas Brodin. It’s no secret that Boston is coveting a top four defenseman to shore up their troubled blue line and multiple NHL sources confirmed Haggerty’s report to Bruins Daily on Sunday.

Despite having just six points in 50 games this season, Brodin is widely viewed as a rising star and top four defenseman by many NHL pro scouts. Brodin, who has been out of action since February 7th with a broken foot, has been skating the past two days and according to TSN Insider Bob McKenzie, should be returning on Tuesday or Thursday. It should be noted that McKenzie stressed in a tweet Sunday that the Wild were not “shopping” Brodin, but rather listening to offers for the rearguard who has a very reasonable cap hit of $4.16 million and is signed through 2020-21.

Brodin’s name  prominent in trade rumors, especially since it was linked to offer for Ryan Johansen earlier this season. But…

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 28, 2016

…MIN isn’t shopping him or trying to move him as much as fielding inquiries from teams eager to get 22 year old Top 4 D with $4.16 AAV.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 28, 2016

Sweeney and President Cam Neely, have both reiterated recently that they would prefer to acquire players with term, so Brodin definitely fits the criteria of what they’re looking for. The believed return for Brodin would be Eriksson, a first or second round pick and an NHL ready prospect.

Heading into the weekend, it appeared that the St. Louis Blues were the leading contender for Eriksson as according to multiple sources, they and the Bruins had discussed a deal that could send Eriksson to the Gateway To The West for a 2016 first round pick and prospect Dmitrij Jaskin. The Anaheim Ducks also had strong interest in Eriksson, but an NHL source confirmed Sunday that the Ducks had shifted their focus to suspended Lighting forward Jonathan Drouin. Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen would likely go the other way in what could be a multi-player deal between the Ducks and Lightning. The Bruins have expressed interest in Vatanen, who is a restricted free agent this summer, but according to this same source, the Finnish blue-liner is looking for a six-year deal with a $6 million cap hit per season. That likely made the Bruins think twice as they don’t want to be entangled in another contract dispute with a young defenseman like they were last summer with Dougie Hamilton, whom they eventually shipped to the Calgary Flames in a draft day deal.