On Tuesday afternoon, the Bruins started selling for the future. On Tuesday night, they showed why that was the right move. The short-handed, out-of-sync Bruins drifted further out of playoff contention as they fell to a bad Predators team,

Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney completed a trade ahead of the deadline as a bona fide seller, dishing Trent Frederic and Max Jones for draft picks and a prospect. On Tuesday night, the remaining Bruins responded with a performance that carried a distinct playing-out-the-string vibe.