BOSTON — With Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy on the shelf, Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo have both been elevated to alternate captains for the Boston Bruins. It’s a proud distinction, an official designation of leadership for a team they’ve spent most of the last decade with.

By the end of the week, they both could be gone.

After eight straight seasons of approaching the trade deadline with aspirations of adding for a deep playoff run, Boston finds itself with long odds to make the playoffs.

The Bruins traded free-agent-to-be Trent Frederic on Tuesday, and more future-focused moves are likely coming as they attempt to retool their roster ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.

Nobody knows just how deep general manager Don Sweeney is willing to cut into the Bruins’ core. But Coyle and Carlo, who are both postseason-tested veterans with term left on their contracts, would be attractive pieces to a playoff team.

They each spoke before the Frederic trade was announced.

“I’ve been in those talks for the bulk of my career, so it’s not really a factor for me. I’m here with the Bruins,” said Coyle, who was traded to Boston at the deadline in 2019. “This is where I want to be, where I want to play. This is the team I want to help to get to the playoffs and win. That’s all I can control.”

Coyle has an eight-team no-trade list. Carlo can block deals to 10 spots.

“I’m not a G.M. I’m not another team. So why worry about that?” said Coyle, who has one more year at $5.25 million on his contract. “Whatever happens, happens, but this is where my mindset is right now. That’s how you’ve got to be.”

Carlo, who has two more years at $4.1 million per year, admitted it’s an uncomfortable week.

“You never like that feeling of uncertainty. Nobody really likes change either. The approach that we’ve had, including myself, is just going day by day,” Carlo said. “I’m just trying to contribute to this group and be the best part of it I can be. I’ve obviously loved being a Boston Bruin and I want to continue to be a Boston Bruin.”

The Bruins entered Wednesday’s game two points out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot but have fewer games left than any other team in the crowded race.

Carlo isn’t giving up on finding a way into the playoffs, but understood moves could be made well before that.

“I still have faith in this team and the guys in this room. I wouldn’t want to be battling with anyone else,” he said. “For me and this group, it’s about going day by day and controlling the things you can control. Outside of that, there’s some hard realities that might have to be faced, but you cross those bridges when you come to them.”

Coyle, 32, appreciated that he’s considered a potentially valuable addition.

“I want to be the best player I can. That’s being here and giving what I can to this team,” he said. “If there are other teams that think that, I appreciate that and that’s nice to hear, but that’s not the kind of thing I’m thinking about. I’m trying to be a well-rounded two-way player who can be versatile and help a team win. I’m just trying to do that here.”

THE BRUINS were busy with roster moves before Wednesday’s practice and made another one before they traveled to North Carolina for Thursday’s game against the Hurricanes.

Jordan Oesterle, a defenseman who scored Tuesday night in Boston’s 6-3 loss to the Nashville Predators, was placed on waivers. The 32-year-old veteran has a goal and five assists in 22 NHL games this season.

Earlier in the day, forwards Vinni Letieri (emergency basis), Riley Tufte and Patrick Brown and defenseman Ian Mitchell were called up from the American Hockey League. Forwards Georgii Merkulov and Jeffrey Viel were returned to Providence.