Bruins add a new center as part of early free agent flurry
The Boston Bruins acted quickly to preserve their center depth on the first day of NHL free agency.
As reported first by NHL insider Chris Johnston, the Bruins are signing center Morgan Geekie to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $2 million. Geekie is a 24-year-old right-shot center who spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Kraken.
![ST PAUL, MN - NOVEMBER 03: Morgan Geekie #67 of the Seattle Kraken celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild in the second period at Xcel Energy Center on November 3, 2022 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2023/07/GettyImages-1244472191-copy.jpg)
Morgan Geekie of the Seattle Kraken celebrates a goal against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on November 3, 2022. (David Berding/Getty Images)
Geekie scored nine goals and 28 points in 69 games with the Kraken last season, despite averaging just 10:27 of ice time as mainly a fourth-line center. His 28 points led all forwards who averaged under 11 minutes per game. Geekie also blocked 33 shots and dished out 53 hits.
On paper, Geekie looks like the replacement for Tomas Nosek as the Bruins’ new fourth-line center. However, Nosek was a left-shot center, leaving the Bruins right-shot-heavy down the middle, especially if Patrice Bergeron decides to return. Pavel Zacha is currently the Bruins’ only left shot projected to play center on the NHL roster next season.
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At 24 years old, Geekie is an outlier compared to the majority of the Bruins’ early free-agent signings. They’ve focused primarily on signing older veterans to one-year deals in the $1 million range, making Geekie their most expensive move thus far.
The Bruins are also reportedly bringing back veteran winger Milan Lucic, and signing veteran forward James van Riemsdyk and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. This was inevitably going to be necessary, considering the Bruins’ tight salary cap situation.
![SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 27: Milan Lucic #17 of the Calgary Flames skates during the third period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on January 27, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2023/07/GettyImages-1460153601-copy.jpg)
Milan Lucic (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
It’s frustrating that the Bruins couldn’t re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi after trading Taylor Hall for essentially just cap space. But it’s still just the first day of free agency and the Bruins’ roster-building still appears incomplete. And Geekie, in a vacuum, is a positive signing for them.