Bruins sign two of their restricted free agents
The Bruins took care of two of their restricted free agents on Wednesday.
Mar 26, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Boston Bruins center Jakub Lauko (94) is congratulated by defenseman Brandon Carlo (25) after his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
With their free agency flurry behind them, the Bruins have shifted their focus towards within, and handled two pieces of business Wednesday by way of hammering out two contracts for their restricted free agents.
Up front, the Bruins have announced the signing of Jakub Lauko to a two-year contract.
A surprise out of training camp, the 23-year-old Lauko certainly took advantage of his NHL minutes in 2022-23, with four goals and seven points in 23 games with Boston this past season.
Lauko was also tremendous when it came to drawing penalties (his 3.24 penalties per 60 ranked first among the group of 717 NHL players with at least 200 minutes played this past season), and really proved to be an effective agitating presence for the Bruins without resorting to any 'goofy' stuff that would've put him under the microscope of any and every official.
Lauko's new contract will come with a $787,500 cap hit at the NHL level, and will be a two-way contract in 2023-24, and a one-way contract in 2024-25. The two-way contract status in 2023-24 really only has to do with Lauko's pay in the NHL vs. AHL, and has no impact on his waiver status, as Lauko would require waivers to be sent down to the minors next season.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 03: Kyle Keyser #85 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on October 03, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
In addition to Lauko, the team also announced a one-year contract for restricted free agent Kyle Keyser.
Signed to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $775,000, Keyser is set to begin the season as the No. 4 goaltender on the organizational depth chart, and directly behind the recently re-signed Brandon Bussi in Providence.
The 24-year-old Keyser is coming off a career-high 13 wins in 24 games with AHL Providence last season. The 6-foot-2 Keyser, who has battled injuries throughout his professional career, has posted a 28-25-11 record with a .904 save percentage in 68 games with the P-Bruins since the start of the 2019-20 season.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has been covering the Bruins since 2010, and has been a member of the Boston chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
