Bruins inch closer to resolution with two key restricted free agents
Despite an early free-agency flurry, the Bruins still have their share of questions to sort out ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Two of those question marks are on the restricted free agency front, with both Trent Frederic and Jeremy Swayman in need of new contracts, and after what were career-best years from both. Monday saw both players inch closer to a resolution, too, with salary arbitration hearing dates finalized for both Frederic and Swayman. For Swayman, a potential salary arbitration hearing would come on July 30, while Frederic’s is scheduled for just two days later, on August 1.
Bruins arbitration hearing dates—
— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) July 10, 2023
July 26: Ian Mitchell
July 30: Jeremy Swayman
Aug 1: Trent Frederic
(Defenseman Ian Mitchell, who also had a hearing date announced as part of the NHLPA-released schedule, settled with the Bruins on a one-year deal just hours after his July 26 date was announced.)
Before you run up and down Canal St. sounding panic alarms, this is simply the next step in what’s by all means a series of procedural moves before the sides can come to terms on a new deal. It was also the next logical step after all three players officially elected salary arbitration ahead of last week’s deadline.
The scheduled dates do not prevent the sides from continuing to negotiate a contract in the meantime.
Should the parties ultimately require arbitration, the camp of Frederic and Swayman will present a number to a neutral third party on behalf of their clients, while the Bruins will present their own case. The topics permitted to be brought up include the player’s production, their service time, and injury history. What’s important — or, at the very least, interesting — to note is that the Bruins will not be allowed to bring up their own cap situation in their case to the neutral third party, nor will the Bruins be able to bring up what they would view as comparable contracts regarding either player.
And if this goes to arbitration, it is worth noting that the Bruins wouldn’t be able to ‘walk away’ from the third party’s ruling unless the player is awarded a contract with an average annual value of over $4.54 million.
As a general rule of thumb, most teams and players like to avoid an arbitration hearing whenever possible. It can lead to an ugly relationship between the player and the team, as the team is essentially providing reasons why they don’t want to pay you.
Last summer, Pavel Zacha was the club’s lone player scheduled for a hearing, and if you’re looking for potential timeline comps from that, the Bruins and Zacha came to terms on a new deal three days before his scheduled hearing.
The Bruins, who currently have just under $7 million in available cap space, have also managed to avoid going to arbitration with any player since Don Sweeney took over as the team’s general manager in 2015.
A look at where every 2022-23 Bruins player landed in free agency
Tyler Bertuzzi
Alex Lyon of the Florida Panthers makes a save against Tyler Bertuzzi of the Boston Bruins during Game 1 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. (Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)
The obvious big loss of the group, winger Tyler Bertuzzi left the Bruins for a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Maple Leafs. Speaking in the opening hours of free agency, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney felt that the Bruins were out of the running for Bertuzzi because both of the ‘term’ and ‘AAV’ that Bertuzzi was projected to make on his next deal. Things obviously didn’t play out that way, and the Bruins had already pivoted to other business by the time that Bertuzzi’s camp had tried pivoting their own direction away from a big-money, long-term deal.
In Toronto, Bertuzzi will get the chance to absolutely juice his value to the moon, and re-enter the free agent market in 2024 in search of the long-term deal he thought he was going to get this time around. The Maple Leafs are a great spot for Bertuzzi to make that happen, too, especially if it he ends up on a line with Auston Matthews, which certainly seems like a realistic possibility with the Leafs in need of a replacement for Michael Bunting.
As for why that deal didn’t happen with the Bruins? A one-year deal never came up in Boston’s talks with Bertuzzi, and the Bruins weren’t interesting in giving away another player or two to fit Bertuzzi into the mix at that price point, especially with the Bruins still having to fill out a full roster.
Connor Clifton
Jan 28, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton (75) skates with the puck during the second period against the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena. (Jason Mowry/USA TODAY Sports)
On the free agent market with a chance to cash in, and likely priced out of a return to the B’s based on his 2022-23 campaign, Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton opted for familiarity above all else when it came to his new chapter. Off to Buffalo on a three-year, $9.999 million contract, Clifton will reunite with Sabres head coach Don Granato, who coached Clifton during his time with the U.S. National Team Development Program. The 28-year-old Clifton’s move to the Sabres comes after a season that included career-highs in games played (78), goals (five), assists (18), points (23), plus-minus (plus-20), blocks (120), and hits (208). This contract has the makings of a potential steal for the Sabres, really, especially if the Sabres decide to put Clifton next to either Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power.
The Bruins by all means ‘replaced’ Clifton with the signing of Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year contract, and added three right-shooting defensemen in the days leading up to free agency, with Alec Regula, Ian Mitchell, and Reilly Walsh all added to the organization via two separate trades.
Nick Foligno
Feb 25, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Boston Bruins forward Nick Foligno (17) skates with the puck the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Rogers Arena. (Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports)
Technically speaking, Nick Foligno did not hit the free agent market. But that’s because the Blackhawks made sure he couldn’t, as they signed the 35-year-old to a one-year, $4 million contract just a day after they acquired his exclusive negotiating rights from the Bruins in the Taylor Hall salary dump last month. In action for 60 games this past season, Foligno rebounded from what was a disastrous 2021-22 season with the Bruins with 10 goals (his most since 2019-20) and 26 points, and was a valuable fourth-line piece for the Bruins throughout that run.
Garnet Hathaway
Mar 4, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing Garnet Hathaway (21) and New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafrenière (13) tangle after the whistle during the first period at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
A fourth-line banger of the highest order, winger Garnet Hathaway is moving to yet another city that’ll appreciate his hard-hitting ways, as the 31-year-old signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract ($2.375 million cap hit) with the Flyers on the first day of NHL free agency.
Acquired, along with Dmitry Orlov, from the Capitals ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, Hathaway put up four goals and six points, along with 70 hits, in his 25-game run with the Bruins. Hathaway also ranked second among all Bruins for playoff hits, with 27. (Charlie McAvoy led the way in that respect, with 29 hits in seven games.)
As nice as it would’ve been for the Bruins to see what Hathaway could’ve done in a full season with the club, his price was simply too high for a Boston team that couldn’t afford to add that kind of salary to their bottom-six forward group, especially in what would’ve likely been a fourth-line role.
Patrick Brown, who was signed to a two-year deal with an $800,000 cap hit, is slotted to be Hathaway’s replacement, along with returning Bruins such as A.J. Greer and the freshly re-signed Jakub Lauko.
Dmitry Orlov
Apr 17, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov (81) takes a shot against the Florida Panthers during the third period of Game 1 of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
In a free agent class full of players having to take less, defenseman Dmitry Orlov was the big winner, at least when it came to his average annual value, as the 31-year-old signed with the Hurricanes on a contract that’ll come with a ’23 UFA class-high $7.75 million. Now, it’s likely not the term that Orlov wanted, with his big-money pact in Carolina coming on what will be just a two-year deal, but that cap hit is a huuuuuuuge win no matter how you slice it.
In action for 23 games with the Bruins following his trade from Washington to Boston, Orlov put up four goals and 17 points, along with a plus-10 rating, for Jim Montgomery’s squad. That made Orlov the 15th-highest scoring defenseman in the NHL from his Bruins debut through the end of the regular season, and Orlov continued that surge with a team-leading eight assists in Boston’s seven-game playoff series with the Panthers.
The Bruins, as you would expect with a cap hit that high, were never really in on keeping Orlov, and by all means knew that they weren’t going to be able to match what the open market would present him.
Mike Reilly
Mike Reilly of the Bruins skates against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on April 24, 2022. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
With the final year of his three-year, $9 million contract bought out just ahead of the pre-free agency deadline, ex-Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly will begin his fresh start with the Panthers. It’s a definite bargain deal for the Panthers, too, who will have Reilly on their books for just one year, and at a cool $1 million in 2023-24.
On the waiver wire two different times this past season (and unclaimed both times), Reilly put up one assist and 12 shots on goal in 10 games with Boston in 2022-23, and had seven goals and 26 points in 36 games with Providence.
The Bruins tried like hell to trade Reilly before settling on a buyout, which freed up $2.66 million of cap space for the Bruins for this upcoming season before coming with a $1.33 million dead cap charge in 2024-25.
Jack Ahcan
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 10: Jack Ahcan #54 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at TD Garden on March 10, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
A Group 6 unrestricted free agent after a 2022-23 season that included a career-high 31 assists and 36 points in 68 games for the P-Bruins, the 5-foot-8 Ahcan decided to depart the Bruins organization for a two-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche. Ahcan’s contract will come with a league-minimum $775,000 cap hit at the NHL level, and a $400,000 per year salary should he continue to skate in the minor-league ranks.
The 26-year-old Ahcan, who jumped to the B’s organization in 2020 (and during the pandemic) after a strong four-year collegiate career at St. Cloud, had one goal in nine NHL games with the Bruins.
Connor Carrick
Sep 24, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Carrick (58) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports)
Another dependable veteran on the Providence backend, Connor Carrick decided that he was a one-and-done with the Bruins, and decided to return to the Kraken organization on a one-year, two-way contract.
The 29-year-old Carrick will make $775,000 at the NHL level should he make Seattle’s roster, but will make $425,000 if he skates on AHL Coachella Valley in 2023-24, which is actually a $25,000 dip from his 2022-23 salary with Providence.
The 5-foot-11 Carrick produced a Providence backend-best 44 points, along with one assist in one regular season appearance with the Big B’s, this past season. It was seemingly unlikely that the Bruins were going to overextend themselves to keep Carrick around, especially with three right-shot defensemen added to the mix via trade.
Joona Koppanen
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 12: Joona Koppanen #45 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Seattle Kraken in his first NHL game during the first period at TD Garden on January 12, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Another one of Boston’s Group 6 unrestricted free agents, forward Joona Koppanen jumped to Pittsburgh on a two-year deal on the first day of free agency. Koppanen’s move to the Penguins came on a two-year deal that’ll pay him a league-minimum $775,000 per season, but with a contract that becomes a one-way deal in 2024-25, with Koppanen’s minor-league salary set to jump from $450,000 to $775,000 in 2024-25.
A fill-in on Boston’s fourth line for five games this past season, the 6-foot-5 Finnish forward chipped in with one assist, two shots, and eight hits. Koppanen also had a strong showing at the faceoff dot, with wins in 25 of his 44 battles at the dot (56.8 percent), including wins in 17 of his 27 defensive-zone drops.
A fifth-round pick of the Bruins back in in 2016, Koppanen also established new single-season career-highs in goals (12), assists (23), and points (35) in 64 games with Providence in 2022-23, and logged 245 games of total experience with AHL Providence since the 2017-18 season.
Vinni Lettieri
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 05: Vinni Lettieri #95 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 05, 2022 in New York City. The Bruins defeated the Rangers 5-4. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
One of Providence’s better forwards in 2022-23, ‘tweener’ Vinni Lettieri decided to go home this offseason, as the Minnesota native signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Wild. Like any depth signing, Lettieri’s contract will come with a $775,000 cap hit at the NHL level, while his minor-league salary will check in at $550,000 per year over the life of the two-year deal signed by Wild general manager Billy Guerin.
Lettieri appeared in 48 games for the P-Bruins this past season, and ranked second on the team in both goals (23) and points (49), which made him the only Providence skater to average over a point-per-game (minimum 40 games played). Lettieri also got into one game of NHL action for Boston during the regular season, and it would’ve been more had it not been for an in-practice injury suffered mere moments after his first call-up to the Big B’s.
Lettieri has recorded seven goals and 18 points in 83 NHL games between the Rangers, Ducks, and Bruins.
Chris Wagner
Mar 3, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins right wing Chris Wagner (14) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
By all means trapped in the minors for the last two seasons due to cap issues and the Bruins looking for a different complexion on their fourth line, Walpole, Mass. native Chris Wagner packed his bags and moved back out to the Western Conference, this time by way of a one-year, two-way deal with the Avalanche. Wagner’s new contract will come with a $775,000 cap hit at the NHL level, and a $375,000 salary in the minors.
One of Boston’s top hitters throughout his time with the Bruins, Wagner played ultimate good soldier over the last two seasons, with 34 goals and 58 points in 124 games with Providence. Wagner made his post-waiving NHL returns count, too, with 17 hits in two NHL appearances with the Bruins between 2022 and 2023.
Tomas Nosek
Nov 25, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Tomas Nosek (92) gets set for a face-off during the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
In a bit of a surprise, especially given his success as a penalty-killing forward and fourth-line center this past season, Tomas Nosek had to wait almost three weeks into free agency before finding a home for 2023-24 by way of a one-year, $1 million contract with New Jersey.
Nosek posted a career-high 18 points and plus-9 rating in 66 games with the B’s last season, and averaged 2:33 of shorthanded time on ice as part of Boston’s go-to penalty-killing forward tandem for a B’s penalty kill that finished the year as the best shorthanded unit in the league. Nosek, who will turn 31 years old this September, also had tremendous success at the faceoff dot, with a 59.3 percent success rate at the dot (his best figure since becoming a full-time center). Nosek was especially strong in his own end, with a 58.3 faceoff percentage in defensive-zone faceoffs during the 2022-23 season.
Still looking for work…
Oct 25, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) congratulates center David Krejci (46) after their 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Elsewhere on the NHL roster (though I almost don’t even wanna include these guys here), Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci remain unrestricted free agents. This is not a ‘teams not being interested’ thing as much as it’s both players making it known that they’d only player for the Bruins if they’re going to play in the NHL. The Bruins are leaving the door open for both players until they hear otherwise.
