Bruins keep another young forward in-house with new contract
The Boston Bruins have completed another free-agent signing in what’s been a busy month for GM Don Sweeney.
As announced by the team on Tuesday, the Bruins have re-signed restricted free agent forward Marc McLaughlin to a one-year, two-way contract. “Two-way” essentially means that McLaughlin will make more money playing in the NHL than the AHL, where he’s likely to spend a good chunk of next season.
Marc McLaughlin of the Boston Bruins looks to clear the puck past Colin White of the Ottawa Senators during a game at TD Garden on April 14, 2022. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
McLaughlin’s NHL cap hit will be set at $775,000. A right-shot forward who can play center or wing, McLaughlin figures to have a shot at playing extensive bottom-six minutes for a retooled Bruins team in the 2023-24 campaign.
After signing with the Bruins as a free agent, McLaughlin played in 11 games during the 2021-22 season, tallying three goals. He played in only two games in the 2022-23 season, mainly because the Bruins iced arguably their deepest roster in history and rarely had room for him.
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The B’s still have two key restricted free agent situations to resolve, with goaltender Jeremy Swayman and forward Trent Frederic. Their salary arbitration hearings are scheduled for later this month.
Boston also recently reached a two-year agreement with RFA forward Jakub Lauko, and a one-year deal for goaltender Kyle Keyser. But as we just laid out, Sweeney certainly isn’t done finalizing contracts for next season and beyond.
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Bruins add even more depth to organization with five signings
PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 14: Anthony Richard #90 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring a goal in the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
One intriguing depth move for the Bruins came with the addition of forward Anthony Richard.
Inked to a one-year, two-way deal that would pay Richard the league minimum $775,000 at the NHL level, the 26-year-old’s move to the Bruins organization comes after a 2022-23 campaign spent with his home province Canadiens.
In the AHL, the 5-foot-11 Richard was an undeniable standout, with 30 goals and 67 points in 60 games for AHL Laval. Richard led the Rocket in goals (30), assists (37), and points (67), and his 30 goals were actually tied for the seventh-most among all AHL skaters in 2022-23.
Richard, who has named to the 2023 All-Star Challenge, was also one of just six AHL skaters to record at least 30 goals and at least 30 assists last season.
Mar 7, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Jayson Megna (7) during the game at Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle defeated Anaheim 5-2. (Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports)
Another move with an emphasis on replenishing Providence’s forward depth with an experienced face came with Boston’s signing of Jayson Megna to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level.
A 6-foot-1 right shot, the 33-year-old Megna spent the majority of the 2022-23 season with Anaheim, and with two goals and eight points in 41 games for the Ducks. Megna actually began last season with the Avalanche, and had 20 hits and a 50.7 faceoff percentage in 14 games with Colorado, but was claimed off waivers by the Ducks in December.
Megna also added three goals and six points in nine games with AHL Colorado in 2022-23.
Your classic ‘tweener’ type, Megna has made NHL appearances for five different teams since 2013 (the Penguins, Rangers, Canucks, Avalanche, and Ducks), and has 12 goals and 33 points over that 203-game NHL run.
Megna has added 121 goals and 251 points in 415 AHL games since 2012.
VANCOUVER, CANADA – MARCH 11: Patrick Brown #38 of the Ottawa Senators skates up ice during the second period of their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on March 11, 2023. (Derek Cain/Getty Images)
Of the additonal ‘depth’ signings finalized by the Bruins to round out their Day 1 of free agency, the addition of forward Patrick Brown seems to have the greatest potential impact as far as the NHL roster goes, with the 31-year-old Brown signed a two-year contract worth $800,000 per season.
A right-shooting forward who can play both center and wing, Brown is coming off a 2022-23 season split between Philadelphia and Ottawa, and with Brown on the board for four goals and 12 points in 61 games.
Jan 21, 2023; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (38) controls the puck against Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) during the first period at UBS Arena. (Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)
On the backend in Providence, the Bruins have added some snarl with the addition of Parker Wotherspoon.
A 6-foot-1 defenseman, Wotherspoon was given the first NHL run of his professional career this past season, with a 12-game sample with the Islanders. Over the course of his 12-game run, the 25-year-old posted one assist and a plus-5 rating, and added seven blocks and eight hits, while averaging 13:20 per night.
“Wotherspoon is a hard-nosed lefty and we saw a lot of him in Bridgeport and our guys were high on him,” said Sweeney. “So, he can create some competition in all of those areas.”
Sep 27, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins forward Luke Toporowski (83) and New York Rangers defenseman Ty Emberson (39) battle for the puck during the first period at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
And in what was a little bit of some deserved housekeeping, the Bruins signed forward Luke Toporowski to a standard, two-year entry-level contract that’ll come with an NHL cap hit of $870,000.
With Providence on an AHL-only deal, the feisty 24-year-old wing tallied 15 goals and 29 points, along with a plus-8 rating, in 47 games for the P-Bruins. Despite being with the club on a minors only kind of contract, the Bruins made it known to Toporowski that there was always a path to an NHL contract with the club (Kevan Miller is a notable success story on that front for the Bruins), and the Iowa-born winger didn’t let it slip out of reach.
