Bruins sign young former second-round pick to one-year deal
The Boston Bruins are back in the business of buying low on young players with untapped potential.
As announced by the team on Wednesday, they’re signing former Devils forward Jesper Boqvist to a one-year deal with a cap hit of $775,000. This is presumably a one-way contract, meaning Boqvist would make the same money in the NHL and AHL, making it likely he’d play the majority of his games in Boston.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JANUARY 22: Jesper Boqvist #70 of the New Jersey Devils skates with the puck during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Prudential Center on January 22, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Boqvist most recently played 70 games for the Devils in 2022-23, scoring 10 goals and 21 points in mainly a bottom-9 role. He went to the penalty box exactly one time, which earned him four votes for the Lady Byng Trophy. A left-shot forward, Boqvist does have experience playing center, but he’s won only 36.2 percent of faceoffs in his career.
The true appeal of this signing, however, is in Boqvist’s age and pedigree. He’s still just 24 years old and was originally drafted 36th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. That year has proven to be relatively stinky in the annals of draft history, so Boqvist isn’t alone in failing to live up to his potential as a second-round pick.
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The B’s are hoping that lightning strikes twice, and that Boqvist becomes another steal from the Devils. Former first-rounder Pavel Zacha had something of a breakout season in 2022-23 and signed a four-year extension, locking in as a core player for the foreseeable future.
Boqvist doesn’t necessarily need to be more than a serviceable bottom-six forward, on this particular contract. But considering the Bruins’ tight cap situation, it’s a good idea for GM Don Sweeney to invest in higher-upside lottery tickets to fill out the roster.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.
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Bruins announce jersey numbers for newest signings
What’s in a sweater number, anyway?
For some, an awful lot. Be it their favorite number, their number since their youth hockey days, or something deeper than that. For others, it’s just the best available. That was certainly the case for a few of the newest Bruins skaters added to the fold for 2023-24 and beyond, too, be it due to a number being in use or currently hanging from the Garden rafters.
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 24: Boston Bruins fans hold a giant flag with the Boston Logo on it prior Game Six of the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks at TD Garden on June 24, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Boston’s new sweater number conflicts were going to be obvious, too, with three of the Black and Gold’s five NHL-level additions coming to town with conflicts or numbers that simply weren’t going to be available to them.
But the wait won’t drag on into training camp, as the Bruins confirmed five of the newest numbers added to the mix, and soon to be added to the TD Garden pro shop in some fashion.
No. 12: Kevin Shattenkirk
Jan 24, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (22) looks to pass in the second period against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena. (Matt Kartozian/USA TODAY Sports)
For the first time in over 12 years, veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is going to have a different number on the back of his jersey. Since 2011, Shattenkirk has sported the No. 22, and with five different organizations, with that number available and given to him with the Blues, Capitals, Rangers, Lightning, and Ducks.
But the No. 22 is unavailable, as it hangs from the TD Garden rafters since being retired for Willie O’Ree back in 2022.
So it’ll be back to No. 12 for Shattenkirk, which the New York native last wore back 2010-11 as a member of the Blues. (Shattenkirk broke into the NHL wearing No. 8 with the Colorado Avalanche, but that obviously wasn’t available to him in Boston, as that number was worn by Cam Neely and is also retired by the organization.)
Shattenkirk will be the first Bruin to wear No. 12 since Craig Smith, and the first defenseman to wear No. 12 for the Bruins since Tomas Kaberle upon his deadline jump to Boston in 2011.
No. 17: Milan Lucic
Apr 12, 2023; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Milan Lucic (17) against the San Jose Sharks during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. (Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports)
Those of you still in possession of your No. 17 jerseys purchased between 2007 and 2015 are in luck, as Milan Lucic will indeed return to the No. 17 he made a best seller during his eight-year run with the Bruins. The jersey was made available to Lucic when the Bruins opted to include the negotiating rights to then-pending unrestricted free agent Nick Foligno in the Taylor Hall trade made by the B’s and Blackhawks ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Foligno was one of two Bruins to wear No. 17 since Lucic’s departure in 2015, as the number was also worn by winger Ryan Donato during his time with the club from 2018 through 2019.
(Part of me wanted to know what would’ve happened had Foligno stayed with the Bruins and Lucic rejoined the club? I know that’s incredibly unlikely as Lucic was effectively brought to Boston to be a Foligno replacement, but imagine Lucic rocking that No. 62 he first wore with the Bruins when he was a face-smashing must-keep in 2007?)
No. 21: James van Riemsdyk
Apr 11, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers left wing James van Riemsdyk (25) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports)
Winger James van Riemsdyk has had his battles when it comes to his preferred No. 21.
The 34-year-old broke into the NHL wearing No. 21 with the Flyers, but when he returned to the organization as a free agent signing back in 2018, that number was taken by Scott Laughton. That led van Riemsdyk to take No. 25 on his second Philly run. And though van Riemsdyk joined the Maple Leafs wearing No. 21 back in 2012, van Riemsdyk had to switch to No. 25 when the Leafs decided to retired Borje Salming’s No. 21 in 2016.
But with No. 25 in Boston taken by Brandon Carlo, ‘JVR’ will return to his comfort zone and wear No. 21 with the Bruins. That number was last worn by Garnet Hathaway, and Nick Ritchie before him. Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell was given No. 21 during his 2022 preseason run with the Bruins, but with JVR in town, he’ll have to find a new number upon a potential jump to the NHL, should it come in 2023-24, anyway.
No. 38: Patrick Brown
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)
Perhaps the most addition without a sweater number conflict upon his jump to the Bruins, bottom-six forward Patrick Brown will stick with his trusty No. 38 for his Boston run. It’s the number that Brown has worn with the Golden Knights, Flyers, and Senators, and really every NHL stop with the exception of his 28-game run with the Hurricanes over three seasons (he wore No. 36 for that).
Brown, who wore No. 23 during his run at Boston College, will be the first Bruins player to wear No. 38 since Jesper Froden in 2022. Brown will be just the 13th player in franchise history to wear No. 38.
No. 39: Morgan Geekie
Mar 3, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Seattle Kraken center Morgan Geekie (67) skates during the first period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. (Jason Mowry/USA TODAY Sports)
Versatile forward Morgan Geekie arrived to the Bruins as another player whose preferred number was not going to be available to him, with the No. 67 that Geekie had sported with the Kraken and Hurricanes in use by the Bruins, and worn by Jakub Zboril since his jump to the NHL in 2021. So Geekie will move 28 digits down the board, and don a No. 39 sweater to begin his Bruins career. This will make Geekie the first Boston skater to wear that number since Matt Beleskey skated with it from 2015 through 2018. Geekie will be just the 10th No. 39 in team history.
