It’s no secret Don Sweeney and the Bruins have their work out for them this free agent frenzy.
Even after dumping Taylor Hall on the Blackhawks and following through with an almost merciful buyout of Mike Reilly’s contract, the Bruins are set to begin July with just $13.6 million in cap space. And that’s with just six forwards, six defensemen, and one goalie signed to the NHL roster for the 2023-24 season. Break it down per vacancy, and the Bruins have about $1.5 million to spend per player should they go with a standard 13-forward, seven-defenseman, two-goalie roster complexion.
In other words, the Bruins are going to have to hunt for deals this summer, and Sweeney knows it.
“I think the one thing that we’re going to have a tougher time, unless I make a subsequent move, would be to chase the upper end of the marketplace,” Sweeney admitted. “Both from a term and dollars standpoint, I think that’s the simplest way I can describe it, but we are going to find some guys that can slot in and bring a boost to our hockey club in different ways.”
What’s actually interesting about this is that the Bruins are not alone when it comes to their needs for bargain-bin additions. In fact, their $13.6 million in cap space is actually the 12th-most ahead of the start of free agency. That speaks to the crunch the entire league is feeling after the salary cap went up a meager $1 million for the 2023-24 season, sure, but it’s also just a tad misleading given the amount of bodies the Bruins need to fill on their roster.
For the Bruins, the search for help will be conducted high and low, and will almost have to come with options that are less than ideal on the surface. And the options will certain be a far cry from that of the Bruins’ in-house pending free agents they wish they could re-sign, be it a Tyler Bertuzzi or Dmitry Orlov type of talent.
So, who could be on their radar when free agency officially begins later today?
Jonathan Toews
Nov 30, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews (19) skates against the Edmonton Oilers at United Center. (Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports)
Ex-Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is in a really interesting spot here. First of all, whether or not Toews is going to continue his NHL career remains to be seen. Toews missed all of the 2021 season with chronic immune response syndrome, and missed two months last season due to long-COVID symptoms. At 35 years old and with nothing left to prove on the ice or in his bank account, it’s entirely possible that Toews decides that it’s time for something else in life.
But if he does decide to play in 2022-23, will it have to be on a deal that sort of fits what the Bruins are looking for in term of price and term? First of all, Toews is a faceoff-winning center (he was the only guy better than Patrice Bergeron prior to the injury that took him off the faceoff leaderboard), and the Bruins need all the help they can get there with Bergeron’s future uncertain and Tomas Nosek expected to leave. And beyond their obvious need at center, keep in mind that there were rumblings that the B’s were hot for Toews before he took himself out of the 2023 trade deadline sweepstakes due to his illness.
An obvious question: Can Toews still play at an effective level? He’s obviously not what he was when the Blackhawks were winning their three Stanley Cups from 2010 through 2015, but 2022-23 showed that Toews still had some gas in the tank, particularly at the offensive end, as he recorded 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games played.
One interesting note: Toews is 35 years old, meaning that he would be eligible for a bonus-laden contract that could and would lower his cap hit with the Bruins. The Bruins are also in a much better position to absorb bonus overages next year than they are in the now, with that $4.5 million in overages for 2023-24 absolutely wrecking Sweeney’s summer before it even starts.
Daniel Sprong
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Daniel Sprong #91 of the Seattle Kraken skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena on January 25, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
In what was a definite surprise, Ron Francis and the Kraken decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Daniel Sprong, and added one heck of a five-on-five scorer to this year’s free agent pool.
No qualifying offer for Daniel Sprong, one of the most efficient 5v5 scorers in the league. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/QclGVoTqqQ
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 30, 2023On the board with a career-high 21 goals and 45 points this season, Sprong’s 15 even-strength goals were tied for the fourth-most among all Seattle skaters. And though the sample size is an obvious factor here, Sprong’s 1.44 goals per 60 minutes of even-strength play ranked 17th among a group of 551 skaters with 600 minutes played in 2022-23. That 1.44 was just .01 behind Alex Ovechkin, and stronger than names like Jack Eichel and Nathan MacKinnon. (This is not to tell you that Sprong is as good as those players, but rather the highlight the even-strength success he had.)
So, given those numbers, when something like this happens, your first thought has to be why? Were the Kraken spooked by what Sprong could’ve been awarded in arbitration? Or is there perhaps something a little deeper here? Talk of Sprong being a ‘difficult’ player — be it his attitude, approach, or whatever else gets thrown around — has seemingly been there throughout his career. It could be nonsense, or it could be reality. The fact that Sprong, drafted with a second-round pick in 2015, is now looking for his fifth NHL team doesn’t exactly help quiet those rumblings.
Whatever the case, if he can be had at a discounted rate, he’s a player that’s worth a call for the Bruins.
A righty-shooting wing, Sprong is coming off what was a league minimum deal in 2022-23.
Pius Suter
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – FEBRUARY 07: Pius Suter #24 of the Detroit Red Wings tries to control the puck in front of Tyson Barrie #22 of the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Little Caesars Arena on February 07, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. Edmonton won the game 5-2. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
It may be a bit farther down on your list of concerns (and honestly, I can’t blame you), but the impending loss of Tomas Nosek could deliver a significant hit to Boston’s penalty kill, and after a 2022-23 that saw them finish with the best shorthanded group in hockey. One potential fix for that could be found with free agent forward Pius Suter.
One of NHL 80 forwards to log at least 130 minutes on the penalty kill last year, the 27-year-old Suter ranked seventh in on-ice shots against per 60 (46.83), 11th in goals against per 60 (5.69), second in expected goals against per 60 (6.06), and first in high-danger chances against per 60 (17.94). Suter also ranked 19th in takeaways per 60 (3.94) among that group of 80. Unlike Nosek, however, faceoffs are not exactly a strength of Suter’s game, as he took just 31 shorthanded faceoffs last season, and had a 45 percent success rate with all-situation faceoffs in his own end.
The Swiss-born Suter would be an undeniable upgrade over Nosek at the other end of the rink, though, as he’s recorded at least 14 goals in all three of his NHL seasons to date, and has never recorded fewer than 24 points since coming over to the NHL.
Suter may ultimately prove to be out of the Bruins’ price range, and the Bruins may very well believe they have perfectly suitable in-house candidates (Marc McLaughlin and Johnny Beecher come to mind as potential options on that front), but if a depressed market drives his price down, he could be a fit.
Conor Sheary
BOSTON, MA – MAY 19: Conor Sheary #73 of the Washington Capitals makes a play on net against Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins in the second period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on May 19, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
What’s a list of potential Bruins targets without a local guy?
A Melrose, Mass. native, Conor Sheary is hitting the open market after three seasons in Washngton, and on the heels of a 15-goal, 37-point 2022-23 season for the Capitals. A 5-foot-8 forward who can play both left and right wing, Sheary went through an undeniable up-and-down kind of year in Washington this past season, with a start that included four goals in the first seven games of the season, as well as a 21-game goal drought. Even so, Sheary’s 11 even-strength goals ranked fourth among all Washington skaters, while his 28 even-strength points were also good for fourth-most among all Capitals.
At 31 years old, Sheary is part of the NHL middle class that’s almost certainly going to get squeezed down to an under-market value kind of contract (he’s made $1.5 million per year over the last two seasons), and that could be good news for the Bruins. Sheary is the kind of addition the Bruins would make when realizing it may not be the best idea to go with an all-AHL callup kind of approach to building out the seven remaining spots on their forward depth chart.
The former Cushing Academy and UMass-Amherst standout has recorded 120 goals and 252 points in 531 NHL games, and was part of those Pittsburgh teams that won the Stanley Cup in both 2016 and 2017.
Jonathan Drouin
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – FEBRUARY 24: Jonathan Drouin #27 of the Montreal Canadiens looks on during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on February 24, 2023. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The No. 3 overall pick from the 2013 NHL Draft, Jonathan Drouin is in need of some serious value repair.
Involved in what was essentially a one-for-one swap with Mikhail Sergachev back in 2017, Drouin’s move to his hometown Canadiens has been an outright disastrous. In addition to the sluggish numbers (Drouin maxed out at 53 points with the Canadiens but hasn’t hit the 30-point mark in the four seasons that have followed), the troubles seemed to hit a fever pitch this past season, too, with Drouin scratched after he was late to a team meeting. Raw talent has rarely been the problem for Drouin (you’ve seen it at various points in both Tampa Bay and Montreal), but putting it all together has been the issue.
He’s far, far, far from perfect, but the 5-foot-11 left wing could be a valued passing threat for the Bruins, especially if he were to be paired with David Pastrnak. (Just think about what Pastrnak has done for those who have played with him.)
Of all the names on this list, this is the one I have the most doubt about in regards to it actually working with the Bruins. But this is one of those situations where the Bruins would have to hope that their culture, their locker room, and their team-wide buy-in would be enough to turn Drouin into a buy-low steal of sorts for the club.
Blake Wheeler
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 20: Blake Wheeler #26 of the Winnipeg Jets skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 2023 in New York City. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
If it’s reunion season for some, why not have it be reunion season for all?
Bought out by the Jets on Friday, ex-Bruins wing Blake Wheeler is officially an unrestricted free agent and weighing his option for 2023-24, with early word indicating that Wheeler would like to return to the Eastern Conference. So, what’s happened with since Wheeler (and Mark Stuart, lest we forget) left Boston for Atlanta in a 2011 deadline trade for Rich Peverley? Well, how about 812 points in 897 games for the Atlantapeg Jethrashers.
Now, at 36 (and soon to be 37), Wheeler isn’t exactly that player anymore. Particularly on the goal-scoring front, as he’s scored 15, 17, and 16 goals over his last three seasons. But when it comes to the passing game, Wheeler still has some serious juice that’s worth a look. On the board with 39 helpers last year, Wheeler was one of the most proficient wings when it came to dishing the puck, as his 1.12 primary assists per 60 of all-situation play were tied with Tage Thompson and Alex DeBrincat for the 11th-most among all NHL right wingers with at least 1,200 minutes played.
A right-shooting forward, Wheeler can play both the left and right wing, which is of tremendous value to an uncertain Boston depth chart. And when you’re talking about buyout players, the fact that they’re getting paid by another team is always good news when it comes to bringing them aboard your team, especially if you’re short on cap space like the Bruins.
Max Pacioretty
Jan 19, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Max Pacioretty (67) looks on against the Minnesota Wild during the first period at PNC Arena. (James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports)
With Hall gone, and with Bertuzzi looking like he may be on the outs, the Bruins could have a serious need for a top-six left wing. If that indeed holds, Max Pacioretty may be worth the low-risk swing on the part of the Bruins. Traded from Vegas to Carolina following an Achilles injury, Pacioretty would appear in just five games before he suffered yet another Achilles tear. Pacioretty was productive in those five games with the Hurricane, though, with three goals on 16 shots prior to the injury.
At this point, it’s clear that you can’t truly bank on Pacioretty being healthy. The numbers, with just 44 games over the last two seasons, confirm as much. But if and when healthy (and yes, I know those are huge qualifiers), the 34-year-old Pacioretty has remained a capable presence, with 22 goals and 40 points over that 44-game run.
‘How low will he go?’ is the question when it comes to Pacioretty’s next contract. And are the Bruins even in the running? I only ask that because there’s a ton of other names (including the Hurricanes, you’d imagine), who would love to have Pacioretty on their roster at a discounted rate, which could lead the Connecticut to weigh who has the best chance at a Cup in 2024.
The former Montreal captain, who has one of the most potent shots in hockey when on his game, has recorded 326 goals and 645 points in 855 career games between the Canadiens, Golden Knights, and Hurricanes.
Matthew Phillips
Sep 25, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Calgary Flames forward Matthew Phillips (41) handles the puck against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid/USA TODAY Sports
Maybe you’re looking at this name and going, “WHO!?”
First of all, I suggest you get used to that this offseason. You’re going to need to learn a lot of new names and faces this year. But Matthew Phillips might just be the kind of low-risk, high-reward gamble the Bruins want to make this offseason.
A sixth-round pick of the Flames back in 2016, the right-shooting Phillips is coming off a 2022-23 campaign that featured 36 goals (second-most in the AHL) and 76 points (fifth-most in the AHL) in 66 games for AHL Calgary. This, of course, is after a 2021-22 season that featured 31 goals and 68 points in 65 games for AHL Stockton.
So, with numbers like that, why hasn’t he been in the NHL for more than three games in his five-year pro career? Well, the 25-year-old Phillips is listed at 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds.
I know, I know, I know. That’s small, even in a league where smaller guys can thrive. But Phillips simply never got the proper chance under the Flames’ Darryl Sutter, so he giving him an NHL chance could turn out to be a ‘found money’ kind of move for the Bruins should they sign him. And if he doesn’t work out, the Bruins could waive him down to the AHL, where you know he’ll light it up and help further Providence’s younger talent along. (The Bruins are going to need some AHL reinforcements, too, you know.)
Vladislav Namestnikov
Mar 28, 2023; San Jose, California, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) and San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro (38) compete for the puck behind the goal during at SAP Center at San Jose. (D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports)
If it’s positional versatility the Bruins seek — and with so much lineup uncertainty, that may be the move — Vladdy Namestnikov could be a decent gamble for the Bruins. Capable of playing all three forward positions, the 30-year-old Russian put up eight goals and 25 points in 77 games between Tampa Bay and Winnipeg in 2022-23. Given a greater role with the Jets, Namestnikov made a noticeable impact, and finished his Winnipeg run with two goals and 10 points, along with 16 blocked shots and 28 hits, in 20 games with the club. Namestnikov also brought some jam to the Jets in what was an undeniably disappointing playoff run for the club, with two assists, 13 hits, and six blocks in five games.
A well-traveled pro, Namestnikov has played for seven different teams over the course of his 630-game NHL career, and is coming off a one-year deal that came with a $2 million cap hit.
Jesse Puljujarvi
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 21: Jesse Puljujarvi #13 of the Carolina Hurricanes controls the puck during the third period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 21, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Another player on the mend from a serious injury, the word from hockey insider Chris Johnston is that Jesse Puljujarvi recently underwent double hip surgery, which was enough for the Hurricanes to opt not to extend him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Now, as it relates to the injury, if that’s anything like the double hip surgery that Brad Marchand underwent in 2022, the team that signs Puljujarvi will welcome him back to their lineup sometime around January.
The No. 4 overall pick from the 2016 NHL Draft, Puljujarvi is looking for a new home following a 2022-23 season that included five goals and 16 points in 75 games between the Oilers and Hurricanes. Puljujarvi’s struggles were especially brutal in Carolina, as the 6-foot-4 wing recorded just two assists and failed to find the back of the net on his 37 shots over a 17-game run.
Signing Puljujarvi could be the perfect storm in the sense that it’s buying low on a player who is both injured and coming off what was the worst shooting season of his life, with a woeful 4.0 shooting percentage in 2022-23. (Puljujarvi scored 14 goals with an 8.8 percent shooting percentage in 2021-22, and had 15 goals on a 13 percent shooting percentage in 2020-21.)
The 25-year-old Puljujarvi also brings value in the defensive game, and could be utilized in a two-way role for the Bruins.
Connor Brown
Oct 5, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Connor Brown (28) on ice prior to the Capitals’ game against the Detroit Red Wings at Capital One Arena. (Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports)
Another player coming off a major injury, the 29-year-old Connor Brown appeared in just four games for the Capitals before a torn ACL ended his 2022-23 season. Prior to the torn ACL, Brown had recorded three straight seasons of at least 35 points, and had a career-high 21 goals with the Senators during the pandemic-delayed 2021 season. Brown’s scoring will mostly come at even strength, but he’s also a decent shorthanded threat, with eight career shorthanded goals.
Brown has tallied 90 goals and 216 points in 448 career games with the Maple Leafs, Sens, and Capitals.
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)
It feels like every single season begins and ends with the Bruins saying they need a stronger net-front presence. The Bruins seemed to find that with Bertuzzi, but if he’s gone, the Bruins are going to need to find someone new to stand in front of the net and absorb some serious punishment in the name of tips, screens, and deflections.
The 6-foot-3 James van Riemsdyk just might be that kind of guy for the Bruins.
With his disastrous five-year, $35 million contract with the Flyers finally off the books, and with the Flyers in the midst of a complete teardown kind of rebuild, ‘JVR’ seems like someone who is both looking for a new start and someone who can be a bargain if signed for the right dollar amount and utilized in the right role at this point of his career.
The 34-year-old wing’s power-play production cratered down to the depths of hell last season (he scored just two goals on the man advantage for the Flyers in 2022-23), but his individual expected goals was over double that, and he did generate the most high-danger power-play looks among all Philadelphia skaters.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Jan 24, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) awaits the start of play against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at Rogers Arena. (Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports)
Remember the pre-Hampus Lindholm days? If you do, you remember how badly Oliver Ekman-Larsson wanted to come to the Bruins, and how it at one point seemed like a legitimate possibility. In possession of a full no-movement clause, OEL made it known that it was Boston or Vancouver. It ultimately ended up being Vancouver, and that tenure ended after just two seasons, with the Canucks buying out Ekman-Larsson last month.
Not spending assets on acquiring Ekman-Larsson is undoubtedly one of Sweeney’s best non-moves throughout his eight-year tenure as the B’s general manager, but what about acquiring him on a low-money, prove-it type deal to rebuild his value?
Again, with buyout players, cap teams like the Bruins are almost always aided by the fact that the player is getting paid by two players. And if the Bruins cut another defenseman from their rotation in the name of cap flexibility, it’s easy to see Ekman-Larsson could sneak his way into a spot on the Boston backend. Playing with Charlie McAvoy or Brandon Carlo, and in a system that’s constantly brought the best out of any defenseman who plays in it, wouldn’t be the worst way for Ekman-Larsson to rebuild his value and look for another multi-year deal in 2024.
