Who Will The Boston Bruins Sign This Weekend?

The Bruins may be a bit more active in the NHL free agent frenzy after some new names were added to the pool with the latest round of contract buyouts

With the opening of NHL free agency now upon us, the Boston Bruins are on the clock for any roster moves big or small.

After trading Taylor Hall and a buyout of defenseman Mike Reilly that took place on Friday, the Boston Bruins have approximately $13.6 million in salary cap space per our good friends at PuckPedia. They also have way more options than they probably thought they did a couple of days ago after a chain of contract buyouts has created a secondary market of unrestricted free agents that may turn into bargain players based on circumstances.

We’ve already discussed an imminent return for Milan Lucic to the Boston Bruins on short term money that could help shore up their bottom-6 forward group that’s trending toward younger players. But what about a return for 36-year-old Blake Wheeler, who was still good enough last season to ring up 16 goals and 55 points for the Winnipeg Jets after being asked to give up the captaincy he’d had for a long run in Winnipeg?

Or a bargain signing of 32-year-old Matt Duchene, who had 22 goals and 56 points for the Nashville Predators last season, and is just two years removed from 43 goals and 86 points for the Predators? Duchene was also bought out of his contract by the Predators and would be a very palatable stopgap solution at the center spot if indeed both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are planning to retire this summer.

It looks like Don Sweeney is going to lose Tyler Bertuzzi to the free agent market after the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on contract terms during difficult salary cap times, but the Bruins GM seemed confident that other useful players would be there.

“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 [free agent] marketplace,” said Sweeney before departing the NHL Draft on Thursday afternoon. “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 will be interesting is if free agency interest in the Boston Bruins ends up spurring Sweeney and Co. to trade some veteran players in order to create cap space for some roster turnover. It could be an interesting Saturday for the Boston Bruins after all.

Here’s a list of (some surprising, some not so much) players to look out for in terms of potential positive impact for the Black and Gold: