Bruins Need to Remain Smart With Many Options This Offseason
Bruce Bennett - Getty Images
We’re back, baby! It’s July, trades are happening, rumors are flooding Twitter. Bruins fans are arguing about who should be protected in the expansion draft, who shouldn’t be protected, and who’s to blame for the 2019 Stanley Cup loss to the St. Louis Blues. Everything is back to normal.
Some fans live for the playoffs - as they say, there’s nothing better than playoff hockey. Other fans however live for the offseason - all the rumors and the anticipation of when the the first domino will drop, subsequently leading to all hell breaking loose in the hockey world - I’m not sure there’s anything better than that.
This offseason is a particularly unique one for the Boston Bruins. The organization has some important key names that are free agents this offseason, as well as a lot of external free agent options that are enticing - that being said, there almost appears to be too many options for the Bruins to pick from.
Let’s start by identifying their UFA’s and RFA’s.
UFA’s and RFA’s
Taylor Hall: There are just too many varying reports out there to have a solid perspective on where Hall is going to play next season. Some rumors indicated a return to Boston, 4-5 years at around $5.5M cap hit. Other rumors, specifically coming from insider Elliote Friedman indicate other teams may be making a solid push at the 29-year-old former MVP. The Bruins should look to re-sign Hall as long as the term isn’t long and the cap hit is fair - fair being no more than $6M.
David Krejci: All signs point towards the Bruins bringing Krejci back. At 35-years-old, the Bruins assistant captain has been open about not wanting to play for any other team. Look for the Bruins to sign Krejci to a 1-2 year contract with a lower AAV.
Nick Ritchie: The 7th Player Award Winner! The “Better Ritchie” - after a rough campaign in 2020, Ritchie had a comeback season in 2021 with 15 goals and 11 assists in 56 games. As an RFA, the Bruins have a bit more flexibility in terms of signing him. With the departure of defenseman Kevan Miller due to retirement, the Bruins will need to find physicality elsewhere, and Ritchie has shown he can provide it at times.
Ondrej Kase: I mean, who freakin’ knows. Kase has been battered with injuries prohibiting the 25-year-old forward from adequately showcasing his potential. As Kase begins to near his prime, he’s unlikely to get the compensation he desires with the limited amount of NHL games he’s played (207 games) in 6 professional seasons. Kase has only played 20 games, including playoffs, for the Bruins. If he does re-sign, and I find it likely he will, it’s expected to be a shorter term with a low salary.
Sean Kuraly: Who freakin’ knows pt. 2. Sean Kuraly has been incredibly productive on the 4th line for the Bruins, but with young forwards like Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka, it may be time to move on from the 28-year-old forward. I do expect Kuraly to sign elsewhere.
Mike Reilly: The Bruins acquired Mike Reilly for a 3rd-round draft pick and it was quickly considered one of the better trades of the deadline last season. Reilly was immediately a productive part of the Bruins top-4 after a relatively slow start for the Bruins blue line. Re-signing Reilly is an obvious “yes”, but it got more complicated when a few veteran defenseman we’re bought-out, offering additional options for the Bruins.
Tuukka Rask: Just sign him. 2 years. Keep the salary around $4-$5M. Everyone’s happy.
Jaroslav Halak: It was a great run for Halak in Boston, but unfortunately for the 36-year-old veteran goaltender, last season was not a great showing. Pair that with a very productive rookie season for 22-year-old Jeremy Swayman and it appears Boston has found their new back-up goaltender.
Free Agent Options
Here’s where things get messy.
Ryan Suter: In a shocking development, the captain of the Minnesota Wild was bought-out ahead of the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, allowing the 36-year-old veteran defenseman to test free agency. Suter has spent the last 9 years with the Wild, and previously spent 7 years with the Nashville Predators. Although you would think Suter having the ability to test free agency would be a great opportunity, recent reports indicate that when Suter was called to be informed of his contract being bought-out, Suter hung-up on Wild GM Bill Guerin. Suter would likely offer a particular veteran precense it appeared the Bruins were missing on the blue line last season, but is it the right presence considering the other options? Is it worth signing Suter over sticking with Mike Reilly, who’s not only younger but certainly offers more years of productivity?
Keith Yandle: Nothing like a nice little buy-out SOOOOOOOOONK on a Thursday afternoon. The Florida Panthers announced that Keith Yandle would not be returning to Sunrise next season. A 34-year-old left-shot defenseman with explosive skating, relatively good offensive upside, and from Milton, Massachusetts? It’s almost too perfect. That’s what concerns me…on paper this is a no-brainer. But unless Yandle is willing to take a home town discount, the Bruins might want to be careful about bringing another local kid home and really plan for Charlie McAvoy’s next contract, which is expected to be large, as well as weigh alternative options like re-signing Mike Reilly, weighing the productivity of Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon and Urho Vaakanainen, as well as explore the trade market for a potentially longer-term option. That being said, if the Bruins are looking to make one or two more pushes with their current core, Yandle fits-in nicely with that approach.
Gabriel Landeskog: On paper? Yup. The amount of paper that will need to be put in Landeskog’s bank account to get him to come to Boston? Nope. 28-years-old, incredibly productive offensively, and has a very productive physical element to his game - Landeskog is the perfect style for the Bruins, however the timing isn’t right to have him sporting the Spoked-B. It’s reported Landeskog is asking for, and will likely get close to $9-$10M on the free market, and with McAvoy’s extension pending next year, that’s not a price tag the Bruins can afford right now.
Zach Hyman: No. Hyman is 29-years-old and was a very productive forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but $6-$7M productive? Hyman has never had more than 41 points in his career, and last year had 33 points n 43 games. It also appears Hyman wants a long-term deal - this would not put the Bruins in a good position and despite the rumors that Boston is calling Toronto about acquiring Hyman’s rights before free agency, Sweeney should turn the phone off and look elsewhere.
Vladimir Tarasenko: It’s already been reported that the Bruins are not one of the teams inquiring about pending free agent Tarasenko. Although extremely productive, the 29-year-old forward has not had a statistically productive last two years with the St. Louis Blues, only playing in 10 games in 2020, and 24 games in 2021 due to injuries. You can already cross Tarasenko off the list.