In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, the Bruins have officially come to terms on a contract with recent addition Ian Mitchell. Meanwhile, recent subtraction Connor Clifton received a plethora of interest on the free-agent market before deciding to join the Buffalo Sabres. In other news, the arbitration hearing dates for Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic have been set. Let’s discuss that and more in this latest Bruins News & Rumors column.
Bruins Sign Mitchell to Cheap Deal
The Bruins have signed Mitchell to a one-year, $775,000 contract. An important note about this cheap deal is that it is a one-way contract, so he will make the same salary at the NHL level and in the American Hockey League (AHL). The 24-year-old defenseman had an arbitration hearing set for July 26, but Bruins general manager (GM) got him signed far before it.
Mitchell will now be competing for a spot on Boston’s roster during training camp. With the Bruins signing veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, it is unlikely that Mitchell will land a spot on their bottom pairing. However, he certainly should be in the running to be a depth defenseman on the club.
In 35 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, Mitchell had one goal, seven assists, and a minus-8 rating.
Several Teams Tried to Sign Clifton
Clifton proved to be an important part of the Bruins’ blueline last season and had the best season of his career in the process. In 78 games with the Bruins, he posted five goals, 23 points, 208 hits, and a plus-20 rating – all career highs. This led to Clifton landing his big three-year, $10 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres, but word is he had several other options. According to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dumont, Clifton had as many as 10 offers and one was longer-term and with a higher AAV (from ‘You can expect the hits to keep on coming from Connor Clifton in Buffalo,’ Boston Globe, 7/8/2023).
With this news, it is clear that there was no way that the Bruins were going to be able to bring Clifton back. It also shows that Clifton sees something promising brewing with the Sabres, as he turned down a bigger offer elsewhere. It is understandable, as the Sabres are on the rise and have plenty of potential. He should be in the running for a bigger role there, likely playing top-four minutes.
Bruins Important Arbitration Dates
The NHLPA has announced the arbitration dates for restricted free agents (RFA) Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic. Swayman’s hearing is set to take place on July 30, while Frederic’s occurs one day later on August 1. However, like we saw with Mitchell, Swayman and Frederic can still be signed before the dates of their arbitration hearings. In fact, Sweeney has made it known that he is aiming to do just that.
It would be ideal for the Bruins to come to terms with these two before their arbitration dates, as it would likely lead to them saving some much-needed salary. It also would give them a better understanding of how much cap space they have to left re-sign Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci, depending on if the two elect to play another season.
Related: 3 Bruins Breakout Candidates for the 2023-24 Season
In 37 games this past season for the Bruins, Swayman posted a 24-6-4 record, a 2.27 goals-against average (GAA), and a .920 save percentage (SV%). Frederic, on the other hand, posted 17 goals, 31 points, and a plus-28 rating in 79 games played.
New Bruins Choose Their Numbers
The Bruins made multiple free-agent signings this offseason, adding Milan Lucic, Morgan Geekie, James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Brown, and Shattenkirk. Now, the newcomers have picked the numbers that they will be wearing in Boston.
Lucic of course will be rocking No. 17, the number he wore during his first stint as a Bruin. With No. 67 taken by defenseman Jakub Zboril, Geekie has switched to No. 39. van Riemsdyk wore No. 25 with the Philadelphia Flyers last season, but that’s Brandon Carlo’s number, so he will be changing back to No. 21. Patrick Brown will wear No. 38, which he wore with the Flyers and Ottawa Senators last season. With No. 22 retired for Willie O’Ree, Kevin Shattenkirk will be switching to No. 12.
