The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is upon us and as expected, the Boston Bruins have begun to make moves to help clear cap space. As predicted, the NHL’s cap ceiling only went up by $1 million, meaning for many teams, it’s time to start getting creative to clear up cap space and build the next championship team.
Related: Bruins’ 2023 Draft Priority Ranking By Position
The first casualty of the Bruins’ lack of cap space came on Monday with a trade that sent Taylor Hall and the rights to unrestricted free agent (UFA) Nick Foligno, who the team was definitely not going to be able to afford to re-sign, to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for restricted free agent (RFA) defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula. While Hall has had a pretty good tenure in Boston, the team simply cannot afford his salary. The trade created $6 million in cap space.
Don’t be surprised if more trades come about in the next few days as it is unlikely that the Bruins are done. As I’ve previously discussed, if David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron choose to retire this summer, the team is going to be desperate for top-six center talent that will most likely have to be overpaid for at the start of free agency or acquired via trade. General manager Don Sweeney certainly has some very important days ahead of him.
Here are the names of a few more guys that could be involved in trades over the next few days as the NHL gathers for the 2023 Draft.
Linus Ullmark
Linus Ullmark is a name that has been tossed around a lot in the past few weeks as a potential trade candidate. He even made comments about it at a recent media availability in Nashville, where he is in town for the NHL Awards where he won the Vezina Trophy for the first time in his career. Like Hall, Ullmark has had a good tenure in Boston. He had a career year in 2022-23 with a record of 40-6-1, a goals-against average of 1.89, and a save percentage of .938.
Yet, this is the reality of the business of sports. Ullmark is entering the third year of a four-year contract that carries a cap hit of $5 million. After having a no-move clause for the first two years of his contract, he now only has a 16-team no-trade list. Coming off his best season and a contract that isn’t that bad, he is at his most valuable on the market. The Bruins could flip him into a center or into draft picks and more cap space.
No matter what the Bruins do with Ullmark, they are in a pretty good situation. Either they keep the most recent Vezina Trophy winner on their roster or they flip him for valuable assets. They have options to replace him with Jeremy Swayman (only an RFA) and American Hockey League (AHL) standout Brandon Bussi, who just received a new contract. If the offer for Ullmark is right, the front office may have no choice but to make the trade.
Matt Grzelcyk
Like Ullmark, Matt Grzelcyk is another name that has been tossed around as a potential trade candidate this offseason and very well may end up as part of a draft-day deal. The 29-year-old is still relatively young and has proven that he can be a top-four defenseman in the NHL. Any team in this league would be lucky to get him as an addition to their roster.
Grzelcyk is entering the final year of a four-year contract that carries a cap hit of $3.687 million. Trading him would not create as much cap space as Hall did, but the Bruins need all the help they can get. After being a healthy scratch for a few games during the playoffs, a change of scenery may be the right decision for all parties.
He is coming off a career high in points in 2022-23 where he had four goals and 26 points in 75 games. He is a puck-moving defenseman, something all teams in the NHL need these days. Considering the Bruins do not pick until the third round, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get flipped for higher draft picks.
With the new acquisitions of Regula and Mitchell, who are unproven but younger talent, it could be the writing on the wall that the front office has plans to deal Grzelcyk in the coming days. The Bruins’ top prospect, Mason Lohrei, also looks ready for an NHL spot and could slide in if Grzelcyk is traded. If he remains on the roster, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes part of a trade deadline deal considering he’s in a contract year.
AHL & Prospect Trades
Lost in the news of the big trade, the Bruins also made an AHL swap on Monday with the New Jersey Devils, receiving Reilly Walsh in exchange for Shane Bowers, who was acquired at this year’s trade deadline for Keith Kinkaid. Both players have seen little action at the NHL level, and are still looking to make the leap. Don’t be surprised to see more of these types of trades over the next few days and at the draft, particularly on the second day. The Bruins only have five draft picks this year and may be looking to trade some of their guys playing in Providence for more draft picks in the later rounds.
These types of deals won’t make the same headlines, but could still factor into decisions being made over the next few days. Keep an eye on defenseman Mike Reilly, who the Bruins have tried to trade away previously. He does carry a decent cap hit that the team is going to have to deal with this offseason.
Outside of Fabian Lysell, Mason Lohrei, Matthew Poitras, and Georgii Merkulov, I wouldn’t be surprised if most prospects are also fair game for trades at this year’s draft. If the Bruins are planning to make a play for a bigger name, there are certainly some prospects that could be included in a larger deal, maybe even with Ullmark or Grzelcyk.
NHL Craziness
With the NHL Draft this week and the start of free agency a few days later, the NHL has entered its last frenzied, crazy period before things quiet down for the rest of the summer. If something doesn’t happen in the next two weeks, then most likely the Bruins won’t be making a move until closer to the start of training camp.
Related: Boston Bruins 2022-23 Player Grades: Garnet Hathaway
Besides the draft and free agency, the Bruins also have other questions that need to be answered before the start of the 2023-24 season. Swayman needs a new contract, as well as new additions Mitchell and Regula, who are all RFAs. There is also the Bergeron and Krejci question that hangs over the team.
Make sure to check out The Hockey Writers’ 2023 NHL Draft Guide as the hockey world gears up for one of its premiere events on June 28 and 29.
