The Boston Bruins have seen some massive changes to their roster this offseason. They traded Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks, while Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway, and Connor Clifton left in free agency. Thus, the Bruins have clearly lost a lot of skill and look notably less impressive on paper. Thankfully, Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney was able to make some additions with their limited cap space to try to stop the bleeding. Let’s discuss each player who was brought in through free agency now.
Kevin Shattenkirk
When the Bruins lost Connor Clifton, it seemed inevitable that they would bring in another right-shot defenseman. Even after adding Alec Regula and Ian Mitchell to their right side, it still seemed like a weak area for the Bruins. Thus, they signed veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year, $1.05 million contract. That is not a bad deal at all for the 34-year-old, as he is still an effective NHL defenseman at this juncture of his career. In 75 games last season with the Anaheim Ducks, he posted four goals and 27 points.
Shattenkirk will likely be on the Bruins’ bottom pairing at the start of next season with shutdown defenseman Derek Forbort. These two could be a good match, as Forbort’s defense-first style of play will allow Shattenkirk to take more chances offensively. Furthermore, Shattenkirk will surely receive power-play minutes, likely on their second pairing. Overall, at the cap hit they got the New York native for, this looks like a nice little signing for Boston.
Morgan Geekie
With both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci being retirement candidates, it was inevitable that the Bruins would add a center to their group this summer. Sweeney did just that, inking Morgan Geekie to a two-year, $4 million contract. The 24-year-old surprisingly did not receive a qualifying offer from the Seattle Kraken, even after posting a career season in 2022-23. Appearing in 69 games, the Manitoba native posted nine goals, 19 points, and 28 points – all new career highs. Now, he will be aiming to build off of that with Boston.
When looking at Boston’s current group, Geekie is a prime candidate to be the club’s new third-line center. However, he also offers versatility, as he also plays right wing. As for his utilization on special teams, he is an option for both the Bruins’ power play and penalty kill because of his effective all-around game. With all of this, Geekie has the potential to be a notable addition to the Bruins’ group moving forward. This is especially true if he breaks out in 2023-24.
James van Riemsdyk
As noted above, the Bruins lost both Hall and Bertuzzi this offseason, so the left wing position needed a boost. Even with limited cap space, they managed to find a solid middle-six option in James van Riemsdyk, signing him to a one-year, $1 million contract. The 34-year-old is coming off a down year with the Philadelphia Flyers, posting 12 goals and 29 points in 61 games. Yet, now that he is playing on a better team in Boston, we could see his production improve again.
Related: Bruins Trade Taylor Hall: Who Could Be Next?
Given the Bruins’ weakened depth at left wing, van Riemsdyk should be utilized on the club’s second line for the start of the season. If Bergeron and Krejci do not come back, we could see him form a trio with Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak on the line. Furthermore, the 2007 second-overall pick is going to be a major addition to Boston’s power play, as his net-front presence ability is simply superb. If he can bounce back in 2023-24, this will be a very good signing for Boston.
Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic does not need much of an introduction. The 35-year-old is well known by the Bruins faithful, as he spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the team. Although he is no longer the dominant top-six forward he was during his first stint as a Bruin, he is still as gritty as ever. In 77 games with the Calgary Flames this past season, the 6-foot-3 winger posted seven goals, 19 points, and 168 hits.
Lucic is expected to replace Foligno on the Bruins’ fourth line. When noting that the Bruins lost Foligno, Hathaway, and Bertuzzi, they needed to add more bite to their lineup, and they did just that with Lucic. The 35-year-old’s toughness will make the Bruins harder to go up against from a physical standpoint. With that, it is simply just nice to see “Looch” back with the franchise he will always be remembered most for.
Minor Signings
The Bruins added hard-nosed forward Patrick Brown, signing him to a two-year, $1.6 million contract. The 31-year-old appeared in 61 games last season split between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators, posting four goals, eight assists, and 167 hits. He will be competing for a fourth-line spot at camp.
Anthony Richard was signed to a one-year, two-way contract by the Bruins. He lit up the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Laval Rocket last season, as he had 30 goals and 67 points in 60 games. He also had five points in 13 games with the Montreal Canadiens. He could be a dark horse candidate for the NHL roster.
The Bruins also brought in 6-foot-1 defenseman Parker Wotherspoon on a one-year, $775,000 contract. In 12 games last season with the New York Islanders, he had an assist and a plus-5 rating. He will likely be with the Providence Bruins at the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
Although none of the signings that the Bruins made were massive ones, Sweeney did well with the limited cap space he had. It will be intriguing to see how these players perform for the club.