After securing an NHL record of 65 wins and 135 points in 2022-23, the Boston Bruins came up short on their quest for immortality by failing to win the Stanley Cup last year. Interestingly, general manager Don Sweeney was busy at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, loading up for a lengthy playoff run and acquiring a handful of impact players like Dmitry Orlov, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Garnet Hathaway.
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Ultimately, the team lost all three skaters in free agency while watching franchise icon Patrice Bergeron and his longtime teammate David Krejci retire in the summer. Even though the Bruins didn’t have a lot of cap space, especially after re-signing restricted free agents Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic to extensions, Sweeney managed to acquire a handful of veterans on bargain contracts in July 2023.
Surprisingly, Boston has experienced some injury troubles and suspensions to begin the regular season. However, all six of this offseason’s free-agent acquisitions have played at least one game thus far, and the team continues to rack up points in the standings. Now that roughly 18% of the season is in the books, we will look at the statistical impact of the newest free agents through Boston’s first 15 games.
Jesper Boqvist
2023-24 NHL Statistics: one game played
2023-24 AHL Statistics: 13 games played, three goals, four assists, plus-two
Jesper Boqvist averaged 22 points over the past two seasons with the New Jersey Devils, reaching ten goals each time. At the time of his signing, July 12, 2023, Sweeney acquired the 25-year-old Swedish forward to be a depth forward and add some veteran leadership with the Providence Bruins.
Thus far, Boqvist has played only one game in the NHL against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 26, 2023, skating ten shifts for 6:02 of ice time. Despite a brief appearance with Boston, he’s been productive in the American Hockey League with seven points in 13 games. Heading into Providence’s next contest, Boqvist is seventh in team scoring, while fellow Swedish prospect Fabian Lysell leads the pack with 12 points.
Patrick Brown
2023-24 NHL Statistics: six games played, minus-one
Patrick Brown came to Boston on the opening day of free agency, July 1, 2023, and thus far has played only six games. After missing out on the first few contests, he drew into the lineup for the final three games of the West Coast road trip through California and the finale in Chicago.
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Interestingly, against a weaker Blackhawks team, Brown skated over 11 minutes, a feat he duplicated against the New York Islanders in his last appearance on Nov. 9, 2023. Even though he’s spending most of his time in the press box as a healthy scratch, he’s not hurting the Bruins when in the lineup, but at the same time, he hasn’t done enough to warrant regular opportunities.
Milan Lucic
2023-24 Statistics: four games played, two assists, minus-one
Before NHL free agency kicked off, there was a consensus that Milan Lucic would return home to Boston, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2011. Ultimately, the team and player agreed to a one-year deal, giving the former power forward a chance to see his career come full circle.
Realistically, it was common knowledge that Lucic would serve in a bottom-six role this year while acting as a veteran in the dressing room. Unfortunately, after four games, he took a puck to the ankle in a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 21, 2023, and hasn’t skated since. Statistically, Lucic hasn’t contributed much in his return, with just two assists and eight hits while averaging 11:58 of ice time.
Kevin Shattenkirk
2023-24 Statistics: 13 games played, three assists, minus-one
Kevin Shattenkirk is a well-traveled veteran, with the Bruins becoming his seventh team when he came to town on July 1, 2023. Despite the injuries and suspensions that have forced the coaching staff to restructure the nightly defensive lineups, Shattenkirk is skating a career-low 17:17 a night.
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Surprisingly, the bottom-pairing defender has only nine hits, which puts him on pace for 49, ranking as one of his career’s three worst single-season totals. Additionally, Shattenkirk currently has 18 blocks, which puts him on the path to finish with less than 115, the total he registered last season with the Ducks. Overall, he’s adjusted to his limited role in Boston but isn’t making a noticeable impact, so he got passed over for opportunities by rookie Mason Loheri.
Morgan Geekie
2023-24 Statistics: 12 games played, one goal, two assists, plus-four
Morgan Geekie signed with the Bruins on July 1, 2023, and was offered a two-year contract. After averaging 25 points in the previous two seasons with the Seattle Kraken, he would fill a void in the bottom six and help offset the loss of Bergeron and Krejci. However, after 12 games, he’s tallied only three points and a plus-four rating, which ranks tenth on the team.
Unfortunately, like Lucic, Geekie hasn’t been in the lineup since Nov. 6, 2023, suffering an upper-body injury and finding his way to the injured reserve list. Interestingly, he was streaky before the injury, going pointless in the first three games before tallying a point in three straight. However, since returning from the four-game streak through the Western Conference, he was pointless in his last six contests before going on the IR. Considering his career-high for points is 25, he could surpass that if and when he returns to action.
James van Riemsdyk
2023-24 Statistics: 15 games played, four goals, seven assists, plus-four
When Sweeney inked former University of New Hampshire star James van Riemsdyk to a one-year deal on July 1, 2023, many wondered if this was a mistake since it appears his best seasons are in the past. However, in 15 games, he’s proven that he can still score and be an influential member of the offense.
Even though it’s been two seasons since the former seven-time 20-goal scorer reached that plateau, with four goals and 11 points already, there’s a good chance that van Riemsdyk can surpass 48 points, his most recent best total, achieved in 2017-18. Surprisingly, he’s only skating 14:12 a night, the lowest number since he was 21, which makes his production even more impressive. Considering that he’s on the second line and first power play unit, van Riemsdyk has made the most of his opportunities and is the best free agent signing of the summer (thus far).
Further Perspective
The Bruins remain one of the top teams in the NHL, thanks to their defensive structure and outstanding goaltending. Even though all the free agents acquired in the summer have suited up for action, most of them have fit in, which speaks to the importance of the system deployed by head coach Jim Montgomery.
Of course, almost anyone can fit into this system on paper, and the Bruins would keep winning. However, it takes a particular type of player to adjust their game to find a role on a new team. Right now, it is safe to say that the results of these free agents are mixed since core players like Linus Ullmark, David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Brad Marchand continue to lead the charge. But it is still a young season, and given the right opportunities, these six players can impact the organization before the regular season ends in April.
