There were concerns (among fans) this offseason on whether the Boston Bruins would sign Frederic Brunet to his entry level contract even though all the signs pointed to it happening. Today, it became a reality as the Bruins announced they’ve signed the defenceman to a 3-year ELC and an AAV of $860,000. The deal is reported to be worth $775,000 on base salary with a signing bonus of $85,000 in each of the three seasons. His AHL salary will be $82,500/
A Gatineau, Quebec native, the 6’3”, 189 pound left shot defenceman would have been the Victoriaville Tigres fifth overage player on their roster. The QMJHL only allows 4 overagers on a roster and only 3 can dress for a game, so the Tigres have been preparing for this day.
Not to mention that Bruins Player Development Coordinator Adam McQuaid said following Development Camp that he would like Brunet in Providence for the upcoming season. Brunet’s agent has also indicated on occasion that he would be heading to Providence.
Why the delay in getting a deal done? For starters, the Bruins needed flexibility. They currently sit at 45 of the allowable 50 contracts. They had to leave two spots open for PTOs to Danton Heinen and Alex Chaisson. They also have 7 invites at rookie camp: Julien Beland, Adam Mechura, Ty Halaburda, Blake Smith, Grayden Siepmann, Samuel St-Hilaire and William Rousseau. If any those had impressed enough to earn a contract and help fill a depleting prospect pool, they needed contract spots. And the Bruins hold Brunet’s rights until June of 2024 so they could have waited until then to sign his NHL deal and sign him to an AHL deal for now.
But why all this hype over a former fifth round pick?
Brunet’s promise as an offensive defenceman began to peek through during the 2019-2020 season while patrolling the blueline for the Gatineau L’Intrepide of the QMAA U-18. There, he scored 6 goals and 18 assists in 40 games. He added 2 goals and an assist in 3 playoff games.
The COVID-19 years had an affect on Brunet as it did most players. The 2020-2021 season was to be his first Major Junior season. He appeared in 33 games and scored once while adding 8 assists. He would add 3 helpers in 8 playoff games. That was Brunet’s first NHL draft eligible season, but it wasn’t enough to hear his name called out at the Entry Draft.
The 2021-2022 season was a breakout year for Brunet. He appeared in 63 games for the Oceanic, scoring 12 goals and 34 assists. That was enough for the Bruins to call out his name at the 2022 Entry Draft, using their 5th round pick – 132nd overall – to bring Brunet into the organization. The Bruins acquired the pick by trading the 91st pick to the Seattle Kraken (Ben MacDonald) for the 117th pick (Cole Spicer) and 132nd pick.
Brunet set out to prove that the Bruins made the right choice during the 2022-2023 season. He was named Captain of the Oceanic and began the season on fire with 6 goals and 29 assists in 36 games and leading his team in scoring at the time.
On January 4, 2023, the Tigres sent a first and second round pick to the Oceanic for Brunet. He would appear in 30 games for the Tigres and score 10 goals and 28 assists. His 73 points were 22nd in the QMJHL in scoring and second among defenceman. He would also finish second in voting as the league’s top defenceman. One could only imagine the season he would have had if he had spent the entire year on a much stronger Tigres squad.
In late October of last season, Ryan Nadeau, the Bruins Associate Director of Amateur Scouting had this to say about Brunet: “Frederic is a player that we had been tracking for a little bit, he had a big jump production wise year over year. We really like what he was doing this year and his game progressed throughout the season. We think he added some additional layers to his game, as well as really smooth puck-moving kid with a good frame.”
Bruins QMJHL scout Alain Bissonnette was instrumental in the Bruins drafting Brunet. As the Tigres approached the playoffs, Bissonnette said “I have to give credit to the Tigres leaders who explained his role and their expectations to him. He has been playing differently since his arrival (in Victoriaville). He has even more confidence in his abilities and he controls the game more.”
Following Victoriaville’s early elimination in the QMJHL playoffs, Brunet joined the Providence Bruins and got into one game where he had 2 assists in a 5-3 victory and was named the game’s third star. When asked about a potential return to Victoriaville for the upcoming season, Brunet said “I would say my chances are 50-50. If I come back to the Tigres, I will work hard to continue to progress as a player. At the same time, I feel ready to take the next step. I’m going to give it my all at Bruins camp and will see what happens.”
We sometimes “pound the table” to give a player a shot in the NHL to “see what we have”. In Brunet, we know we have an offensive defenceman who can quarterback a powerplay. Its okay to frolic on the side of optimism. But adding some bulk to his frame and continuing to work on his defensive game at the pro level in Providence are musts for him to find success in the NHL. Bissonnette acknowledged that the decision to turn pro lies with McQuaid.
With Hampus Lindholm locked up long term and Mason Lohrei right on the cusp of the NHL, having Brunet reach his potential would give them a very solid left side for years to come, if and when he is ready. He had some good spurts at camp, but there is work to be done yet.
Frederic becomes the Bruins second draft pick from 2022 to sign his entry level contract joining Matthew Poitras and the sixth player chosen in the fifth round of that 2022 draft class to sign.
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Dom - Hockey 