The Boston Bruins are the winningest regular season team in the salary cap era. When franchise cornerstones Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask moved on in free agency and retirement respectively, along with an aging Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, we were supposed to see a downgrade.
Instead, the remained near the top of the league.
Then last summer Bergeron and Krejci retired and this was supposed to be a year of transition as they had little cap flexibility and several roster spots to fill. General Manager Don Sweeney went bargain hunting and filled the roster with cheap contracts.
Again, they remain near the top of the league.
But it still remains a year of transition because the roster next summer could look very different and likely will. The difference however: The Bruins will have a boatload of money to spend.
It’s long been rumored that next season’s salary cap could be as much as $87.5 million. Then came this post on X by Elliotte Friedman:
That means the Bruins will have $26 million to spend.
Back on entry level contracts will be Matthew Poitras and John Beecher. Jakub Lauko will be back at a cheap $787,500 cap hit.
Possible incoming entry level contracts next season are Mason Lohrei, John Farinacci, Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell. And don’t sleep on Trevor Kuntar. There are options, and there are plenty of them.
Some of that $26 million needs to be allocated to Jeremy Swayman and Jake DeBrusk, if that’s the route the Bruins want to take. Other unrestricted free agents on the current roster are Matt Grzelcyk, Derek Forbort, Kevin Shattenkirk, James van Riemsdyk and Danton Heinen. One, maybe two will be back. Players on ELC will likely fill one spot, but I can see two. Others will be filled via free agency.
They are in fantastic shape. Now the question becomes: does Sweeney make a deal for this season and the future? Does he make a deal for one of the big names rumored to be available now and hope to sign them to extensions or does he wait for free agency?
First, the brass needs to decide whether it’s worth giving up the assets to make a run this season and where they really see their team. If they decide against it, then they run the risk of losing out in the offseason. If they decide they don’t want to take that risk and make a move now, then they will have to solve the cap issues this season.
Any deal major is going to have to have retained salary. And any major deal is going to have to have a third team also retain some salary. I’d look no further than the Anaheim Ducks as the likeliest to be the third team involved or in a straight salary cap dump.
Here is how next offseason is shaping up
Dom - Hockey 