The Boston Bruins have some tough decisions to be made on whether or not to bring back several of their pending unrestricted free agents, but while most of the spotlight is on Rick Nash, another player may be even more important. That’s Anton Khudobin, who was an excellent complement to Tuukka Rask this season playing in 31 games for the Bruins.
The 32-year old goaltender registered a .913 save percentage and a 16-6-7 record, and wants to return to Boston where he feels most comfortable. He told Joe McDonald of The Athletic that he doesn’t want to deal with the free agent market, and feels he could play another eight seasons. Khudobin is coming off a two-year contract that saw him earn just $1.2MM per season, a reasonable number for a club that already has Rask under contract for a hefty $7MM cap hit.
There are plenty of backup options scheduled to hit the market this summer, but none immediately stand out as substantial upgrades over Khudobin. Any that do would also likely come with a higher price tag, something the Bruins can’t afford as they prepare for some big extensions over the coming years. If he truly wants to stay, it seems like an easy fit for the two sides on a short-term deal.
That’s not how you gain leverage Anton…don’t show your hand so early!
Some ppl actually don’t care as much about the money as they do winning and the franchise they play for. Ie Brady not demanding top money, pedroias extension amendola taking multiple pay cuts.
As a Bruins fan, I’d rather see Riley Nash be back than Rick Nash