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Connor Brown Out For Game 4, Calvin Pickard Questionable

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The Edmonton Oilers are confirmed to be without one forward as they look to take a commanding lead in the Western Conference Final in Game 4. According to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared that Connor Brown won’t be in the lineup tomorrow, but netminder Calvin Pickard may return in a backup role.

Brown left the Oilers’ Game 3 victory on Saturday after being hit by Dallas Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic in the second period. Edmonton listed Brown as having an upper-body injury, but it was clear from the hit that the injury could be isolated to the head. The 10-year veteran had been enjoying the best playoff run of his career, scoring five goals and eight points through the Oilers’ first 14 games of the postseason.

Luckily, Edmonton has a few effective options to replace Brown in the lineup. One of Viktor Arvidsson or Jeff Skinner could get the call, with the former being the likeliest option. Arvidsson has already appeared in nine games for the Oilers this postseason, scoring one goal and four points while averaging 11:06 of ice time per night.

Meanwhile, Pickard could get his first opportunity since Game 2 of Edmonton’s Round Two matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Although he wasn’t great, Pickard was exactly what the Oilers needed when starting netminder Stuart Skinner began to falter, managing a 6-0-0 record in seven games with a .888 SV%.

Still, it’s unlikely the Oilers will need Pickard to hurry back from injury if Skinner’s recent play continues. He’s been exceptional since reprising his role as the team’s starter in Game 3 against the Golden Knights, posting a 4-2-0 record in six games with a .936 SV%, including three shutouts.

Russia To Be Barred From 2026 Winter Olympics

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Sammi Silber of The Hockey News relays that the International Olympic Committee will officially bar the Russian Federation from participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’ll mark the second consecutive Winter Olympic Games that Russia has been barred from due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Silber included a few quotes from IIHF President Luc Tardif regarding the decision. Tardif said, “The IOC is the organizer – we only deal with the competition (the hockey tournaments) itself. We have been pressuring them to make a decision, one way or another, because we’re getting closer to the Olympics and we need to know. Recently, they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia, so that’s where we are. The official statement is pending but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics.”

It will be interesting to see how concrete the announcement will be and whether the United States and European Union’s ongoing peace efforts will impact Russia’s participation. There has been plenty of conjecture from all parties involved about the peace efforts, and there doesn’t seem to be an agreement on the horizon. Still, that could change before the Olympic torch is lit in Milan.

The news impacts the NHL and its players quite heavily. The 2026 Olympic Games were likely the last time NHL legends such as Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin would have participated as active players.

Each player’s last time participating in the illustrious international competition came more than a decade ago, in their home country. Still, Russia didn’t make it past the quarterfinals of the playoff round, losing to Team Finland. Ovechkin scored one goal and one assists in five games, while Malkin scored one goal and two assists in five games.

There’s a small chance that each player could still participate in the 2030 Winter Olympics after their NHL careers have concluded. Regardless, two of the game’s best players of all-time won’t participate in the next one.

Snapshots: Canucks, Bruins, Viro

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It could be a long summer for the Vancouver Canucks. After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which they fell short of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the team lost their head coach and could have a few key players leave via free agency. It seems they will struggle to find suitable replacements on the free agent market.

Earlier today, Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic passed along a note from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman articulating why top free agents don’t seem interested in joining the Canucks. Friedman points out that the internal rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller has steered players away in recent years, and captain Quinn Hughes’ pending unrestricted free agency in a few years is the other reason.

Any top free-agent signing in Vancouver would undoubtedly want Hughes to be part of the team for the long term. He has proven to be one of the best defensemen in the NHL and would significantly enhance the competitiveness of any team. Unfortunately, the Canucks are unable to provide a definitive answer this summer, as they cannot negotiate an extension with Hughes for another year. Additionally, there has been no indication of whether Hughes is interested in extending his contract with Vancouver.

Other snapshots:

  • As one of the few remaining teams still seeking a head coach, the Boston Bruins have reportedly made some headway in their search. According to Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, the Bruins have completed their first round of interviews and have significantly narrowed down their pool. At the time of writing, and of the remaining coaches on the market, the Bruins have only been connected to Jay Leach, Mitch Love, and Luke Richardson.
  • A report out of Sweden suggests that the Detroit Red Wings could lose one of their defensive prospects in a few days. The report indicates that defenseman Eemil Viro will join the SHL’s Malmö Redhawks for the 2025-26 campaign. Viro, the 70th overall selection of the 2020 NHL Draft, had spent the last three years with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring three goals and 19 points in 142 games with a -17 rating.

Carolina Hurricanes Lineup Updates For Game 4

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The roster for the Carolina Hurricanes won’t look much different for Game 4. Earlier today, the team (via Walt Ruff) shared that defenseman Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker remain out with undisclosed injuries, meaning Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow will maintain their spots in the lineup.

Unfortunately, neither defenseman has filled in well for the flailing Hurricanes. Morrow, who’s only postseason experience came through the first three contests of the Eastern Conference Final, has gone scoreless with a -5 rating, averaging 12:04 of ice time per night. Meanwhile, who’s only two games into his NHL career, has also gone scoreless with a -4 rating.

That’s not to say Carolina’s current predicament rests solely on their shoulders. The Hurricanes have struggled through the series’ first three games, having been outscored by 12. There is an argument that some bounces haven’t gone Carolina’s way, but it doesn’t account for that deficit. Carolina has nearly half the penalty minutes of the Panthers, has won 56.3% of the faceoffs, and is scoring at a 27.3% clip on the power play.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour hopes that another goaltending switch will reignite the team. Passing along a note from Brind’Amour, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that Frederik Andersen will reprise his role as the team’s starter tonight.

Many will credit Andersen for the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference Final. The veteran netminder had managed a .937 SV% against the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals through his first nine games of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Still, Carolina didn’t get that same netminder through the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers were calculated in their offense against Andersen, limiting the netminder to only 27 saves on 36 shots for a .750 SV%. No matter the case, there’s no more room for the Hurricanes, as they enter tonight’s contest one loss away from elimination.

Henrik Lundqvist, Zdeno Chára, Frans Nielsen Elected To IIHF Hall Of Fame

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Before yesterday’s gold medal game between Team Switzerland and Team USA for the 2025 IIHF World Championships, the international hockey administration inducted its 2025 Hall of Fame class. As announced by the Federation, Kai Hietarinta (Finland), Kim Martin Hasson (Sweden), and Vicky Sunohara (Canada) were all inducted, as were NHL veterans Zdeno Chára (Slovakia), Henrik Lundqvist (Sweden), Frans Nielsen (Denmark), and David Výborný (Czechia).

There’s a case in which Lundqvist is one of the most accomplished international netminders of all time, making his induction one of the easiest to pick. Lundqvist won a bronze medal in the U18 World Junior Championship, two silver medals in the World Championship, one Olympic silver medal, one gold medal in the World Championship, and a gold medal from the 2006 Olympic Games.

Throughout three Olympic Games, Lundqvist compiled a 12-3-0 record with a .926 SV% and 1.80 GAA, along with four shutouts. In the World Championships, six of which he’s been a part of, Lundqvist managed a 22-7-2 record with a .911 SV% and three shutouts.

Chara hasn’t accrued as many medals as Lundqvist, but his longevity was unmatched. Chara particpated in three Olympic Games, scoring one goal and six points in 17 games while being Team Slovakia’s captain in 2010 and 2014. In the World Championships, Chara scored eight goals and 14 points in 55 games over seven tournaments, helping Slovakia to their only silver medals in 2000 and 2012. The longtime captain for the Boston Bruins also captained Team Slovakia at the World Championships in 2012 and 2014.

Lastly, Nielsen’s Hall of Fame resume is highlighted by being the first NHL player native to Denmark. Despite participating in nine World Championship tournaments, scoring 11 goals and 26 points in 58 games, the crowning jewel to Nielsen’s international career came in 2022. Nielsen helped Denmark qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in history, scoring two goals and one assist in five contests.

Lane Lambert Emerging As Frontrunner For Kraken Coaching Vacancy

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The Kraken are one of three teams yet to complete a head coaching change this offseason, alongside the Bruins and Penguins. They might be getting closer to a decision, though. Former Islanders bench boss Lane Lambert has emerged as Seattle’s preferred candidate after his recent interview with the team “went well,” Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.

Lambert was part of a recent round of interviews in the state of Washington that also included Capitals assistant Mitch Love and Penguins assistant David Quinn. They were previously linked to Rick Tocchet before he accepted a five-year offer from the Flyers. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period added that they completed an interview with Jeff Blashill before he was named the Blackhawks’ new head coach last week.

A name with previous head coaching experience is presumably desirable for the Kraken. They’re looking for more structured play from their entire skater group after the club’s possession numbers nosedived under Dan Bylsma last season, leading to his firing after one year behind the Seattle bench.

While Quinn fits that criteria too, Lambert’s year-and-a-half stint in New York as the lead man carries a more impressive resume in the areas they’re looking at. In his only full season behind the Islanders bench in 2022-23, Lambert elevated a club that missed the playoffs the year prior in the final season of Barry Trotz’s tenure by nine points in the standings, enough to get them back in the postseason. They did so with improved two-way play, still below-average defensively but boosting their scoring chance production enough to remain above water at 5-on-5.

Of course, the Islanders fired Lambert and replaced him with Patrick Roy midway through the 2023-24 season after a 19-15-11 start to the campaign. He spent last year in Toronto as Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube’s associate coach, managing the forward group that helped produce the league’s seventh-ranked offense.

Lambert would be the third head coach in the Kraken’s five-year franchise history if hired. Dave Hakstol served behind the bench for their first three seasons in the league before being fired and replaced with Bylsma last summer.

Image courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images.

Maple Leafs, Matthew Knies Made Progress On Extension Talks In-Season

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The Maple Leafs don’t expect many hiccups getting a contract for pending restricted free agent winger Matthew Knies across the finish line this offseason. On today’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the two sides had preliminary talks around the trade deadline and the Leafs “know what a deal would look like.”

Any wiggle room remaining in talks is likely concerned with contract length, not annual compensation. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period relayed last month that the Leafs were pushing for a long-term deal while Knies’ camp was going for more of a three-to-five-year bridge agreement.

AFP Analytics projects a short-term agreement for Knies to come in at two years for $4.2MM annually, while a long-term agreement is projected to cost the Leafs roughly $7.25MM per year for seven years. The end result will presumably come closer to the latter number, possibly with a similar AAV for a year or two less than AFP’s projection.

Knies enters his first round of non-entry-level contract negotiations after a breakout sophomore campaign. In a consistent first-line role with Auston Matthews, the 22-year-old finished fifth on the team in scoring with 58 points (29 G, 29 A) in 78 games and saw over 18 minutes of ice time per game. His 182 hits finished third on the team and were second among forwards behind fourth-line winger Steven Lorentz.

Some have posited that, on the heels of that performance, Knies would be one of the top offer sheet targets this summer, especially since he doesn’t have arbitration eligibility to fall back on. It’s looking unlikely he’ll reach that stage, though. With Mitch Marner expected to test the UFA market, they’re not going to need to set aside cap space for a mega-extension. They’re also likely aware of what it will take to get an extension across the finish line with pending UFA center John Tavares. With significantly increased clarity on next season’s financial picture compared to a few months ago, they’ll presumably prioritize a Knies extension before he becomes eligible to sign offer sheets after officially becoming an RFA on July 1.

Liiga Forward Jesse Kiiskinen Offers Red Wings Upside

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The Detroit Red Wings acquired Finnish forward Jesse Kiiskinen and a second-round pick from the Nashville Predators ahead of last year’s draft, in a deal that sent shutdown defender Andrew Gibson back the other way. The Wings followed the deal up by flipping the second-round pick to the San Jose Sharks, as a sweetener to get the team to acquire NHL defenseman Jake Walman. Detroit acquired nothing of value in their ditching of Walman – and even then, their pre-draft swap of Kiiskinen and Gibson already appears to be paying dividends.

Kiiskinen was originally drafted by Nashville in the third-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, following a year where he ranked sixth in point-per-game scoring in Finland’s U20 league. He was a clear bet on frame – standing at six-foot-1 and 185-pounds in his draft year and playing a game centered around using a mix of speed and strength to create space. Kiiskinen played through his rookie season in the Liiga following his draft selection, but his early struggles quickly cast doubt on his upside. He scored just 10 points in 38 pro games – fewer points than most of his younger peers in the 2024 draft class. But Kiiskinen stepped up to the plate in Finland’s continental friendlies, and shined through a glimmer of hope with 16 points in seven games with the country’s U19 squad.

It was on the heels of those international performances that Nashville chose to trade the Finnish winger – surely hoping that they could bank on a few strong performances masking an otherwise quiet year. But, on top of their many blunders this year, Nashville was also forced to pay for their impatience with Kiiskinen – as he emerged as one of Finland’s top underage talents. The skillful winger broke out in full with 30 assists and 44 points in 46 Liiga games. That scoring stands as the most a U20 Liiga player has scored since Aleksi Heponiemi (46 points in 2018-19), Sebastian Aho (45 points, 2015-16), and Aleksander Barkov (48 points in 2012-13). In fact, 14 of the 15 names at the top of the Liiga’s U20 scoring leaderboards have gone on to play in the NHL. With this scoring output, Kiiskinen also joins peers like Teuvo Teravainen, Jani Nyman, Juuso Parssinen, and Kaapo Kakko.

Kiiskinen is still multiple steps – and an entry-level contract – away from contributing to the NHL; and the array of talent from his NHL peers ranges from superstar to healthy scratch. But there’s plenty to life from Kiiskinen’s season. He looked strong and in-control throughout the year, with quick feet and little hesitation to throw the body. He dominated possession through the neutral zone and on the outskirts of the offensive end, and used quick hands and cheeky passes to take advantage of tight lanes that opened in the defense. Kiiskinen also maintained his strong offense into international play, recording a team-leading six goals and seven points in seven games of the 2025 World Junior Championship. No other Finn managed more than three goals.

The Red Wings may not have a shiny new winger just yet, but they must be ecstatic about the upside Kiiskinen offers. He was a final cut for Finland’s World Championship squad, and will now entertain the possibility of returning to a top-end Liiga role or moving on to the AHL next season. If he pursues the latter, he’ll undoubtedly be following in the footsteps of top Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen – who managed 56 points in 63 AHL games this year after scoring as many in 59 Liiga games last year. It’s a path that’s been trailed already, and one that could lead Kiiskinen to a quick NHL debut once he makes the decision to come over. While it’s certainly comparing apples to oranges, it’s hard not to be excited about that outcome – especially after acquiring it for a stout defender who scored just 24 points in 54 OHL games this season.

Photo courtesy of David Reginek-Imagn Images.

Erik Brännström Signs Three-Year Deal With Lausanne HC

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5/26: One month after rumors swirled, defender Brannstrom has officially signed a three-year contract in Switzerland, per a press release from the team. The official move was first reported by TSN.

4/21: Sabres pending restricted free agent defenseman Erik Brännström has agreed to terms on a three-year contract with Swiss National League club Lausanne HC, Johan Svensson of Expressen reports. Svensson said earlier this month he was expecting Brännström to head to Switzerland; now it looks like the deal is done.

The move isn’t surprising after a tumultuous 2024-25 campaign for the 25-year-old Brännström. The 2017 first-rounder wasn’t tendered by the Senators last year and signed a one-year, $900K contract with the Avalanche early in free agency, but he didn’t even make it through training camp in Colorado. The Avs, in need of salary cap flexibility to begin the season, traded him to the Canucks for the contract of LTIR-bound defender Tucker Poolman and a fourth-round pick.

While Vancouver was in need of some puck-moving defensive depth, they opted to immediately waive Brännström. He cleared and began the season in AHL Abbotsford, but the Canucks still gave him a multitude of NHL opportunities and jockeyed him between leagues for the majority of the campaign. He played limited minutes (14:56 per game), and his results were underwhelming in sheltered usage. A 3-5–8 scoring line in 28 appearances was fine for the rearguard, but his even-strength possession metrics (48.8 CF%, 48.3 xGF%) were disappointing considering his consistent offensive-zone deployment.

The Canucks waived Brännström again in January. After he cleared, that was the last we saw of him in the NHL in 2024-25. He was traded two more times ahead of the deadline – first to the Rangers in the J.T. Miller trade, and again to the Sabres for depth winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel on deadline day – but only suited up for those teams’ AHL affiliates.

Brännström was quite productive in the minors, totaling 8-15–23 with a +14 rating across 27 appearances for Abbotsford, Hartford, and Rochester in the regular season. He’s still got some track left in the Sabres organization as he suits up for Rochester in the Calder Cup Playoffs, but it’s clear that will be the end of his stay.

One of Vegas’ three first-round picks in their inaugural 2017 draft class and later a key portion of the trade that sent Mark Stone from the Senators to the Golden Knights, Brännström has never been able to capture anything above a bottom-pairing role. Across 294 games with Ottawa and Vancouver over the last seven years, he’s averaged just 16:41 per game and has a 10-67–77 scoring line with a -17 rating. His possession metrics were historically average with a career 51.2 CF% in heavy offensive deployment, but not enough to suggest a meaningful two-way impact given his sheltered usage.

Buffalo could retain Brännström’s signing rights until 2027 by issuing him a qualifying offer, but he’ll be old enough for unrestricted free agency in the NHL when his contract with Lausanne expires in 2028. If he opts to attempt an NHL return when his Swiss deal is up, he’ll do so with the ability to sign anywhere.

Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins

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Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Boston Bruins.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Mason Lohrei – Lohrei has been a revelation for the Boston Bruins. Only 24 years old, the Louisiana native managed to cement himself into the lineup this season on the back of 33 points in 77 games. His minus-43 plus-minus is the worst the team has seen in at least a decade – though he’s joined at the bottom of the leaderboard by three other players from this year’s squad. The statline paints what seems to be a fitting picture of Lohrei: flashy and successful at his best, and woefully out-of-place at his worst. But as time goes on, those bright spots are shining through more-and-more. Lohrei just managed three points and a plus-four in five games of Team USA’s Gold Medal run a the World Championship, and will enter the summer as the clear-cut top RFA for Boston. With 46 points and 118 games of NHL experience, Lohrei is likely to sign a sort of bridge deal that can carry him to a top line role within a few years.

F Morgan Geekie – Geekie holds a strong bid for surprise of the 2024-25 season. He broke out in a big way, recording a career-high 33 goals and 57 points – second to only David Pastrnak in team scoring. That was largely helped along by a 22-percent shooting percentage – nearly nine-percent more than the 13.1 percent that led Geekie to 17 goals and 39 points last season. Still, Boston has struggled to find scoring outside of perennial superstar Pastrnak. Geekie’s 30-goal season makes him just the third Bruin to hit the mark in the last four seasons – alongside Pastrnak and now-Florida Panther Brad Marchand. That’s upside worth locking in, even if signs point towards Geekie coming back down to Earth next season. Boston will need to walk a tightrope to land a value deal amid a rising salary cap and poor free agent market.

F Oliver Wahlstrom – The Bruins claimed Wahlstrom off of waivers from the Islanders in mid-December. He joined the squad for two months of action but could only muster two points and 28 penalty minutes in 16 games before Boston had seen enough. They waived Wahlstrom and assigned him to the minors in late-February. But then he thrived in the AHL, netting nine goals and 15 points in just 19 games – the highest scoring pace of his professional career at any level (save for a 10-game stint in Sweden in 2020-21). Wahlstrom is a hard bet after spending the last six seasons trying, and failing, to secure an NHL role. But a wave of strong play could be exactly what the doctor ordered. A cheap, two-way deal this summer could set Boston up to be the beneficiary of any resurgence next year.

F John Beecher – Beecher spent the full season on the NHL roster for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, the promotion didn’t spark any one part of his game. He ended the year with just 11 points in 78 games – just one more point than he was able to score in 52 games last season. Beecher carries first round precedent, having heard his name 30th-overall in the 2019 class. But now a few years removed, Boston should have a reasonable glimpse at what he brings to the lineup. If they’re looking for a big-body to continue holding down the fourth line, Beecher should come at little cost. But the open market may have more productive options to shore up Boston’s depth.

F Marat Khusnutdinov – Khusnutdinov joined the Bruins in the waning moments of the Trade Deadline. Boston seemed to have a carved-out role in the bottom-six for the Russian youngster, and he rewarded them with five points in 18 appearances. That may be moot, but it’s just two points shy of his totals in 57 games last year. The 22-year-old Khusnutdinov seemed to catch a spark in the Bruins’ system. He’ll offer the team a glimmer of upside on a new deal – but it could be tough to narrow down the price point of a former second-round pick with 91 games of experience but just 16 points.

F Jakub Lauko – Lauko joined Khusnutdinov in the late-Deadline move. He had spent the last two seasons in the Bruins organization, but traveled West for 38 games with the Minnesota Wild at the start of this season. Through the move, Lauko’s emposing physical presence continued to shine through – even as he ran into persistent injury issues with the Wild. Combined between Minnesota and Boston, Lauko finished the year with 11 points, 47 penalty minutes, and a minus-13 in 56 appearances. Those numbers don’t jump off the paper, but his continued bruiser role and Boston’s desire to re-acquire him this season both point towards a new deal coming soon.

Other RFAs: F John Farinacci, F Trevor Kuntar, F Georgii Merkulov, F Jaxon Nelson, D Ian Mitchell, D Daniil Misyul, D Drew Bavaro

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Henri Jokiharju – Jokiharju rounds out the trio of Trade Deadline acquisitions. He scored the lowest of the bunch – netting four assists in 18 games, one point fewer than either forward. But that number shouldn’t be the highlight of Jokiharju’s first stint in Boston. Despite low-scoring, the 25-year-old defender looked plenty comfortable on the Bruins’ blue-line – and played upwards of 24 minutes a night while filling in for Brandon Carlo’s second-pair vacancy. Boston needed help on the backend and Jokiharju supplied it en masse. He scored 20 points in 74 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season – a mark that could look mighty fine with a continued minutes in Boston. Jokiharju will be one of the Bruins’ pricier re-signings – albeit among a cheap bunch – but the shimmer potential he has as a top-six lock will make the deal worth it.

F Cole Koepke – Boston led with a quiet bottom-six all season long – and Koepke’s role on the fourth-line highlighted the group. He scored just 17 points in 73 games on the season, but never looked too terribly out of place with the big club. Koepke entered the year with just 26 games of NHL experience under his belt, all coming with the Tampa Bay Lightning over the last two seasons. He had otherwise been a productive minor-leaguer, with flashes of goal-scoring upside and two-way play. Those attributes could still shine through as he becomes more adjusted to the top flight. Boston will be left with the question of whether that upside is worth buying into, or if they’ll be able to find a better depth-winger on the open market… or in their prospect pool.

D Parker Wotherspoon – Wotherspoon operated as Boston’s true bottom defenseman this season, with his 18 minutes of average ice time the lowest of any blue-liner to spend the bulk of their year with the NHL club. He recorded seven points, 10 penalty minutes, and a minus-10 in 55 games to show for the role, falling one point shy of his career-high eight points from 41 games last season. Wotherspoon will be 28 years old by the time the 2025-26 season begins, and could be better suited for a return to the minors after platooning between leagues over the last two seasons. If not a demotion, Wotherspoon will likely continue on in a low-depth role for the Bruins – offering a low-cost, but low-upside option.

G Michael DiPietro – The Bruins will lose both of their minor-league goaltender to free agency this season. Both carry fantastic cases to be re-signed after effectively splitting starts this season. DiPietro performed best in the spotlight, though – ending the year with a .927 save percentage and 26-8-5 record through 40 games. He was once a top goalie prospect for the Vancouver Canucks, before injuries and lack of opportunity sent him on a spiral through the minors. DiPietro finally seems to be on the other side of those struggles, and could find a push back to the NHL on whatever new deal Boston can construct. That will make him worth a long look this summer, even if backup Brandon Bussi offers a plenty suitable replacement.

Other UFAs: F Tyler Pitlick, F Riley Tufte, F Vinni Lettieri, D Michael Callahan (Group-6), G Brandon Bussi

Projected Cap Space

The Bruins will enter the summer with a projected $26.27MM in cap space. That should be plenty of space to not only re-sign their top options entering free agency, but also take runs at aggressive free agent singings or summer trades. The Bruins missed the postseason for the first time in eight years – and just the third time since 2007-08 – this year. That’s an unacceptable result for the fixture of summer hockey. Ample signing room, strong candidates for re-signing, and open lineup spots should all give freshly re-signed general manager Don Sweeney a chance to show he can still build a playoff contender.

 Photo courtesy of Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.

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