Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins
Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, first up is the Bruins.
Boston Bruins
Current Cap Hit: $87,387,497 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F John Beecher (one year, $925K)
D Mason Lohrei (one year, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Lohrei: $250K
Beecher spent most of last season in Boston, albeit in a limited role, one that has carried over to this season. He’s having a decent season on their fourth line but players like this tend to sign a short-term second contract. He should be able to add a few hundred thousand to his current price tag on a two-year deal.
Lohrei performed well in Boston last season, getting into half of their games, helping him secure a full-time spot this year. His role has largely been limited – he’s often on the third pairing – but a regular role on the power play has him sitting second in scoring among Bruins blueliners. A bridge deal is likely for him as well but it should check in around double of what Beecher winds up with.
Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level
F Justin Brazeau ($775K, UFA)
F Trent Frederic ($2.3MM, UFA)
F Morgan Geekie ($2MM, RFA)
F Cole Koepke ($775K, UFA)
F Brad Marchand ($6.125MM, UFA)
F Oliver Wahlstrom ($1MM, RFA)
D Parker Wotherspoon ($800K, UFA)
Marchand is by far the most notable among Boston’s potential free agents. The captain has been on a team-friendly deal for pretty much the majority of his career, even with his production starting to drop – though he’s still second in scoring this season. Given the pricier deals that management has handed out in recent years, it’s reasonable to expect that Marchand will be looking for a raise as well, even with his output going in the wrong direction. He’ll be 37 when his next deal starts so it’ll be a short-term one, likely between one and three years. Three years would likely allow for a lower AAV than a one-year pact but with the cap going up, Marchand should still be in line for a raise next year.
Frederic came into this season coming off his best two offensive years, seemingly putting him in line for a nice jump closer to the $3.5MM mark. However, his production has tailed off this season which won’t help his cause. That said, he has enough of a track record as a solid and physical checker that there should be enough interest to put him around the $3MM range even if his offense doesn’t come around. Geekie had a career year offensively last season, his first with Boston after being non-tendered by Seattle to avoid giving him arbitration eligibility. That concern could come into play for him again over the summer, especially with his output dropping as sharply as Frederic’s. He’s worth a raise to the $3MM area but if the Bruins think he could get more from an arbitrator, he could be a non-tender candidate as well.
Wahlstrom was a non-tender candidate last summer with the Islanders but eventually settled on this deal, a last chance type of contract. Things didn’t go well and he wound up on waivers where Boston recently picked him up. Being arbitration-eligible, it’d be surprising to see him get qualified this summer unless he is able to rediscover his scoring touch in the second half of the season.
Brazeau was a feel-good story last season, turning an AHL deal into a two-year NHL agreement. Since then, he has been a productive bottom-six winger. Now that he has shown himself to be a capable NHL winger, it wouldn’t be shocking for him to at least double this on the open market. Koepke has been a nice addition to Boston’s fourth line but he’s 26 and in his first full NHL season. That will limit his market to a point but he should be able to push past the $1MM mark at least if he stays a regular the rest of the way.
Wotherspoon played in half of Boston’s game last season, helping secure a one-way salary for the first time in his career. But playing time has been harder to come by this year. As a result, he’s trending toward heading back to a two-way contract for next season, one that probably will be at $775K at the NHL level.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Charlie Coyle ($5.25MM, UFA)
D Jordan Oesterle ($775K, UFA)
D Andrew Peeke ($2.75MM, UFA)
Coyle has been quiet offensively this season but before that, his previous three seasons saw him produce at a second-line level so it’s fair to suggest he’ll get back to that level and the market will view him as that. Having said that, he’ll be 34 on his next deal so he’s likelier to land around three or four years and an anticipated drop in production at the end of that term might drive the price down to something relatively close to where he is now.
Peeke struggled in the first year of this contract, often being scratched in Columbus before being acquired by Boston at the trade deadline. He has played more regularly with the Bruins but has primarily been on the third pairing. If that holds up over the next year and a half, it wouldn’t be surprising for Peeke to be looking at a small pay cut while Boston’s preference may be to have someone cheaper in that roster slot. Oesterle has split time between the NHL and AHL the last couple of years and is likely to continue to stay at or near the minimum salary moving forward unless he can lock down a full-time spot in Boston’s lineup.
Signed Through 2026-27
D Brandon Carlo ($4.1MM, UFA)
F Pavel Zacha ($4.75MM, UFA)
Zacha has found another gear offensively since joining Boston in 2022. In his first season with them, he set new benchmarks in goals, assists, and points. Last year, he tied or beat them, putting up 59 points in 78 games. Like many this year, he’s off to a slower start but even so, his numbers are comparable to his best seasons in New Jersey. Assuming he can get back to putting up second-line production, this contract should age pretty well for the Bruins and it’s plausible that he pushes past the $6MM mark in 2027.
After his bridge deal, Carlo signed this agreement, a six-year pact. Through the first half of it, he continued to be a strong defensive specialist and that has continued into this year. For someone often on the second pairing, the price tag is reasonable but his very limited offensive upside will limit him on the open market. While top stay-at-home players have seen their markets improve in recent years, Carlo might not be able to command much more than $5MM per season, even with an anticipated jump in the cap.
Florida Panthers To Host Winter Classic, Tampa Bay Lightning To Host Stadium Series
The Commissioner of the National Hockey League has followed through with his vague promise from the 2025 NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. The Florida Panthers announced they would host the New York Rangers in the 2026 Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park, home of the MLB’s Miami Marlins. Their intra-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced they would host the Boston Bruins in the 2026 NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’ll be the southernmost outdoor event the NHL has attempted since successfully pulling off the 2020 NHL Winter Classic in Dallas, Texas. Unlike the Cotton Bowl Stadium, LoanDepot Park has some flexibility with the weather thanks to a retractable roof. There’s a high chance the roof will be used for a hockey event given that the temperature in Miami on January 1st, 2025 reached a high of 81°F (27°C ).
The Panthers organization will take part in their first Winter Classic and outdoor event. This is quite different from their opponent, the Rangers, who have already participated in two Winter Classics and three Stadium Series games.
Traveling northwest to Tampa Bay, the Lightning will play in their second Stadium Series contest in franchise history after defeating the Nashville Predators in 2022 at Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Like their in-state counterpart, it’ll be the first time the Lightning have hosted an outdoor event in franchise history.
Unfortunately, unlike the stadium amenities at LoanDepot Park, Raymond James Stadium does not have a roof and is exposed to the elements. Tampa is relatively milder than Miami in terms of heat, but still recorded a high of 64°F (18°C) in February of 2024 which could make the ice conditions more unpleasant.
Al MacNeil Passes Away At Age 89
A legendary member of the Calgary Flames organization, Al MacNeil, has passed away at the age of 89 as announced by the Flames.
Before starting his coaching and executive career in the National Hockey League, MacNeil spent 11 years as a player. He suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1955 to 1968 recording 17 goals and 92 points in 524 games with another four assists in 37 postseason contests.
After a brief hiatus in the CHL and AHL, MacNeil was named assistant coach for the Canadiens ahead of the 1970-71 season. After starting the season with an 11-8-4 record through 23 games, then-head coach Claude Ruel resigned leaving the keys to MacNeil for the remainder of the season.
Montreal rebounded immensely under MacNeil’s stewardship, finishing the regular season on a 31-15-9 tear with a +58 goal differential. After knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens defeated the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks to win the organization’s 15th Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Despite coaching the team to a Stanley Cup championship, Montreal hired fifth-year head coach Scotty Bowman after leading the St. Louis Blues to three out of the last four Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens had no intentions of MacNeil leaving the organization, naming him head coach of the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs. He enjoyed success with the Voyageurs, winning three Calder Cup championships in six seasons behind the bench.
After finishing as Director of Player Personnel for the Canadiens in the 1978-79 season, MacNeil became the head coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Flames for the 1979-80 season. He would spend the next two decades with the Flames organization.
MacNeil became the last head coach for the Atlanta Flames while being the first head coach for the Calgary Flames. He finished with a record of 105-93-44 in 240 games but failed to coach the Flames beyond the Conference Finals.
He was promoted to Calgary’s front office after the 1981-82 campaign and became the team’s assistant general manager in 1985. Despite a brief 11-game return as the Flames’ head coach in 2002-03, MacNeil held the role of the assistant general manager until his retirement after the 2005-06 season. MacNeil won the fourth Stanley Cup ring of his career when Calgary dispatched his former employer, the Canadiens, in the 1989 Stanley Cup Final.
Although many will think of franchise icons such as Jarome Iginla, Theo Fleury, Al MacInnis, or Lanny McDonald when pondering the Flames’ success since moving to Alberta, MacNeil remains one of the most historical figures in franchise history. PHR extends our condolences to Al’s friends, family, and the organizations he’s been a part of for the last 70 years.
Bruins Sign Mark Kastelic To Three-Year Extension
The Bruins signed depth forward Mark Kastelic to a three-year, $4.7MM extension on Friday, according to a team release. The deal carries a $1.57MM cap hit and keeps him in Boston through the 2027-28 campaign.
With the signing, Kastelic earns the most lucrative contract of his career and will earn seven figures per season for the first time. The 25-year-old was in the final season of a two-year, $1.67MM extension he signed with the Senators in 2022 before they traded him to the Bruins in the Linus Ullmark deal last June.
The Phoenix native has been a good fit in Boston, already setting a new career-high in assists with seven through 39 games. His 11 points are also tied with his previous career high, set in Ottawa in 65 games in 2022-23, and he’s averaging a career-best 11:27 per game while winning 55.2% of his faceoffs.
Kastelic, a natural center, stands at 6’4″ and 227 lbs and has been one of the league’s most physical players. He leads the league outright with 76 PIMs and ranks second with 151 hits, on pace to record a whopping 317 over a full season.
That physicality has led to some pretty spectacular defensive numbers for Kastelic. He’s centered a fourth line between Cole Koepke and John Beecher for a good portion of the campaign, a unit that’s controlled 65% of expected goals in 168 minutes together, per MoneyPuck. Among forward lines with at least 150 minutes of ice time this season, that Koepke-Kastelic-Beecher line has yielded just 1.25 xGA/60, the best in the league by a significant margin.
It would be shocking if that play keeps up on a year-to-year basis, but it’s still rightfully earned Kastelic a multi-year commitment to stick with a situation that’s been a win for both sides so far. Kastelic avoids reaching restricted free agency next summer and will walk to unrestricted free agency upon expiry in 2028.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Hampus Lindholm To Resume Skating Soon
- Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm is making some strides as he works his way back from a lower-body injury but hasn’t been cleared to skate yet, notes Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. The veteran has missed the better part of the last two months with the injury, a big blow to a Boston back end that has had some uncharacteristic struggles so far. Prior to the injury, Lindholm had seven points in 17 games while logging nearly 21 minutes a night, a per-game rate that stands second on the team.
Boston Bruins Reassign Fabian Lysell
Dec 29th: The Bruins organization announced they’ve reassigned Lysell to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. There’s no indication it’s a paper transaction for Lysell but the Bruins don’t play again for a few days. It’s uncommon for a team to make a formal announcement for a paper transaction so Boston will likely fill the open roster spot with someone over the next two days. Lysell skated in 11:32 of last night’s action but failed to find the scoresheet outside of a +1 rating.
Dec 28th: The Boston Bruins have recalled top prospect Fabian Lysell from the minor leagues. It’s the first in-season call-up of his pro career. Lysell has been a top scorer in the AHL since joining the Providence Bruins in 2022-23. He totaled 14 goals and 37 points in 54 games as an AHL rookie, good for fifth on Providence in scoring. Lysell followed that with 50 points in 56 games last year but has slowed down a bit with 17 points in 26 games this year.
Lysell is a high-skill, high-speed winger who’s grown substantially in his ability to play through pro-level physicality. He worked his way into a hardy top-line role for parts of last season and performed well in the role, setting him up for an exciting 2024-25 campaign. Lysell seemed to be taking full advantage of the momentum at training camp but was surprisingly one of the first cuts of camp. He’s since returned to a top-line role in Providence, and even maintained his production through a three-game injury in November, though Boston has still made a habit of opting for other call-ups over their productive top winger.
Now, Lysell will finally get his chance – potentially soon to make his NHL debut after scoring three points in Providence’s 4-1 win over Bridgeport on Friday. If he does, Lysell will become the first Bruins first-round pick to debut with the team since John Beecher – 2019’s 30th-overall pick, who is currently fighting for minutes on the Bruins’ fourth-line.
Lysell recorded three points in Providence’s 4-1 win over Bridgeport on Friday. Now, less than 24 hours later, head coach Joe Sacco has confirmed that Lysell will make his NHL debut, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. Conroy adds that Lysell will take Oliver Wahlstrom‘s spot between Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau. Lysell will become the first Bruins first-round pick to debut since 2019 30th-overall pick John Beecher, who is currently fighting for a role on the team’s fourth line.
Bruins Receiving Trade Interest In Trent Frederic
Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic is reportedly receiving trade interest from multiple teams (as per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on Saturday Headlines). It is the second time in two weeks that Friedman has reported on the interest in Frederic, and it’s fair to wonder if Boston will move the 26-year-old given his current contract situation. Frederic is in the final season of a two-year $4.6MM contract that expires on July 1st, 2025, at which time he will become an unrestricted free agent. The teams calling on Frederic are asking if Boston intends to sign Frederic or what their thinking could be going forward.
The St. Louis, Missouri native had a career year last year, posting 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games with a +9 plus/minus rating. This year, Frederic has seen his offensive numbers fall to just five goals and six assists in 38 games. While the drop in production is concerning, the biggest issue for Frederic has been his shooting percentage which has dropped from 14.6% to 9.3%.
Given Boston’s current standing in the Atlantic Division (third place), it’s unlikely the Bruins would opt to be sellers. However, Boston has played significantly more games than Tampa Bay and Ottawa, so they may fall into a Wild Card spot. The Bruins could also look to move Frederic in the hopes of plugging a different hole in their roster but given Frederic’s ability to play center and wing, Boston may view his versatility more favorably than any potential returns via trade.
Boston Bruins Recall Marc McLaughlin
According to the AHL transactions page, the Boston Bruins have recalled depth forward Marc McLaughlin. McLaughlin’s stay on the AHL roster was brief, as he was only reassigned yesterday afternoon.
Following the allowable roster moves during the roster freeze, McLaughlin was eligible for recall to the NHL active roster since he was recalled in a separate transaction after December 11th. It was another paper move, but it allowed the Bruins to bank valuable cap space for a short time.
It’s been another hybrid year for McLaughlin in his fourth season of professional hockey. He’s spent much of his career playing in AHL Providence but has 23 NHL games with the Bruins.
He’s failed to bring his point-per-game offense from the NCAA to the professional ranks. McLaughlin’s production has risen this season with five goals and 10 points in 15 games for the AHL Bruins which is much better than his six goals and 14 points in 68 games from a season ago.
His consistency in the AHL, or lack thereof, has prohibited McLaughlin from earning any legitimate opportunity at the NHL level. He’s scored six goals throughout his career and has shown flashes of being a responsible defensive forward but hasn’t earned a full-time spot on the roster up to this point.
Still, he’ll earn valuable experience during practice with the Bruins despite factoring little during games. Boston matches up against the flailing Buffalo Sabres tonight which makes as good an opportunity as ever for McLaughlin to enter the lineup.
Bruins, Tyler Johnson To Mutually Terminate Contract
Dec. 20: Johnson cleared waivers and will have his deal terminated, reports Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic. The veteran will engage with other teams on signing a new contract for the remainder of 2024-25 after the roster freeze lifts, he adds.
Dec. 19: The Bruins have placed veteran forward Tyler Johnson on unconditional waivers, per Conor Ryan of the Boston Globe. The two sides are likely headed for a mutual contract termination.
The 34-year-old Johnson opened the season with the Bruins after signing a professional tryout during training camp, but they didn’t add him to the active roster until signing him to a one-year, league-minimum deal in early November. He’s been seldom used, especially recently, only appearing in one of Boston’s eight games this month. He made a total of nine appearances for the B’s, posting two assists with a -1 rating while averaging 13:05 per game.
It’s far less offense than Boston was expecting from Johnson. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Lightning, Johnson had still been an effective middle-six presence for the Blackhawks over the past few seasons while battling injuries. The Washington native picked up 32 goals and 70 points in 149 appearances with Chicago between 2021-22 and 2023-24, averaging just under half a point per game.
In the early stages of his career, Johnson was a high-end, defensively responsible complementary center in Tampa Bay’s top six. From 2013-14 to 2019-20, he posted 150 goals and 333 points in 520 appearances, averaging 24 and 53 per 82 games, respectively. He played all three forward positions and was never a major liability in the faceoff dot when suiting up down the middle.
Johnson was limited to eight goals and 22 points in 55 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, though. The Bolts, who could no longer afford to allocate $5MM per season to a declining scorer, packaged him with a second-round pick for cap relief to Chicago, taking on injured blue-liner Brent Seabrook‘s contract for long-term injured reserve relief in return.
If Johnson clears waivers tomorrow, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent once again. If there’s still NHL interest in his services, it could result in a rare unconditional waiver claim as he’s already making the league minimum salary.
Bruins Claim Oliver Wahlstrom Off Waivers From Islanders
Amidst some offensive struggles, the Bruins have added some depth up front. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Boston has claimed winger Oliver Wahlstrom off waivers from the Islanders.
It has been a bit of a tumultuous tenure for Wahlstrom and the Isles in recent years. The 24-year-old was the 11th overall pick back in 2018 after showing plenty of offensive promise with the US National Team Development Program. He opted to turn pro after just one year at Boston College and the hope was that he’d become a reliable offensive player for New York before too long.
However, that never really came to fruition. Wahlstrom’s NHL career got off to a good start in 2020-21 when he picked up 12 goals and nine assists in 44 games in the shortened season. He followed that up with 13 goals and 11 helpers in 73 games the following season, a small uptick in overall production but a notable drop in points per game. He was somewhat productive in limited action in 2022-23 when he had 16 points in 35 games but things went off the rails last year when he was a frequent healthy scratch and collected just six points in 32 games.
That led to some speculation that the two sides could be parting ways, a belief that carried over to the summer. Instead, the two sides worked out a one-year, $1MM contract in late July. However, while Wahlstrom was largely able to secure a regular role in New York’s lineup this season, his playing time and production have both been limited. His 10:04 ATOI is a career low while he has just two goals and two assists in 27 appearances, leading to his waiver placement on Friday.
It’s a low-risk pickup for the Bruins who have just enough cap space to absorb Wahlstrom’s contract without needing to make any other roster moves. If things go well, they’ll be able to keep him under club control for two more years although he will be arbitration-eligible. Boston is now at the maximum of 23 players on its active roster.