After the season, Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo indicated that he wasn’t comfortable with his playing time which was limited to just 27 games. However, his agent Markus Lehto confirmed to RG’s Jimmy Murphy that no trade request has been submitted. The 31-year-old posted a 2.90 GAA and a .893 SV% in 27 games last season and with Boston re-signing Michael DiPietro to a two-year, one-way deal earlier this week, it’s possible that the Bruins will want to give him a look at playing behind Jeremy Swayman next season. Korpisalo has three years left on a contract that pays him $4MM per season with the Bruins only responsible for paying $3MM per year of that total with Ottawa responsible for the rest. With a free agent goalie market that’s not particularly strong, it wouldn’t be shocking if teams were kicking the tires to see if the Bruins might move Korpisalo but as of now, the veteran netminder wants to stay.
Bruins Rumors
Two-Way Deals: 7/1/25
As major signings come in around the NHL today with the 2025-26 league year beginning, teams are shoring up their minor-league depth as well by signing players to two-way contracts. We’re keeping track of those signings today in this article, which will be continuously updated. Deals are one year unless otherwise noted.
Boston Bruins
F Riley Tufte ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
D Jonathan Aspirot ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
G Luke Cavallin ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
Buffalo Sabres
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz ($865K NHL/$90K SB/$35K PB/$85K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years, entry-level
F Carson Meyer ($775K NHL/$350K AHL Y1 – $375K AHL Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
D Mason Geertsen ($775K NHL/$425K AHL) – Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet // two years
D Zachary Jones ($900K NHL/$550K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Zach Metsa ($775K NHL/$250K AHL/$325K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Calgary Flames
D Nick Cicek ($775K NHL) – team release
Carolina Hurricanes
G Amir Miftakhov ($775K NHL/$100K AHL/$240K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Chicago Blackhawks
F Dominic Toninato ($850K NHL) – team release // two years
Colorado Avalanche
F T.J. Tynan (unknown) – team release
D Jack Ahcan (unknown) – team release
D Ronald Attard ($775K NHL/$450K AHL/$500K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Owen Sillinger (unknown) – team release
D Christian Jaros (unknown) – team release
Dallas Stars
D Niilopekka Muhonen (unknown) – team release // three years, entry-level
Edmonton Oilers
D Riley Stillman ($775K NHL/$475K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
G Matt Tomkins ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$450 Y2 gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years
Florida Panthers
F Nolan Foote ($775K NHL/$150K AHL/$250K gt’d) – PuckPedia
F Jack Studnicka ($775K NHL/$450K AHL) – Chris Johnston of TSN/The Athletic
G Brandon Bussi ($775K NHL/$400K AHL) – PuckPedia
G Kirill Gerasimyuk (unknown) – team release // two years, entry-level
Los Angeles Kings
F Cole Guttman ($775K NHL/$450K Y1 – $475K Y2 AHL/$475K gt’d Y1 – $500K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Pitlick ($775K NHL/$300K Y1 – $350K Y2 AHL/$325K gt’d Y1 – $375K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
D Ben Gleason ($800K NHL/$475K AHL) – PuckPedia
Montreal Canadiens
F Alex Belzile (unknown) – team release
D Nathan Clurman ($775K NHL/$125K AHL/$140K gt’d) – PuckPedia
New Jersey Devils
D Calen Addison ($775K NHL/$325K AHL/$400K gt’d) – PuckPedia
F Angus Crookshank ($775K NHL/$425K AHL/$475K gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years, one-way in 2026-27
New York Islanders
F Matthew Highmore (unknown) – team release
D Ethan Bear ($775K NHL/$325K AHL/$425K gt’d) – PuckPedia
D Cole McWard (unknown) – team release
New York Rangers
D Derrick Pouliot ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$425K gt’d Y1 – $450K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
Ottawa Senators
F Wyatt Bongiovanni ($775K NHL/$160K AHL) – PuckPedia
F Olle Lycksell ($775K NHL/$450K AHL/$500K gt’d) – Darren Dreger of TSN
Philadelphia Flyers
F Lane Pederson ($775K NHL/$525K AHL) – PuckPedia
San Jose Sharks
F Jimmy Huntington (unknown) – team release
F Samuel Laberge (unknown) – team release
F Colin White ($775K NHL/$425K AHL/$475K gt’d) – PuckPedia
D Cole Clayton (unknown) – team release
St. Louis Blues
F Matt Luff ($775K NHL/$400K AHL) – PuckPedia
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Nicholas Abruzzese (unknown) – team release
F Tristan Allard (unknown) – team release // two years, entry-level
F Boris Katchouk (unknown) – team release
D Simon Lundmark ($775K NHL/$250K AHL/$350K gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years
G Ryan Fanti ($775K NHL/$80K AHL) – PuckPedia
Utah Mammoth
F Kailer Yamamoto ($775K NHL/$500K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Scott Perunovich ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$500K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Vancouver Canucks
F Joseph LaBate ($775K NHL/$350K AHL) – PuckPedia
F Mackenzie MacEachern ($775K NHL/$575K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
D Jimmy Schuldt ($775K NHL/$500K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
Winnipeg Jets
F Phillip Di Giuseppe ($775K NHL/$450K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Kale Clague (unknown) – Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet
Bruins Sign Michael Eyssimont, Sean Kuraly, Matej Blumel, Alex Steeves
The Bruins have signed forwards Michael Eyssimont and Sean Kuraly to two-year contracts, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reports. Eyssimont’s deal carries a $1.45MM cap hit while Kuraly’s carries a $1.85MM cap hit. They’ve also signed forward Matej Blumel to a one-way deal worth $875,000, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. That was first reported by Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects. Boston has additionally signed Alex Steeves to a one-year deal worth $850,000, per Di Marco.
In one fell swoop, the Bruins will shore up depth at forward with these moves. It’s headlined by Kuraly, who served the fourth-line center role in all 82 games of Columbus’ season. He was a bruising role player who handled the heavy defensive workload of Columbus’ bottom-six well. Kuraly recorded the highest faceoff percentage on the team (54.3 percent) and the third-most hits (163). He also chipped in 45 blocked shots, 17 points, and a minus-four across the full year.
Kuraly has been with the Blue Jackets for the last four seasons, but spent five years with the Bruins prior to his move to Ohio. Kuraly has manned a depth center role through all nine years of his NHL career, routinely rivaling a positive faceoff win-rare and 20 points in scoring. His career-year stands as the 2021-22 season – his first in Columbus – when Kuraly racked up a career-high 14 goals, 30 points, and 240 hits in 77 games played. He’ll return to Boston looking to continue offering a physical, impactful presence to the bottom of a lineup.
Boston will receive much of the same impact from winger Eyssimont, who racked up 16 points and 110 hits in 77 games this season, split between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Seattle Kraken. It was a relatively quiet year for Eyssimont, intercut by a Trade Deadline move to the Kraken as part of a three-team trade that sent Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde to Tampa Bay. Eyssimont was much more impactful for the 2023-24 Tampa Bay Lightning. He ranked third on the team in hits (135) that year, to go along with 11 goals and 25 points in 81 games. He’s now through his fourth season in the NHL, and has totaled 56 points, 230 penalty minutes, and 352 hits in 213 career games. That averages out to 22 points and 136 hits per 82 games — a mark that should fit well alongside Kuraly.
With two bruisers added in, Boston will also take a run at the pure upside of Blumel. The 25-year-old winger racked up a staggering 39 goals and 72 points in 67 AHL games this season, just one point back from the league’s scoring title. He further added 16 points in 14 Calder Cup playoff games. It was an electric performance, spurred by Blumel’s high-energy style and ability to beat opponents on the rush. He flashed the same ability in each of the last two seasons. He totaled 31 goals and 62 points in 72 games last year, and 44 points in 58 games the year before. Across that span, Blumel has only received 13 appearances, and scored two goals, at the NHL level. That fact, mixed with his high scoring, could make him a breakout candidate among a Bruins bottom-six in need of a scorer.
If not Blumel, the Bruins could find hardy upside in Steeves, who has also potted impressive minor-league scoring over the last four seasons. Steeves reached a new career-high with 36 goals and 62 points in 59 games this season. That mark emphasized the 27 goals and 57 points he scored in 65 games last year, and 51 points in 65 games he scored in the year before. Steeves has stepped into a handful of games with the Maple Leafs dating back to 2021, though only as injury relief. He’s scored one goal and three points in 14 career performances. While Kuraly and Eyssimont offer a stout pair of heavy-hitting forwards, Steeves will serve as the center compliment to Blumel in Boston’s search for scoring upside.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports.
PHR’s Gabriel Foley contributed significantly to this article.
Bruins Sign Tanner Jeannot, Jordan Harris
The Bruins have signed winger Tanner Jeannot to a five-year deal worth $3.4MM per season, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Friedman has also announced that the Bruins are nearing a contract with defenseman Jordan Harris, who played his collegiate hockey at Northeastern University. Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff reports that it’ll be a one-year, $825K agreement for Harris.
In one of the most surprising additions of the day, the Bruins have inked a long-term deal with a power forward who has disappointed greatly over the past three years. Still, there was a time when Jeannot was regarded as one of the better up-and-coming power forwards in the league. During the 2021-22 campaign, Jeannot scored 24 goals and 41 points in 81 games with the Nashville Predators, adding 318 hits.
Despite getting off to a slow start the following season, Jeannot commanded quite a haul at the following deadline. The Predators traded Jeannot to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a package including defenseman Cal Foote and five draft picks. Unfortunately, the trade immediately became a net loss for the Lightning, and Jeannot hasn’t been the same player since his breakout season.
Over the past three years, Jeannot has scored at a dismal pace compared to the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 20 goals and 45 points in 198 games between the Predators, Lightning, and Los Angeles Kings. Still, he’s maintained his physicality by throwing 712 hits in that time frame, but his shooting percentage has cratered to 9.0%.
He’s regarded as a quality defensive forward, but shouldn’t be considered for a higher role than any team’s third line, making this commitment by Boston all the more peculiar. At any rate, they’ve added considerable physicality to their bottom-six to a team whose entire brand is built around physical hockey.
Meanwhile, Harris joins the third organization of his career after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Haverhill, MA native returns home after spending the last four years with the Montreal Canadiens and Blue Jackets.
Still, he’s coming to Boston on the heels of a down season. In a depth role, Harris scored one goal and five points for Columbus in 33 games last season, averaging 11:23 of ice time per game. There is some reason for optimism, however, as Harris’s most recent season with the Canadiens saw him produce one goal and 14 points in 56 contests, when he averaged more than 17 minutes of ice time.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Boston Bruins Acquire Viktor Arvidsson
10:51 a.m.: The Oilers have announced the trade.
10:15 a.m.: The Bruins are set to add some extra depth on the wing. Irfaan Gafaar reports (Twitter link) that Boston will be acquiring Viktor Arvidsson from Edmonton; David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period adds (Twitter link) that the veteran has waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the move. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug relays (Twitter link) that Edmonton will receive a 2027 fifth-round pick in return.
The 32-year-old was brought in last summer by team president Jeff Jackson who was serving as interim GM at the time in a move to try to shore up their secondary scoring. Given Arvidsson’s track record, the move made some sense on paper although it helped put the Oilers in the cap bind that ultimately cost them Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to offer sheets from St. Louis soon after.
While Arvidsson was productive in limited action after returning from injury in 2023-24 with 15 points in 18 games, he wasn’t able to produce at that same level with Edmonton. He notched 15 goals and 12 assists in 67 regular season games with Edmonton while adding two goals and five helpers in 15 playoff contests while also spending time as a healthy scratch.
With Arvidsson having one year left on his contract with a $4MM cap charge, it was widely expected that the Oilers would be looking to move him to open up some much-needed cap flexibility on their end. They’ve done just that and the Bruins are taking on the full contract without any salary retention.
Given the low-cost return, this is an interesting move for Boston. GM Don Sweeney hasn’t hidden his expectation of getting the Bruins back to the playoffs but with a UFA market that’s thinning quite quickly, taking a flyer on a one-year add over a multi-year addition works from a flexibility standpoint.
While Arvidsson is coming off a down year, he has five seasons of at least 20 goals under his belt. With Boston being a team that was 27th in goals scored last season, adding someone with a decent track record of production certainly makes sense. And if the Bruins aren’t able to get back into the playoff mix, he’d make sense as a late-season trade candidate for a team looking to add some winger depth, putting Boston in a position to get back what they gave up to get him (or perhaps even more, depending on the state of the market).
From a cap perspective, Edmonton went from having barely $550K in cap space before the swap, per PuckPedia, to $4.55MM at their disposal. That will give GM Stan Bowman some flexibility to work with on the open market as he looks to add an upgrade or two. Meanwhile, Boston came into the day with around $12.7MM in room, per PuckPedia, with that amount being cut to $8.7MM with this swap. Sweeney has a few roster spots that still need to be filled with that money but that’s still ample flexibility to try to do so.
Bruins Showed Interest In Jordan Spence
- At the draft, Los Angeles moved defenseman Jordan Spence to Ottawa but the Senators weren’t the only Atlantic team interested in his services. Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek reports that the Bruins were also in on the 24-year-old. Spence had 28 points in 79 games this past season but had requested a trade in the hopes of finding a bigger role elsewhere. Speculatively, had Boston landed Spence, they may not have turned around and re-signed Henri Jokiharju, who inked a three-year deal earlier today.
Bruins Re-Sign Merkulov
- The Bruins announced earlier today that they’ve re-signed forward Georgii Merkulov to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K at the NHL level. PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that the deal will pay $235K in the AHL and has a guaranteed salary of $270K. The 24-year-old got into six games with Boston this past season, notching one assist but he was much more productive in the minors with AHL Providence. With them, he led the team in scoring with 15 goals and 39 assists in 59 appearances. Merkulov will be waiver-eligible beginning next season which could give him a leg up in a battle for a roster spot in training camp.
Free Agent Notes: Marchand, Gavrikov, Provorov, Granlund, Faksa, Pezzetta
If the Panthers can’t get a deal done to keep Brad Marchand in Florida before the market opens tomorrow, Darren Dreger of TSN expects the Bruins, Mammoth, and Maple Leafs to be his most aggressive suitors in free agency.
A Boston reunion would be surprising given there’s been no change in the front office that wasn’t willing to match Marchand’s cheaper requests for an extension during the season, resulting in the Bruins trading their captain to the Panthers at the deadline. Nonetheless, it’s a financially feasible move for them and one that would address their rather significant need for top-six forwards. The club still has $12.74MM in cap space after getting extensions done for names like John Beecher, Morgan Geekie, and Henri Jokiharju in the last 24 hours, per PuckPedia. Marchand would likely command a contract in the $8MM range annually if he hits the open market.
While Utah has seemed to dial back its rhetoric of making a significant free agent splash, instead placing complete trust in its young core and opting for more youthful pickups via trade, like JJ Peterka, Marchand might make more sense on a shorter-term contract. They still have nearly $15MM in cap space and enter 2025-26 with one of the youngest forward groups in the league – their only forwards 30 or older are Alexander Kerfoot and Liam O’Brien.
The Leafs also have their cap flexibility for Tuesday dialed in after getting rather affordable extensions done for Matthew Knies ($7.75MM) and John Tavares ($4.38MM AAV) in the last few days. They’d presumably be one of the more appealing fits for Marchand to remain both with a contending team and in a top-six role, potentially even seeing top-line minutes in place of the departing Mitch Marner.
Here are a few more rumors from around the NHL ahead of the official start of free agency on Tuesday:
- Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relays that the Kings are making a last-ditch effort today to reach an extension with defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. While general manager Ken Holland said over the weekend he expects Gavrikov to test the market, L.A. still hasn’t heard back from Gavrikov’s camp on their final offer.
- While things were quiet on extension talks between the Blue Jackets and defenseman Ivan Provorov for weeks, they re-engaged in negotiations yesterday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. They presumably decided getting yesterday’s extension for Dante Fabbro done, ensuring they retain depth on their weaker right side of the blue line, was a priority over Provorov’s talks.
- Center Mikael Granlund and the Stars continue to have mutual interest in an extension, according to LeBrun. It still looks unlikely something will get done before tomorrow with the Stars having just $980K in projected cap space for next season, but they could reach a handshake agreement if Dallas is confident they can move out other contracts to make Granlund’s money work. They’ve already been successful in retaining vets Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene on below-market-value deals.
- Depth pivot Radek Faksa will have plenty of options tomorrow if he reaches the market, given the lack of centers available, but there’s still the possibility he stays with the Blues. The two sides remain in extension talks, says Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.
- The Maple Leafs are among the teams expected to have interest in Canadiens enforcer Michael Pezzetta, assuming he hits the market tomorrow, reports LeBrun.
Bruins Extend Henri Jokiharju, John Beecher, Michael DiPietro
The Bruins announced a trio of extensions Monday, keeping defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goaltender Michael DiPietro away from UFA status and forward John Beecher away from RFA status. Jokiharju’s contract is a three-year deal at $9MM for a $3MM cap hit, Beecher’s deal is a one-year, one-way contract at $900,000, while DiPietro’s deal is a two-year contract worth $1.625MM in total and $812,500 annually.
Boston retains Jokiharju after general manager Don Sweeney said last week they were working on an extension with the right-shot defender. He would have been among the youngest options on the open market after turning 26 two weeks ago, but instead, he stays with the Bruins on a multi-year deal. Addressing their absence of depth on the right side of the blue line was a priority for Boston this summer, and absent from making a big splash for top UFA Aaron Ekblad, there weren’t a ton of upgrades available at the position on the UFA market. Dante Fabbro may have been one, but he extended with the Blue Jackets yesterday.
The Bruins acquired Jokiharju, who had spent most of his NHL career with the Sabres, from Buffalo at the 2024 trade deadline for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The 6’0″ Finn was a good fit in Boston after a tough year with the Sabres, posting four assists and a plus-seven rating in 18 games to end the season while averaging north of 21 minutes per game. His defensive impacts were admirable as he had to play far more than he usually would with Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy both injured. As a result, he likely left some earnings on the table with this extension. AFP Analytics projected Jokiharju to receive a three-year deal at $3.6MM per season.
He won’t receive that kind of deployment again with McAvoy presumably back in the fold to start next season, but he should slot in as No. 2 on the depth chart on a pairing with either Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov. The Bruins still have $12.7MM in cap space after today’s moves with no notable RFAs to re-sign, according to PuckPedia. They could still pursue an additional righty in addition to a forward pickup or two, but for now, Jokiharju looks set to replace the top-four role that Brandon Carlo held for so many years until his trade to the Maple Leafs at the deadline.
Jokiharju’s contract will pay him a $2.5MM base salary and a $500,000 signing bonus in 2025-26, a $3MM base salary and a $250,000 signing bonus in 2026-27, and a $2.75MM base salary in 2027-28, according to PuckPedia. He also lands an eight-team no-trade clause for next season.
Beecher, the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2019, returns on a deal that comes in slightly north of his $874,125 qualifying offer. The 6’3″ pivot firmly established himself as a full-time bottom-six forward last season after appearing in 52 regular-season games in 2023-24. He’s put together a 10-11–21 scoring line in 130 games across his two NHL seasons, posting a -15 rating while averaging 11:01 of ice time per game. He flexes between center and wing but has been great on draws, winning 53.2% of faceoffs over a decently large sample.
His possession impacts leave something to be desired, but that’ll happen when a player receives as pure a shutdown role as Beecher has. He’s seen a dZS% of 83.6 at even strength for his career, including 82.3% in 2024-25. While the 24-year-old isn’t on track to realize his first-round potential, he is a perfectly serviceable fourth-line piece, particularly at a sub-$1MM price tag.
As for DiPietro, their No. 3 netminder would have had multiple offers on the open market, but instead stays with Boston. While there isn’t an immediate pathway to an NHL role for him, there could be one if the Bruins opt to trade backup Joonas Korpisalo. He has three seasons left on his contract at a $3MM cap hit, which could be an appealing deal for teams looking to add a goalie amid a weak free agent market.
It’s the first one-way deal of DiPietro’s career, although it’s equivalent to a league-minimum one. He’ll earn $775,000 in 2025-26 and $850,000 in 2026-27, per PuckPedia, the latter of which is expected to be the new league-minimum salary when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is officially ratified. The 26-year-old hasn’t yet seen NHL action for Boston but was exceptional for AHL Providence in 2024-25, posting a .927 SV%, 2.05 GAA, four shutouts, and a 26-8-7 record in 40 games.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Bruins Agree To Terms On Extension With Morgan Geekie
It appears that the Bruins are getting close to getting their top pending restricted free agent under contract. Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Boston is finalizing a contract with forward Morgan Geekie. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that it will be a six-year, $33MM deal, carrying a $5.5MM AAV.
The 26-year-old was eligible for salary arbitration this summer in his final season of RFA eligibility. That would have been a much different outcome than the last time he was a pending restricted free agent as he was two years ago. At that time, Seattle didn’t want to give Geekie the right to a hearing so they ultimately non-tendered him, sending him to the open market where he quickly signed a two-year, $4MM contract with the Bruins.
It’s fair to say that the contract worked out well for both sides. In 2023-24, Geekie set new career highs across the board, notching 17 goals and 22 assists in 76 games while getting to play regularly in the top six for the first time in his career, primarily down the middle. That alone was good value on the deal.
But this season, Geekie found a new gear entirely. Moved to the wing for the bulk of the season, he found some chemistry with David Pastrnak and as a result, he had 33 goals and 24 assists, finishing second to Pastrnak in both goals and points despite only having nine points with the man advantage. With numbers like that, he wound up being one of the better bargains in the NHL this season. His playing time also jumped to just under 17 minutes a night.
With Geekie only having one RFA year remaining, Boston is gaining five years of club control with the agreement. AFP Analytics projected a four-year pact worth just under $6.6MM per season but it will ultimately check in below that.
With the move, they now have around $16.6MM in cap space at their disposal, per PuckPedia, with John Beecher being the only other RFA to deal with after it was reported earlier today that Boston will non-tender winger Jakub Lauko on Monday with the deadline for qualifying offers being at 4 PM CT. With Beecher’s deal likely to be a short-term bridge pact, GM Don Sweeney will still have considerable cap space at his disposal to try to fill several roster spots in the hope of getting his team back to the playoffs next season after missing the postseason for the first time since 2015-16.
Photo courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images.