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Bruins Unlikely To Retain Pending UFA Defensemen

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The Bruins’ elimination in six games at the hands of the Panthers in the second round can hardly be called surprising. Much like last season, although to a lesser degree, the team overperformed in the standings on the backs of goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, who again both finished in the top 10 of the league-wide goals saved above expected leaderboard. A lack of game-breaking offense outside of captain Brad Marchand and winger David Pastrňák meant they scored just seven goals in Games 2 through 6 against Florida, making it five straight playoff appearances without multiple series wins.

Now, attention turns toward general manager Don Sweeney and how he may tinker with the retooling roster to extend their playoff window. To that end, he’s likely to let their trio of pending unrestricted free agent defensemen in Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk and Kevin Shattenkirk hit the open market on July 1, writes The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa.

All three players are wrapping up seven-figure cap hit deals, but none were regulars in this postseason. Forbort returned from a lengthy undisclosed injury midway through the first round against the Maple Leafs but was scratched for six out of Boston’s final nine playoff games after being recalled from a conditioning stint to AHL Providence and activated from long-term injured reserve.

Grzelcyk last played in Game 5 against Toronto and was scratched for seven straight to end the season, while Shattenkirk saw the most playoff action of the threesome with six appearances, all against Toronto. Like Grzelcyk, he was scratched for the entirety of the Florida series.

Other pending UFA Bruins unlikely to receive an extension include veteran winger James van Riemsdyk, Shinzawa said. Wingers Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Pat Maroon all earned a slightly more favorable “maybe” chance of returning compared to the others’ “very low.”

The willingness to part ways with all three is a strong sign that Boston expects Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon to be everyday players in 2024-25. Lohrei, 23, is likely slated for top-four duties and could replace the role that Grzelcyk held alongside Charlie McAvoy for much of the last few seasons. The 2020 second-round pick is the organization’s top developing defenseman and impressed in his rookie season, notching 13 points in 41 games with a -2 rating. He didn’t look out of place in playoff action, either, with four points in 11 games while seeing his average ice time creep north of 17 minutes.

Wotherspoon, meanwhile, also played a larger-than-expected role in the regular season after being signed for AHL depth last summer. The 26-year-old had strong possession metrics (47.0 CF%, 52.3 xGF% at even strength) while adding eight assists in 41 contests, proving he can comfortably shoulder everyday bottom-pairing usage. The acquisition of Andrew Peeke from the Blue Jackets at the trade deadline, who has two seasons remaining on his contract at a $2.75MM cap hit, also filled out a guaranteed spot on next year’s blue line.

As such, don’t expect many moves from Sweeney to alter his group of defensemen. That leaves Boston with a decently comfortable $20.9MM in cap space this summer to re-sign pending restricted free agents Swayman and Jesper Boqvist, per CapFriendly. They’ll use the remainder to fill out three to four forward spots and find a cheap deal for a seventh defenseman. Opting to trade Ullmark (one season left at a $5MM cap hit) for a cheaper complement to Swayman longer-term could allow Boston to make a greater splash on the UFA forward market as well.

Bruins Notes: DeBrusk, Pastrnak, Grzelcyk, Maroon

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Pending free agent Jake DeBrusk didn’t speak much to his future with the Boston Bruins during exit interviews, except to tell Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that he thought an extension would have been done by now (Twitter link). DeBrusk, who’s been entrenched in rumors for years, added that he’s still hopeful a new deal in Boston can get done.

DeBrusk is set for free agency once again, with his last move to the open market being halted by a two-year, $8MM contract extension signed in March of 2022. He’s performed well on the ‘prove it’ contract, recording 50 and 40 points – and 27 and 19 goals – in the last two seasons respectively. The performances continued the potential DeBrusk showed in the 2021-22 season, when he managed 25 goals and 42 points in 77 games. He’s become a role player, capable of putting up strong goal-scoring from the middle of the lineup. And in case Boston had any remaining hesitations, DeBrusk made sure to finish his contract with a stellar postseason performance – posting 11 points through 13 games, stepping up in the absence of team captain Brad Marchand.

Boston is entering the off-season with 10 pending free agents, including starter Jeremy Swayman, who expressed interest in a long-term deal during closeout interviews. That deal, DeBrusk’s signing, and the wealth of depth options Boston will mull through could quickly eat up their $20.1MM in cap space.

Other notes out of Boston:

  • Bruins forward David Pastrnak spent the season battling with recurring groin injuries, shares Shinzawa (Twitter link). And while persistent, the injuries can’t be bugging the Czech star too much, as he’s expected to join Team Czechia at the World Championships alongside Bruins teammate Pavel Zacha. Pastrnak continued to thrive in his starring role, posting 47 goals and 110 points while appearing in all 82 games. It was the fourth season where he’s scored 40-or-more goals in the last five years, though it was also a notable step back from his 61 goals last season. He’ll look to return to the conversation of historical goal-scoring when he’s back to full health next season.
  • Speaking of injuries, it was revealed that defenseman Matt Grzelcyk suffered a torn oblique in the postseason, shares Shinzawa (Twitter link). Grzelcyk missed 10 of Boston’s postseason games, after appearing in just 63 regular-season games. It was, as a result, a drab year for the 30-year-old defender, who posted a career-low 11 points through a combined 66 games on the year.  He’s one of Boston’s many pending free agents, though the promise of improved health could be enough to earn the Massachusetts native a new deal.
  • Of the many Bruins discussing interest in returning next year, winger Pat Maroon may be among the biggest surprises. The hefty forward lauded the team in his closeout interviews, telling Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com that he’d love to return to the team next year (Twitter link). Maroon played in two regular season, and 13 postseason, games with the Bruins after joining them at the Trade Deadline. He posted just two assists in the combined efforts, adding 18 penalty minutes. At 36, the list of options is likely running slim for Maroon. He’ll be one of the many cheap depth forwards available to Boston as the summer rolls on.

East Notes: Jarvis, Byram, Shattenkirk

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis revealed he’s played through injuries for much of the season, sharing with reporters that he tore the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder just 15 games into the year, per Chip Alexander of The News and Observer (Twitter link). Jarvis said he experienced pain and discomfort from the injuries all season long, though wearing a shoulder brace helped reduce how often his shoulder slipped out of place. He also shared that he broke his finger during Carolina’s Round One series against the New York Islanders, though Jarvis described that injury as more of an annoyance than anything.

To hear the extent of what the 22-year-old Jarvis suffered through this season is incredible. He had a career year despite operating with fewer than two healthy shoulders, recording a dazzling 33 goals and 67 points in 81 appearances. He ranked second on the team in both goals and points, behind Sebastian Aho’s 34-goal, 89-point campaign. Jarvis held onto that impressive scoring in the postseason, netting four goals and nine points in 11 games – tied for third on the team. He’s now set for free agency, having played the final year of his entry-level contract, and should be one of Carolina’s top priorities. The young winger’s performance this year was enough to earn him a substantial raise, but the promise of what he could do with a fully healthy season could earn him even more. Carolina is projected to have $27.35MM in cap space this summer, with Jarvis, Brady Skjei, Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, and 10 other players facing free agency.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Buffalo Sabres, and Team Canada, defenseman Bowen Byram was suspended for one game of the World Championship after slashing Team Finland’s Jesse Puljujarvi in the nether region following a scrap in the slot (Twitter link). The incident marked a string of gritty plays between Canada and Finland in what would end up a 5-3 Canada victory. Byram has been an important piece of Canada’s blue line, recording four points in five games while serving on the team’s second pair. He’ll now miss Canada’s Sunday matchup against Team Switzerland, making way for Olen Zellweger to take on a bigger role. Zellweger currently has four assists in five games.
  • Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk expressed his desires to play again next season to reporters on Sunday, shares Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (Twitter link). Shattenkirk, 35, concluded his one-year deal with the Bruins with 24 points in 61 games – adding one assist in six postseason games. While certainly not flashy scoring, the veteran defender showed his ability to make a difference on the third pair, and brought invaluable experience to the lineup. He’s now played for four different teams over the last six seasons and could be set to increase that number this summer, with no shortage of teams looking for cheap and reliable defensive depth.

Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman, Linus Ullmark Hoping To Return

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The Boston Bruins are bringing a close to their season with exit interviews on Sunday. And despite rumors and skepticism all season long, both halves of their star goalie tandem have expressed excitement for next season. Jeremy Swayman – the younger of the pair and Boston’s most recent starter – told reporters he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the Bruins, per Ty Anderson of the 985 Sports Hub Underground (Twitter link). Swayman added that he’s confident a deal will get done and that he doesn’t want to play anywhere else.

Meanwhile, de facto backup Linus Ullmark curbed trade rumors, emphasizing that he has one more year on his contract to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com (Twitter link). Ullmark told Benjamin, “I have one more year. I wouldn’t want anything else than to come back here, get a little bit of a revenge tour. I’m very excited, motivated for what’s to come.”

Ullmark was similarly stand-offish when asked about his 16-team no-trade-clause, shares Anderson, saying that the teams on his list are there for a reason (Twitter link). Ullmark reportedly blocked a Trade Deadline move to the Los Angeles Kings with his no-trade clause, though neither Ullmark nor general manager Don Sweeney have confirmed that. Nonetheless, the former Vezina Trophy winner is standing by his contractual rights, which could make any off-season move that much tougher to pull off.

But that doesn’t mean Boston isn’t still shopping Ullmark around. Moving him remains a top priority for the team prior to the 2024 NHL Draft, shares Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. Shinzawa adds that Ullmark’s concerns with a mid-season move were more related to moving away from his family or relocating his children’s schooling than concerns with the destination. Those worries should be mitigated by the off-season, though they speak to the layers of human consideration that go into trade talks. Luckily, Ullmark should have no shortage of suitors on the open market – boasting a $5MM cap hit for one more season, an incredibly affordable price for a former Vezina winner.

Breaking up the 2023 William Jennings Trophy winners certainly seems like a smart idea for the Bruins. Swayman proved that he can stay consistent this season, posting 25 wins and a .916 save percentage through 44 games. But his ice time remained limited, with Boston still awarding Ullmark 40 games of his own. He vindicated the appearances with 22 wins and a .915 of his own. The two were nearly indistinguishable, with Boston even cycling them out in the postseason. And while two great goaltenders is a great problem to have, it’s also preventing Boston from tapping into their great depth chart. Namely, AHL starter Brandon Bussi has seemingly earned an NHL call-up. He posted 23 wins and a .913 in 41 AHL games this year, and is showing patented Bruins clutch in the playoffs, with a .922 through four games . The performances have brought Bussi up to 48 wins and a .918 save percentage in 78 AHL games since 2021 – ranked eighth in the league in wins and 16th in save percentage in that span. Moving Ullmark would have the tri-tiered benefits of allowing Swayman to take on a bigger role, creating opportunity for younger goalies, and returning to Boston what’s sure to be a substantial trade package.

Afternoon Notes: Drouin, Henrique, Bruins, Brandsegg-Nygard

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Colorado Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin has shared that he’s hoping to re-sign with the team this summer, per Meghan Angley of TheDNVR.com (Twitter link). Drouin joined the Avalanche on a one-year, $825K contract last July and looked great in their system, posting a career-high 56 points. He appeared in 79 games – the second-most he’s played in any of his 10 NHL seasons, behind the 2018-19 campaign.

Drouin seemed to find his footing with the Avalanche and will now hope to solidify his future with the club. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring while admirably filling Gabriel Landeskog’s role on the second line. That should be enough to earn him a substantial raise from his sub-$1MM salary this season, though he’ll still have to settle for a cheaper deal, with Colorado boasting just $15MM to re-sign their 11 free agents, including Sean Walker and Alexandar Georgiev.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers are expected to once again be without forward Adam Henrique for Game 6, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Knoblauch also shared that the Oilers will have an extra forward in warmups, with one lineup forward questionable with an illness. Henrique has missed five of the six games this series and hasn’t been particularly effective when he is on the ice – with just two points in six postseason games so far. Connor Brown will remain in the lineup in Henrique’s absence, while one of Sam Carrick, Sam Gagner, or Adam Erne will likely skate as the precautionary extra forward.
  • A pair of Boston Bruins could be set to join Team Czechia at the World Championship, with Czechia news outlet iDNES.cz reporting that both David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha could join the team as soon as Monday. That decision will be made by general manager Petr Nedved and assistant general manager Martin Havlat, who shared that Pastrnak and Zacha are set to undergo medical evaluation on Sunday. These would be substantial additions to a Czechia roster that’s already leading Group A, with four wins in six games. They recently added Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas following their elimination and are now set to add two more difference-makers – a substantial boost ahead of their Tuesday matchup with Team Canada, their final of the group stage.
  • Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has signed a one-year deal with the reigning SHL champions: Skelleftea AIK. Brandsegg-Nygard spent the season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league, where he posted 18 points in 41 games. He’s also managed five points in five World Juniors games and 12 points in nine international friendlies with Norway’s U20 team – and is currently one of just six goal-scorers on Norway’s World Championship roster. It’s been a strong year for Brandsegg-Nygard, the fifth-ranked European by NHL Central Scouting. He should only add to his momentum on a flashy, high-skill Skelleftea team next year.

Bruins And Sens Discussed Ullmark At Trade Deadline, Could Revisit Talks In Offseason

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  • Garrioch added that Ottawa kicked the tires on acquiring Linus Ullmark from the Bruins at the trade deadline. It’s widely believed that Boston will ultimately move Ullmark over the summer so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the teams rekindle discussions on that front in the coming weeks.  Ullmark has one year left on his contract which carries a $5MM price tag and had a 2.57 GAA with a .915 SV% in 40 games this season after taking home the Vezina Trophy in 2022-23.

Brad Marchand Game-Time Decision For Game 6, Trending Toward Playing

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  • Bruins captain Brad Marchand remains a game-time decision for tonight’s Game 6 against the Panthers but seems to be trending upward, per head coach Jim Montgomery (per The Boston Globe’s Conor Ryan). He’s missed the past two contests after sustaining an upper-body hit on a hit from Florida center Sam Bennett, which the Bruins managed to split with the Cats to stay alive. They head into Game 6 after an impressive road win to reduce Florida’s series lead to 3-2 with a chance to tie at home. Despite the multi-game absence, Marchand is still tied with Jake DeBrusk for the Bruins lead in playoff scoring with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games.

Bruins Recall Nine Players From AHL

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The Boston Bruins have added to their black aces as they have recalled nine players from the AHL’s Providence Bruins (as per AHL Transactions). Providence was eliminated by the Hartford Wolf Pack last Friday for the second year in a row allowing the Bruins to recall the nine players today to take part in the remainder of the Bruins playoff run. Boston will face elimination once again tomorrow night in Game 6 of their best-of-seven series against the Florida Panthers.

Joining the Bruins’ black aces will be forwards Joey Abate, Trevor Kuntar, Marc McLaughlin, Georgii Merkulov, Anthony Richard, and Oskar Steen. Defensively, Michael Callahan and Ian Mitchell will join the team, while goaltender Michael DiPietro also received a callup.

Abate just completed his second season in the NHL and has yet to see NHL action in his brief professional career, while Kuntar was a rookie this season in the AHL after being drafted in the third round back in 2020.

McLaughlin has had brief appearances in the NHL in each of the past three seasons posting four goals in 14 games, including a goal in his only NHL appearance this season. The 24-year-old grew up near Boston and was the captain of Boston College in his final two NCAA seasons.

Merkulov led Providence in scoring this season with 30 goals and 35 assists in 67 AHL games. The undrafted free agent signing has been a solid offensive contributor in the AHL since arriving in 2021-22. The 23-year-old saw his first NHL action this season going scoreless in four games.

Richard has been a mainstay in the AHL for eight seasons but has bounced around in recent years. The former fourth-round pick in 2015 has had a few cups of coffee in the NHL throughout his professional career, posting four goals and four assists in 24 NHL games. The 27-year-old had a goal and two assists in nine NHL games this season with Boston.

Steen spent much of the year with Boston dressing in 34 games but tallying just a single goal. He fared much better in the AHL scoring 12 goals and adding four assists in 25 AHL games. The native of Karlstad, Sweden has been in the Bruins organization for five seasons and remains a tweener bouncing back and forth between the AHL and the NHL in each of the last four years.

On the backend 24-year-old Callahan just completed his third professional season, playing in a career-high 70 AHL games. The former fifth-round pick has yet to make his NHL debut and doesn’t offer much offensively, posting just four goals and 13 assists this season.

Mitchell came over to the Bruins from the Chicago Blackhawks last summer in the trade that sent Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall the other way. He looked like he may have found a home on the Bruins blueline early in the season but hasn’t dressed in an NHL game since December 23rd and was demoted to the AHL. With Providence, the 25-year-old posted solid offensive numbers with six goals and 18 assists in 42 games.

DiPietro’s young career feels as though it’s come full circle as the netminder had a few NHL starts early in his career with the Vancouver Canucks after an impressive OHL career, but his play fell off and he was relegated to the ECHL last season. This year, Dipietro bounced back and posted impressive AHL numbers with an 18-9-2 record to go along with a .918 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average.

The nine men will join several of their other Providence teammates along for the ride with Boston as they look to extend their playoff run tomorrow. The black aces are unlikely to see action in the playoffs, but they will have an opportunity to practice with the Bruins and soak in the atmosphere of the NHL playoffs.

Brad Marchand Nearing Return, Still Day-To-Day Ahead Of Game 6

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Things are trending toward Bruins captain Brad Marchand returning to the lineup as they try and force a Game 7 against the Panthers on Friday night. He practiced with the team today and skated with the first power play unit, reports The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, indicating head coach Jim Montgomery is preparing for him to be available. Montgomery later told reporters that Marchand remains day-to-day, but his status could change tomorrow (via NBC Sports Boston’s Ty Anderson).

The B’s dropped Game 4 without their captain but managed to escape Florida with a 2-1 win in Game 5 to keep their season alive. The Bruins are now 2-2 in potential elimination games this postseason after dropping Games 5 and 6 against the Maple Leafs in the first round despite taking a 3-1 series lead.

NHL-Affiliated Prospects Playing In 2024 Memorial Cup

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The field for the 2024 Memorial Cup, the top club tournament in junior hockey, is set. The QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, the OHL’s London Knights and the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors all swept their respective league championship series within the last two days to advance to the CHL championship tournament, joining the host Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

This year marks the first Memorial Cup held in the United States since 1998, which was hosted by the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The Spirit will attempt to become the first U.S.-based team to win since the Chiefs in 2008, and they have a strong chance. They’re stronger than a typical host team, finishing second in the league in the regular season with a 50-16-2 record and trailing London by just two points. They were eliminated by London in six games in the Western Conference Final.

The Knights lead the way with 10 NHL-affiliated prospects on their roster, including two first-round picks in Flyers defenseman Oliver Bonk and Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan. The latter was named the OHL playoffs MVP after leading the Knights in scoring with 10 goals, 24 assists and 34 points in just 18 games. He had 15 points in four games in their championship sweep over the Oshawa Generals.

If you’re looking for some non-Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to watch, check to see if your favorite NHL team has prospects suiting up in the tournament, which begins May 24:

Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL champion)

D Mikaël Diotte (Devils, free agent signing)
RW Ethan Gauthier (Lightning, 2023, 37th overall)
RW Alexis Gendron (Flyers, 2022, 220th overall)
D Vsevolod Komarov (Sabres, 2022, 134th overall)

NHL Utah 2022 first-round pick D Maveric Lamoureux is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March.

London Knights (OHL champion)

C Denver Barkey (Flyers, 2023, 95th overall)
D Oliver Bonk (Flyers, 2023, 22nd overall)
C Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs, 2023, 28th overall)
D Jackson Edward (Bruins, 2022, 200th overall)
D Isaiah George (Islanders, 2022, 98th overall)
RW Kasper Halttunen (Sharks, 2023, 36th overall)
C Jacob Julien (Jets, 2023, 146th overall)
C Kaleb Lawrence (Kings, 2022, 215th overall)
C Max McCue (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Landon Sim (Blues, 2022, 184th overall)

Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL champion)

RW Jagger Firkus (Kraken, 2022, 35th overall)
D Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets, 2022, 12th overall)
D Kalem Parker (Wild, 2023, 181st overall)
D Vojtech Port (Ducks, 2023, 161st overall)
LW Martin Rysavy (Blue Jackets, 2021, 197th overall)
C Matthew Savoie (Sabres, 2022, 9th overall)
C Brayden Yager (Penguins, 2023, 14th overall)

Saginaw Spirit (host)

C Owen Beck (Canadiens, 2022, 33rd overall)
LW Josh Bloom (Canucks, acquired from Sabres in 2023 trade for Riley Stillman)
D Rodwin Dionicio (Ducks, 2023, 129th overall)
D Jorian Donovan (Senators, 2022, 136th overall)
C Hunter Haight (Wild, 2022, 47th overall)
C Ethan Hay (Lightning, 2023, 211th overall)
G Nolan Lalonde (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Matyas Sapovaliv (Golden Knights, 2022, 48th overall)
C Joseph Willis (Predators, 2023, 111th overall)

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