Veteran forward Brian Boyle has signed with the New Jersey Devils on a two-year contract. He will earn $5.1 million, with a cap hit of $2.55 million per season. Boyle is going on to his 12th season in the National Hockey League.
Brian Boyle is expected to go to NJD. Likely two-year deal.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2017
Brian Boyle's terms in NJ: 2 x $2.55M.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2017
Brian Boyle Signs with the New Jersey Devils
Standing at 6’6″, Boyle is a menace on the ice. His pure size alone makes him a hard player to beat. He plays a physical game and brings leadership to the locker room. Boyle’s ability to get into scrums and fight for the puck, and win, is impressive. Though Boyle lacks a bit on the offensive end of his game, he can still provide enough offense to allow for chances for his teammates. Perhaps the best attribute that Brian Boyle holds is his ability to stay healthy. In nine seasons (not counting the first two as a rookie), Boyle has only missed 58 games.
This past season, Boyle was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning, whom he spent the past three years with, to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boyle had a 25-point season in total, scoring 13 times and adding 12 assists. The Hingham, Massachusetts native was drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Boyle spent two seasons with the Kings (2007-08 and 2008-09), playing only a total of 36 games. He would score eight goals and tally two assists in his time there before being traded to the New York Rangers. In New York, Boyle would have some of the best seasons of his career thus far. He blended into the Rangers’ fast-paced, gritty play style and maintained a bottom line forward position.
In five seasons with the Rangers, Boyle tallied 44 goals and 46 assists in a grand total of 355 games played. In the off-season after the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a year that the Rangers ran to the Stanley Cup Final, the Rangers parted ways with Boyle, with the Tampa Bay Lightning signing him as a free agent. With Tampa, Boyle skated in 211 games, scoring 41 times and adding 35 helpers.
In the little bit of time he had with Toronto this season, Boyle proved his worth, bringing his talent and experience to a fresh, young team who was bound for the playoffs. Boyle’s 106 career playoff games helped him to help situate a young, rookie-filled team.
Now with the New Jersey Devils, Boyle will be looking to fill in his regular role as a veteran, hard-nosed player who can provide a spark of leadership all while playing a tough physical game. The 32-year-old centre still has some years in him, and for the Devils to pick him up is a smart move.
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