The Boston Bruins have signed defender Derek Forbort as another reinforcement for its blueline going into 2021-22. The veteran’s new deal is for three years with an annual cap hit of $3 million. Frank Seravalli broke the news Wednesday.
Hearing Derek Forbort has agreed to join the #NHLBruins on a three-year deal.
@DFOHockey @Sportsnet
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 28, 2021
Bruins Sign Derek Forbort
Forbort was surprisingly effective for the Winnipeg Jets in 2020-21. The left-handed defender from Duluth, Minnesota posted two goals and 12 points in 56 games. He also contributed with 80 hits and 115 blocks while averaging 20:45 of ice time per game, a portion of which came on the penalty-killing unit. Finally, Forbort wasn’t a huge drain offensively with a 47.9 percent Corsi For and 2.8 relative Corsi. It would have been nice to see him drive play a bit more, but he was more than acceptable considering he started in the defensive zone for almost two-thirds of his shifts.
The Los Angeles Kings originally drafted Forbort 15th overall in the 2010 Draft, but traded him after several seasons to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Forbort then signed with the Jets just prior to last year. The 6’4″ blueliner has never been a central part of any team’s plans, but he has still managed to collect eight goals, 65 points, 551 hits and 606 blocks in just 331 regular-season games.
What This Means
Forbort joins a team with very real Stanley Cup aspirations. He won’t be anything more than a third-pairing defenceman in the next year, but he provides exactly what Boston loves to see in its secondary defenders. Do not be surprised if he ends up anchoring the team’s penalty-killing unit for much of the year.
The Bruins have been fairly active this offseason. They signed Linus Ullmark and extended Taylor Hall. They have also brought in a handful of other players that should make them a serious contender when the 2021-22 season begins. Boston may not make many more moves with only $1.08 million in remaining cap space. However, the ones they have made look efficient and substantial.
