The Boston Bruins went into this offseason with just over $21 million in cap space. They spent around $14 million of their cap space available and were able to fill in their missing pieces while also acquiring depth players. Boston saved the amount of cap space needed to get a deal done with star netminder Jeremy Swayman later in the offseason.
Don Sweeney acquired much-needed pieces to fill their open roster spots on the team. Crucially, they are all poised to have an immediate impact. The two biggest moves were signing both Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov from the Vancouver Canucks. Let’s look at how these two players and other depth pieces they acquired will improve the Bruins roster next season.
How Will the Bruins Free Agent Signings Impact the Team?
Elias Lindholm
The Bruins were aggressive at the start of free agency signing centre Elias Lindholm to a 7-year, $7.75-million-dollar contract. The 29-year-old forward is coming off a disappointing season with Vancouver but wasn’t given a big role as he had with the Calgary Flames. Lindholms best season of his career was the 2021-2022 season. Lindholm put up a point per game with 42 goals and 40 assists and was a plus 61. Lindholm, known for his two-way style of play, and his effort to do everything compared to flashy play. He has a history of contributing well on the second line, however, will most likely slide rate into the Bruins’ first-line centre role alongside David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha.
Boston struggled with centre depth this past season. They also had one of the worst faceoff percentages for a team in the entire league. He will be able to improve the teams’ numbers at the faceoff dot. The signing of Elias Lindholm provides the team with a needed top-6 centre for their forward core. He will be a major contributor to the team’s all-around defensive style of play, while also creating scoring chances for his teammates.
Nikita Zadorov
The Bruins went into this offseason knowing they were likely losing defencemen Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort. With the departures of the two left-handed defencemen, Don Sweeney knew he had to make a big splash in the free agency market to land another defencemen. Mason Lohrei showed this past season that he is ready for the next level, leaving one spot open in the Bruins’ defence core. Boston was able to sign 6’6 defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a 6-year, $5-million-dollar contract, locking him up until he’s 35. Zadorov is coming off a tremendous season with the Flames and Canucks, as he was dealt to the Canucks from Calgary during this past season’s deadline.
Furthermore, he brings a physical style of play to the Bruins which fits the way the organization plays and is something they’ve been missing in recent seasons since the loss of Zdeno Chara. Zadorov will be a main contributor to the teams’ penalty kill as he is not afraid to battle in the corners. He is able to maintain an active stick in the defensive zone. The Bruins have been wanting to become more physical like past Bruins teams, and the signing of Zadorov will help with that concern. Zadorov will complement the team’s bottom four defensive core sliding in next to Brandon Carlo or Andrew Peeke. Zadorov will immediately impact the team’s defensive play and physicality in the defensive zone. He contributes with tremendous defensive positioning and his skating ability for a 6’6 player.
Max Jones, Mark Kastelic
In addition to those two signings, the Bruins were also able to bring in more depth players for the bottom half of their lineup. They received Mark Kastelic from the Ottawa Senators as a part of the Linus Ullmark trade. Kastelic is a young centre from Arizona. He is known for being a consistent faceoff taker, possessing a 56.3 percent in faceoffs so far during his career. Kastelic is an extremely hard worker and is very trustworthy in the defensive zone. Additionally, he has the ability to forecheck hard and battle in dirty areas. He will be a key piece to the teams’ penalty kill and their 4th line role as a gritty forward. The Bruins lacked this gritty play desperately last season.
Boston was also able to sign depth winger Max Jones to a 2-year, million-dollar contract. Max Jones will be Pat Maroons’ replacement after signing with the Blackhawks. While he is an ideal fit as the team’s 4th-line checking forward, he can also be utilized in other areas of the lineup. Similar to Kastelic, jones is a gritty forward who likes to go to the net. Jones finishes his hits when needed. He’s a player that fits perfectly in the Bruins’s style of play and is able to contribute on both sides of the ice and make the rest of his teammates better.
Main Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
