The Bruins have nine pending free agents as they enter the summer, and now with the upper limit of the salary cap expected to rise by at least $3 million next season, the Bruins will have some money to work with. The added cap flexibility puts the Bruins around $11 million of available cap space.
After a second round playoff exit, the Bruins have some work to do in order to improve on an impressive 2017-18 campaign. The Bruins offseason checklist is not a lengthy one by any means, but there are several important boxes that have to be checked off.
General manager Don Sweeney and company will have their hands full in what will be another busy summer for the Bruins.
Let’s take a look at the Bruins three biggest offseason needs.
Tuukka’s backup:
The Bruins sound like they would like Khudobin back, Khudobin himself wants to be back, so this should be easy, right?
The issue here could wind up being money. Khudobin, a pending unrestricted free agent played very well in the backup role last season. He played well enough to earn himself a raise.
The veteran backup is coming off of a two-year deal that paid him $1.2 million annually. A one or two-year deal between the two would be the best for both sides, and something around $1.75 million annually should be fair to both sides. Unless a team swoops in with an offer the Khudobin camp cannot refuse, Khudobin should be back in town as Rask’s backup.
If things ultimately do not work out with Khudobin, there are very few low cost options at the backup position. Former Bruin Michael Hutchinson, Carter Hutton and Andrew Hammond are all names to keep an eye on if Khudobin ditches Boston.
The Bruins do have Zane McIntyre and Daniel Vlader waiting in the wings, but neither is quite NHL ready yet and both can benefit from some more seasoning in Providence.
Find a left-shot defenseman:
The left side of the Bruins defense is in no way their weakest spot, but at the same time, it’s a position that needs an upgrade if the Bruins want to get to where they want to be. Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug and Matt Grzelcyk all performed well on the left side for the Bruins, but their lack of size and lack of a top-four talent on the left side showed in their two-round playoff run.
Bruins management addressed the need on multiple occasions during their end-of-the-year media availability. But finding a left-shot top four defenseman will be easier said than done. The free agent market is razor thin and any trade to acquire what the Bruins need will be costly. A plus for the Bruins is their surplus of prospects that could be packaged for some blueline help.
With the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly open for business, and willing to move nearly their entire roster, Noah Hanifan has become one of the most desired defenseman via trade. The Bruins have the chips to go and get Hanifan, it’s a matter of whether or not they’re willing to go all in for the Massachusetts native.
Find some help on the right wing help:
If the Bruins could mirror what they have on the left side of their offense, they’d be in great shape. Rick Nash is unlikely to return, leaving the Bruins with David Pastrnak, David Backes and Danton Heinen as options on the right wing.
After developing into one of the league’s best lines, Pastrnak should be locked into the top line alongside Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. After the success Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci found together it doesn’t make much sense to move Pastrnak off the top line in an attempt to balance out the scoring.
The Bruins could ask one of their current left wingers to play the opposite wing, as well as some of the rookies they have in the pipeline, as they look to replicate the success they received from rookies a year ago.
Looking outside of the organization seems like the Bruins best bet. But much like the defensive market, the market for right wing free agents is slim. If the Bruins are okay with having a left handed forward play the off wing, James van Riemsdyk would be a nice fit on the second line, but a nice raise from his $4.2 million cap hit is in order for the Maple Leafs free agent.