While the official start date of free agency remains in flux depending on when the playoffs end (the later of October 9th or a week after the completion of the Stanley Cup Final), many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Boston’s core is aging but the Bruins were still the best team in the regular season and will be looking to return as Stanley Cup contenders.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Jake DeBrusk – Which DeBrusk are the Bruins signing this offseason? The 27-goal sophomore star that was the team’s most important weapon behind the top line in 2018-19, or the 19-goal depth scorer who put up only 35 points in 2019-20? It looked for a while like DeBrusk was heading towards a huge payday on his second contract, but after more than 200 games in the NHL it’s still not exactly clear what the Bruins have. There’s no doubt he’s an important part of the roster but he was included in a group of names that GM Don Sweeney “has to listen” on in Fluto Shinzawa’s latest for The Athletic. Though Shinzawa ultimately lists the likelihood of a DeBrusk trade as low, his pending free agency and the Bruins cap situation still keeps it a possibility.
D Matt Grzelcyk – There are few defensemen in the NHL that are playing fewer minutes than they deserve. Usually, because of the lack of quality options, blueliners are skated to their last breath, ridden until the wheels fall off. In Grzelcyk, the Bruins appear to have one of the rare defensemen ready to take on more responsibility. The 26-year-old averaged just over 18 minutes a night this season but could be in for a huge increase, especially with the man-advantage. Grzelcyk is an in-house replacement for Torey Krug, who will be featured below, and could be a bargain given he’ll be negotiating this summer on three relatively unproductive NHL seasons. In 197 games Grzelcyk has managed to score just 54 points, a number that could nearly double if given the reins to PP1 in 2020-21 (although, Charlie McAvoy may have something to say about that assignment).
Other RFAs: F Brett Ritchie, F Zachary Senyshyn, F Karson Kuhlman, F Brendan Gaunce, F Peter Cehlarik, D Jakub Zboril, D Wiley Sherman
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Zdeno Chara – There isn’t much to say about the 43-year-old Bruins captain. Chara wants to return and is willing to work with the team on a salary that fits their financial situation. Even if he’s not the perennial Norris Trophy contender he was in his prime, Chara is still a useful option for the Bruins and was their leading penalty killer in 2019-20. An irreplaceable leader on the blueline, he’ll likely be back on another one-year deal.
D Torey Krug – Krug is where the real focus will be, given how well he has played for the team and his status as one of the best free agents on the market. Over the last five seasons, only five defensemen have scored more points than Krug. Three of them are up for the Norris this season and the other two are Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. The 2020-21 cap hits of those five names: $11.5MM, $9.06MM $8MM, $8MM, $7.875MM. You can bet that Krug’s representatives will bring those names up in the negotiations, though given Sweeney’s comments today the two sides may still be far apart.
Other UFAs: F Joakim Nordstrom, D Kevan Miller, F Ryan Fitzgerald, D Alexander Petrovic, G Maxime Lagace
Projected Cap Space
The Bruins actually have some money to spend this offseason, with just $66MM committed to the 2020-21 season, but will have to tread very carefully with long-term deals. That’s because even bigger negotiations are right around the corner with McAvoy and fellow defensive rock Brandon Carlo, while a decision will have to be made in net at some point. Both Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2021.
David Pastrnak also has just three years remaining on his below-market contract, though by the time he’s up the team will have said goodbye to some of their more troublesome deals. Still, it’s not like the team can go out and splash seven-year deals across the headlines with the league’s top free agents unless they’re willing to say goodbye in other areas.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Krug reminds me a lot of Kimmo Timonen.
Underrated smaller left handed d-man that can play in all situations, put up 45+ points every year, and will probably never win a Norris.
Not sure how much that is going for nowadays but would be a shame/mistake for Boston to let him go.
Feel like Boston fans are gonna run Tuukka out of town.
Lol, if we could have, Rask would have been gone before now. Regular season MVP, playoffs meh.
Sounds like you are talking about the multiple-time Vezina Trophy finalist, and 2014 winner, Tuukka Rask.
Career regular season:
GAA 2.26
SV% .922
Career playoff record:
GAA 2.20
SV% .926
Unfortunately, it is obvious that you are basing your opinion on feeling and not fact… so keep it to yourself.
Ya I don’t understand all the fans that say Rask has not been a playoff goalie!
Every year his numbers are damn good.
Krug is not coming back. Unless he takes much less than he can get on the open market. No way bruins are going to 7M per for him never mind 8M. Not sure they want him signed up for 5 or 6 years either
Krug is going to get 7.25 for 7 years from Detroit. Bruins are not going past 6.5 for 6. They will resign Chara and Grz. They will bump up Urho and that will be the left side. If they can’t unload Moore in the offseason, he can help on the Left Side and possible promotion for Zboril could be in the cards if Urho doesn’t work out.