Boston Bruins Announce Three Contracts

The Boston Bruins have announced three contracts today, signing Jakub Zboril, Greg McKegg and Callum Booth. Zboril has signed a two-year contract with an average annual value of $725K, while McKegg and Booth have both inked one-year, two-way deals worth $700K at the NHL level.

The fact that Zboril has signed a one-way contract only strengthens the idea that he will get a chance to grab a spot on the Bruins blue line. With Torey Krug gone to St. Louis, Zdeno Chara unsigned and Matt Grzelcyk awaiting his arbitration hearing, John Moore is the only other left-handed defenseman currently signed to a one-way deal.

It’s been a long wait for Zboril (and Bruins fans) since he was selected 13th overall in 2015. The Czech defenseman was one of the infamous three consecutive first-round selections by the Bruins, along with Jake DeBrusk and Zachary Senyshyn. While DeBrusk has become a full-time NHL option, the other two have combined for just eight games. That pain was only increased when Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor and Thomas Chabot, the next three picks in the draft, all became stars.

There is still time for Zboril to become a valuable member of the Bruins, but it’s hard to really imagine he’ll ever be a top option. The 23-year-old has played two games for Brno Kometa in the Czech league this fall.

McKegg meanwhile joins the organization on a two-way deal after establishing himself as an NHL player. The 28-year-old forward played in 41 games for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018-19 and then 53 for the New York Rangers in 2019-20, also suiting up in the postseason for both clubs. It will be interesting to see what the Bruins plan to do with the depth center, as he would need to clear waivers to be sent to the minor leagues.

Booth, 23, comes to the Bruins as a depth goaltending option that has spent the majority of his career in the ECHL. He’s likely just expected to serve as organizational filler at this point, with much more exciting prospects in the system ahead of him.