- At the draft, Los Angeles moved defenseman Jordan Spence to Ottawa but the Senators weren’t the only Atlantic team interested in his services. Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek reports that the Bruins were also in on the 24-year-old. Spence had 28 points in 79 games this past season but had requested a trade in the hopes of finding a bigger role elsewhere. Speculatively, had Boston landed Spence, they may not have turned around and re-signed Henri Jokiharju, who inked a three-year deal earlier today.
Bruins Rumors
Bruins Re-Sign Merkulov
- The Bruins announced earlier today that they’ve re-signed forward Georgii Merkulov to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K at the NHL level. PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that the deal will pay $235K in the AHL and has a guaranteed salary of $270K. The 24-year-old got into six games with Boston this past season, notching one assist but he was much more productive in the minors with AHL Providence. With them, he led the team in scoring with 15 goals and 39 assists in 59 appearances. Merkulov will be waiver-eligible beginning next season which could give him a leg up in a battle for a roster spot in training camp.
Free Agent Notes: Marchand, Gavrikov, Provorov, Granlund, Faksa, Pezzetta
If the Panthers can’t get a deal done to keep Brad Marchand in Florida before the market opens tomorrow, Darren Dreger of TSN expects the Bruins, Mammoth, and Maple Leafs to be his most aggressive suitors in free agency.
A Boston reunion would be surprising given there’s been no change in the front office that wasn’t willing to match Marchand’s cheaper requests for an extension during the season, resulting in the Bruins trading their captain to the Panthers at the deadline. Nonetheless, it’s a financially feasible move for them and one that would address their rather significant need for top-six forwards. The club still has $12.74MM in cap space after getting extensions done for names like John Beecher, Morgan Geekie, and Henri Jokiharju in the last 24 hours, per PuckPedia. Marchand would likely command a contract in the $8MM range annually if he hits the open market.
While Utah has seemed to dial back its rhetoric of making a significant free agent splash, instead placing complete trust in its young core and opting for more youthful pickups via trade, like JJ Peterka, Marchand might make more sense on a shorter-term contract. They still have nearly $15MM in cap space and enter 2025-26 with one of the youngest forward groups in the league – their only forwards 30 or older are Alexander Kerfoot and Liam O’Brien.
The Leafs also have their cap flexibility for Tuesday dialed in after getting rather affordable extensions done for Matthew Knies ($7.75MM) and John Tavares ($4.38MM AAV) in the last few days. They’d presumably be one of the more appealing fits for Marchand to remain both with a contending team and in a top-six role, potentially even seeing top-line minutes in place of the departing Mitch Marner.
Here are a few more rumors from around the NHL ahead of the official start of free agency on Tuesday:
- Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relays that the Kings are making a last-ditch effort today to reach an extension with defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. While general manager Ken Holland said over the weekend he expects Gavrikov to test the market, L.A. still hasn’t heard back from Gavrikov’s camp on their final offer.
- While things were quiet on extension talks between the Blue Jackets and defenseman Ivan Provorov for weeks, they re-engaged in negotiations yesterday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. They presumably decided getting yesterday’s extension for Dante Fabbro done, ensuring they retain depth on their weaker right side of the blue line, was a priority over Provorov’s talks.
- Center Mikael Granlund and the Stars continue to have mutual interest in an extension, according to LeBrun. It still looks unlikely something will get done before tomorrow with the Stars having just $980K in projected cap space for next season, but they could reach a handshake agreement if Dallas is confident they can move out other contracts to make Granlund’s money work. They’ve already been successful in retaining vets Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene on below-market-value deals.
- Depth pivot Radek Faksa will have plenty of options tomorrow if he reaches the market, given the lack of centers available, but there’s still the possibility he stays with the Blues. The two sides remain in extension talks, says Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.
- The Maple Leafs are among the teams expected to have interest in Canadiens enforcer Michael Pezzetta, assuming he hits the market tomorrow, reports LeBrun.
Bruins Extend Henri Jokiharju, John Beecher, Michael DiPietro
The Bruins announced a trio of extensions Monday, keeping defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goaltender Michael DiPietro away from UFA status and forward John Beecher away from RFA status. Jokiharju’s contract is a three-year deal at $9MM for a $3MM cap hit, Beecher’s deal is a one-year, one-way contract at $900,000, while DiPietro’s deal is a two-year contract worth $1.625MM in total and $812,500 annually.
Boston retains Jokiharju after general manager Don Sweeney said last week they were working on an extension with the right-shot defender. He would have been among the youngest options on the open market after turning 26 two weeks ago, but instead, he stays with the Bruins on a multi-year deal. Addressing their absence of depth on the right side of the blue line was a priority for Boston this summer, and absent from making a big splash for top UFA Aaron Ekblad, there weren’t a ton of upgrades available at the position on the UFA market. Dante Fabbro may have been one, but he extended with the Blue Jackets yesterday.
The Bruins acquired Jokiharju, who had spent most of his NHL career with the Sabres, from Buffalo at the 2024 trade deadline for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The 6’0″ Finn was a good fit in Boston after a tough year with the Sabres, posting four assists and a plus-seven rating in 18 games to end the season while averaging north of 21 minutes per game. His defensive impacts were admirable as he had to play far more than he usually would with Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy both injured. As a result, he likely left some earnings on the table with this extension. AFP Analytics projected Jokiharju to receive a three-year deal at $3.6MM per season.
He won’t receive that kind of deployment again with McAvoy presumably back in the fold to start next season, but he should slot in as No. 2 on the depth chart on a pairing with either Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov. The Bruins still have $12.7MM in cap space after today’s moves with no notable RFAs to re-sign, according to PuckPedia. They could still pursue an additional righty in addition to a forward pickup or two, but for now, Jokiharju looks set to replace the top-four role that Brandon Carlo held for so many years until his trade to the Maple Leafs at the deadline.
Jokiharju’s contract will pay him a $2.5MM base salary and a $500,000 signing bonus in 2025-26, a $3MM base salary and a $250,000 signing bonus in 2026-27, and a $2.75MM base salary in 2027-28, according to PuckPedia. He also lands an eight-team no-trade clause for next season.
Beecher, the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2019, returns on a deal that comes in slightly north of his $874,125 qualifying offer. The 6’3″ pivot firmly established himself as a full-time bottom-six forward last season after appearing in 52 regular-season games in 2023-24. He’s put together a 10-11–21 scoring line in 130 games across his two NHL seasons, posting a -15 rating while averaging 11:01 of ice time per game. He flexes between center and wing but has been great on draws, winning 53.2% of faceoffs over a decently large sample.
His possession impacts leave something to be desired, but that’ll happen when a player receives as pure a shutdown role as Beecher has. He’s seen a dZS% of 83.6 at even strength for his career, including 82.3% in 2024-25. While the 24-year-old isn’t on track to realize his first-round potential, he is a perfectly serviceable fourth-line piece, particularly at a sub-$1MM price tag.
As for DiPietro, their No. 3 netminder would have had multiple offers on the open market, but instead stays with Boston. While there isn’t an immediate pathway to an NHL role for him, there could be one if the Bruins opt to trade backup Joonas Korpisalo. He has three seasons left on his contract at a $3MM cap hit, which could be an appealing deal for teams looking to add a goalie amid a weak free agent market.
It’s the first one-way deal of DiPietro’s career, although it’s equivalent to a league-minimum one. He’ll earn $775,000 in 2025-26 and $850,000 in 2026-27, per PuckPedia, the latter of which is expected to be the new league-minimum salary when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is officially ratified. The 26-year-old hasn’t yet seen NHL action for Boston but was exceptional for AHL Providence in 2024-25, posting a .927 SV%, 2.05 GAA, four shutouts, and a 26-8-7 record in 40 games.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Bruins Agree To Terms On Extension With Morgan Geekie
It appears that the Bruins are getting close to getting their top pending restricted free agent under contract. Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Boston is finalizing a contract with forward Morgan Geekie. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that it will be a six-year, $33MM deal, carrying a $5.5MM AAV.
The 26-year-old was eligible for salary arbitration this summer in his final season of RFA eligibility. That would have been a much different outcome than the last time he was a pending restricted free agent as he was two years ago. At that time, Seattle didn’t want to give Geekie the right to a hearing so they ultimately non-tendered him, sending him to the open market where he quickly signed a two-year, $4MM contract with the Bruins.
It’s fair to say that the contract worked out well for both sides. In 2023-24, Geekie set new career highs across the board, notching 17 goals and 22 assists in 76 games while getting to play regularly in the top six for the first time in his career, primarily down the middle. That alone was good value on the deal.
But this season, Geekie found a new gear entirely. Moved to the wing for the bulk of the season, he found some chemistry with David Pastrnak and as a result, he had 33 goals and 24 assists, finishing second to Pastrnak in both goals and points despite only having nine points with the man advantage. With numbers like that, he wound up being one of the better bargains in the NHL this season. His playing time also jumped to just under 17 minutes a night.
With Geekie only having one RFA year remaining, Boston is gaining five years of club control with the agreement. AFP Analytics projected a four-year pact worth just under $6.6MM per season but it will ultimately check in below that.
With the move, they now have around $16.6MM in cap space at their disposal, per PuckPedia, with John Beecher being the only other RFA to deal with after it was reported earlier today that Boston will non-tender winger Jakub Lauko on Monday with the deadline for qualifying offers being at 4 PM CT. With Beecher’s deal likely to be a short-term bridge pact, GM Don Sweeney will still have considerable cap space at his disposal to try to fill several roster spots in the hope of getting his team back to the playoffs next season after missing the postseason for the first time since 2015-16.
Photo courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images.
Bruins Not Extending Jakub Lauko
- Boston Bruins’ restricted free agent Jakub Lauko will not receive a qualifying offer and is set to become an unrestricted free agent, his agent JP Barry told Boston Herald reporter Steve Conroy. Lauko was the team’s third-round selection in the 2018 draft and was traded last June to the Minnesota Wild. However, he was traded back to Boston on March 6 as part of a package that sent Justin Brazeau to Minnesota. He posted five goals and 11 points in 56 games last season. Through 139 NHL games, the Czech Republic native has scored 11 goals and 28 points.
Bruins Re-Sign Marat Khusnutdinov, Michael Callahan
The Bruins have signed pending free agents Marat Khusnutdinov and Michael Callahan to new deals, the team announced Sunday. Khusnutdinov gets a two-year, $1.85MM deal worth $925K per season, while Callahan gets a two-way contract for next year with a $775K cap hit. Callahan was slated to become a Group VI UFA, while Khusnutdinov could have had arbitration rights as an RFA.
While Boston’s thin prospect pool got a much-needed injection with this year’s draft, Khusnutdinov remains one of the organization’s more intriguing young centers. The Russian pivot, 23 in July, was acquired from the Wild in the deadline deal that sent winger Justin Brazeau to Minnesota. The Wild had previously selected him in the second round in 2020, and 2024-25 was his first full season in North America after signing his entry-level contract at the tail end of 2023-24.
Khusnutdinov had an underwhelming start to the season in the North Star State. He was a fine fourth-line piece on a team that relied on checking/defensive acumen from its depth forwards, but offense was hard to come by. He had some of the league’s worst advanced numbers in that regard, and his boxcar stats backed that up with only two goals and seven points in 57 games, averaging 11:14 per game.
The move to Boston seemed to breathe new life into the young center. It’s not as if his offense popped in a big way, but he did show more legitimate upside as a top-nine piece. He saw his deployment increase to 14:47 per game and was shifted to the wing, scoring five points in 18 games along with vastly improved possession impacts. The Moscow native should be penciled into a bottom-six role to begin next season as he looks to rediscover the offensive upside he displayed back home in Russia, scoring 41 points in 63 KHL games for SKA St. Petersburg in 2022-23.
Callahan will return to presumably serve a depth role in AHL Providence if he clears waivers. The 25-year-old Massachusetts native made his NHL debut this past season amid a rash of injuries on the Boston blue line, scoring a goal and logging a minus-five rating in 17 games while averaging 14:09 per night. He was used exclusively as a defensive specialist, unsurprisingly, given his lack of offense at the minor league level. The 6’2″ lefty had nine points and a plus-three rating in 45 games for Providence. He’s been an alternate captain for the P-Bruins the last two seasons and will now continue his run in the Boston organization, which signed him coming out of Providence College after the Coyotes selected him in the fifth round in 2018.
Bruins Select James Hagens Seventh Overall
James Hagens is staying in Boston, as the Bruins have selected him with the seventh overall pick. Hagens, 18, put up 11 goals, 26 assists, and 37 points in 37 games last season at Boston College. General manager Don Sweeney and his front office benefit from Hagens sliding slightly down the draft board and keeping him in town. Although Sweeney left open the possibility of trading the No. 7 pick, the team ultimately couldn’t pass on Hagens as they rebuild toward contention.
While many believed at this time last year that Hagens was destined to be the first overall pick in this year’s draft, he slipped to seventh after producing less than expected in the NCAA. Still, Hagens game may be more NHL-ready than any of his peers in this draft class. The Long Island native plays bigger than his 5‑foot‑10, 185‑pound frame and has elite speed and scoring abilities.
In their 2025 NHL Draft Guide, Elite Prospects stated of Hagens:
“Hagens has seemingly been part of the hockey world’s zeitgeist from a young age. A fluid skater who is light on his edges, he leverages full-range wingspan handling, high activity rate crossovers, and a motor to create constant advantages. He layers pucks through tricky seams, hooks and slips feeds around pressure, and improvises on the fly with lightning-quick processing, punching away from threats and funneling play to the inside.”
For his part, Hagens mentioned he’s glad to stay close to home and won’t have to change area codes.
“I’m so excited to be back in Boston. The Bruins are getting someone who puts his soul and body on the line. I love to win and I’m just so excited to be in Boston,” he said.
Bruins, Henri Jokiharju Having Extension Talks
The Bruins are making an attempt to sign right-shot defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a new deal before he hits the open market next Tuesday, general manager Don Sweeney told reporters (via Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub).
“We have a need on the right side, no doubt about that,” Sweeney said. Boston acquired Jokiharju, 26, from the Sabres at the trade deadline for a 2026 fourth-round pick. It was a peculiar move for a team selling off high-priced assets at the time, but they simply needed NHL-experienced bodies on their blue line to make it through the last few weeks of the season after dealing away Brandon Carlo and losing Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy to injuries, robbing them of their top three rearguards.
While this offseason will ideally provide enough time for Lindholm and McAvoy to be 100% entering training camp and lead to a reset for the rest of the roster, it makes sense the Bruins would want to at least entertain the idea of retaining Jokiharju after surrendering an asset for him just a few months ago. While the 6’0″ Finn would typically be too young to test unrestricted free agency under non-Group VI status, he came into the league as a teenager with the Blackhawks in 2018-19 and has thus accrued seven years of service time. That puts him to UFA status this summer, regardless of his age.
Jokiharju had a tough year offensively, producing 10 points in 60 games. That tied for the worst points-per-game output of his career at 0.17. He’s more of a two-way threat, though, and the 29th overall pick of the 2017 draft wasn’t projected as a big point-getter in the NHL. Defensively, Jokiharju showed a lot to like after the trade. He closed the year with a plus-seven rating in 18 games for Boston, backed up by a strong 50.7 CF% on an understaffed team in difficult deployment. He averaged 21:22 per game, which would have been the second-highest mark of his career over a full season.
There’s a clear fit for him as a fine second-pairing option to help anchor youngster Mason Lohrei or in more sheltered third-pairing minutes if Boston can make a more notable addition on the right side, too, bumping Andrew Peeke to the press box or waivers. There won’t be many options to replace him on the open market if he walks, unless the Bruins make themselves a legitimate contender for a name like Aaron Ekblad or Dante Fabbro (assuming either even gets to the market). That will give Jokiharju some leverage in talks, though. If he hits the open market, AFP Analytics projects he’ll earn a three-year deal worth $3.6MM per season. That’s a little pricey for a player who struggled to hold down a role on an underperforming Buffalo roster in the past couple of years, but he has shown top-four competency in flashes and might still have some room for growth in his game, unlike his older UFA peers.
Bruins’ Daniil Misyul Signs With KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Bruins pending RFA defenseman Daniil Misyul has opted to return to his native Russia for the 2025-26 season. He’s signed a one-year deal with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, per a league release. Boston can retain Misyul’s NHL rights through 2027-28 if they issue him a qualifying offer by the June 30 deadline.
Misyul did not appear in an NHL game for the Bruins after being acquired from the Devils in exchange for depth forward Marc McLaughlin at the trade deadline. He played out the season with AHL Providence, recording a goal, 27 PIMs, and a minus-two rating in 11 appearances. He totaled a 1-8–9 scoring line with a -10 rating in 58 AHL games on the year across Providence and Utica.
A third-round pick by the Devils in 2019, Misyul just completed the two-year, entry-level contract he signed with New Jersey in 2023. The 6’3″, 196-lb lefty made his NHL debut for New Jersey this season before the trade. He logged a minus-one rating, one shot attempt, one block, and one hit in 12:23 of ice time in an 8-5 loss to the Lightning on Oct. 22.
The Belarus native had spent his entire professional career in Russia with Lokomotiv before coming to North America two years ago. He recorded 21 points and a +28 rating in 184 games with the club throughout five seasons and won a silver medal with Russia back at the 2020 World Juniors. Yaroslavl is coming off its first Gagarin Cup title and first championship since winning the Russian Superleague in 2003. Their 2025-26 roster includes former NHLers Byron Froese, Mac Hollowell, Alexei Melnichuk, Alexander Radulov, and Alexander Yelesin in addition to Predators 2024 first-round pick Yegor Surin.