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Boston Bruins Re-Sign Austin Czarnik

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Tuesday: The team has officially announced the signing.

Monday: A day after extending young goalies Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban, the Boston Bruins have come to terms with another one their restricted free agents. According to CapFriendly, two-way forward Austin Czarnik has re-signed with the Bruins on a one-year, two-way deal. Czarnik will make just $675K at the NHL level, which may end up being a bargain for GM Don Sweeney and company after a solid rookie season.

Czarnik, the former captain of the Miami University RedHawks and a highly sought-after college free agent in 2015, has found success in all aspects of the game so far in his pro career. In 2015-16, Czarnik, alongside Boston’s Frank Vatrano and former Bruin Seth Griffith, had a breakout campaign in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, scoring 61 points in 68 games in his first pro season. Czarnik led all AHL rookies in points, and that offensive production earned him an NHL shot last season. The small, shifty center took on an important bottom-six role for the first half of the season, recording 13 points in 49 games and leading the team’s third penalty kill unit. While Czarnik did not show the same offensive explosion, he proved that he had the intelligence, composure, and versatility to be an NHL player. Czarnik was eventually returned to Providence for much of the second half and the postseason, where he again was an offensive juggernaut with 23 points in 22 games, but has earned another shot in Boston in the near future. Czarnik is one of many young forwards who will fight for a roster spot this season, including fellow two-way forwards Noel Acciari and college teammate Sean Kuraly, veteran minor leaguers Tim Schaller and Kenny Agostino, and promising prospect scorers Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Zach Senyshyn, Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen. Czarnik may need some luck to hold off a plethora of NHL-ready talent, but has the advantage of NHL experience on his side.

With Czarnik signed, the Bruins’ only two remaining restricted free agents are a couple of notable names: 21-year-old star winger David Pastrnak and play-making third-line center Ryan Spooner. While Boston is high on Czarnik and other young forwards, with more than enough competition as is, many also believe that they could stand to add another veteran winger into the mix as well. However, such a move will likely come after the extensions for Pastrnak and Spooner are over with. Negotiations with Pastrnak have been ongoing for a while now and Spooner has his arbitration date set for July 26th, so it’s only a matter of time before the Bruins have more news to announce. Re-upping Czarnik is another step in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done in Boston.

PHR Mailbag: Duchene, Kessel, Hurricanes, Bruins

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We’ve been taking your off-season inquiries over the weekend in the comments and using #PHRMailbag on Twitter. Here are some questions and answers to ponder:

Conorsoxfan: Is Matt Duchene still going to be moved? What about Landeskog? Are the Avs waiting for the right offer or are they holding on to all their assets for now?

We received several questions about Matt Duchene and for good reason. The Avalanche have been speaking with teams since the Trade Deadline about moving the talented forward and Duchene himself is on record as saying that he is open to a move, but months later he is still in Colorado. It seems that GM Joe Sakic has a very specific (and lofty) return in mind and is hesitant to move Duchene without getting exactly what he wants. That return certainly includes a young, proven defenseman, which is not exactly a commodity that most teams are eager to move. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes seem like they have the best chance of meeting Sakic’s demands, as both teams are loaded with young, NHL-ready defenseman. However, the rumor that Colorado rejected a deal for Travis Hamonic that included Duchene makes you wonder if Sakic is searching for a caliber of player that is simply unavailable. It would be best for Duchene, the Avs, and the rest of the NHL trade market if a deal would get done sooner rather than later, but don’t be surprised if Duchene is still a talking point at the next Trade Deadline.

As for Gabriel Landeskog, rumors of his deaparture have definitely been on the back burner this summer after he too was hot topic at the Trade Deadline. Although the Avalanche are coming off a historically bad season, they seem to be playing it safe with their rebuild. They have not sold off all of their veteran pieces, nor have they operated like a team that’s pushing for a playoff spot. Their only major additions this season are a backup goaltender, Jonathan Bernier, and a low risk-high reward gamble, Nail Yakupov. They got potentially the best player in the draft at #4 overall in defenseman Cale Makar, but he is at least two seasons away from seeing NHL ice time. It seems that Sakic is content with keeping his roster intact and slowly adding in younger players and moving out older pieces. That type of status quo strategy would seem to indicate that Colorado isn’t keen on losing its captain unless the return could truly change the course of the franchise. Especially if Duchene does end up traded, don’t expect Landeskog to follow. He’s likely to remain in Colorado for the time being.

@Wings16Canes13: When and will Pittsburgh trade Kessel? Or does another coach have to go first?

It always seems like there’s some controversy surrounding Phil Kessel. This question alludes to rumors coming out of Pittsburgh that the uber-talented winger and head coach Mike Sullivan don’t see eye-to-eye on many things. Moreover, it’s been said that assistant Rick Tocchet acted as go-between for the two these past two seasons, and with Tocchet likely headed to Arizona as the head coach of the Coyotes, the relationship between Kessel and Sullivan could get worse. However, the Pittsburgh Penguins are also back-to-back Stanley Cup champs, with both Kessel and Sullivan playing major roles in each title. Neither is likely to be on the move any time soon, especially not because they dislike each other. It may not be the most comfortable locker room, but the two will learn to live with each other and any struggles for the Penguins in 2017-18 will be attributed to Stanley Cup hangover, not a feuding coach and player. With that said, Kessel has a $6.8MM cap hit for five more years, which could cause cap trouble down the road for the Penguins, while the team has also shown a willingness to move on from head coaches after just a down season or two. Both Kessel and Sullivan could be gone in a few years, but it’s impossible to know which first and when, only that it’s highly unlikely to be this year.

mikedickinson: Hurricanes are loaded on defense and have three kids who can play in the AHL as well. They aren’t trading any of their top 4. Can they trade from their strength to address a weakness (center)? Also, JVR to Raleigh to play with his brother?

The Carolina Hurricanes boast one of the youngest, deepest, and most talented defensive corps in the entire league. All-Star Justin Faulk leads a group that includes 2015 #5 pick Noah Hanifin, 2012 fourth-rounder Jaccob Slavin, 2013 third-rounder Brett Pesce, 2014 #7 pick Haydn Fleury, 2014 second-rounder Roland McKeown, and now the recently-acquired Trevor van Riemsdyk, not to mention dependable depth defender Klas Dahlbeck and 2016-17 AHL surprise Jake Chelios. There’s also 2016 first-rounder Jake Bean to consider as well, though he remains in juniors. That group has one thing in common: none of them are more than 26 years old. When the Hurricanes acquired van Riemsdyk from the Vegas Golden Knights last month, many felt that the move indicated that Faulk, the team’s top right-shot defenseman, would be on the move. After all, the team has been linked to Matt Duchene as well as others as they try to bring their forward depth up to the same level as their defense. However, GM Ron Francis has stated since that he wants to keep his starters together. It also seems unlikely that he’s keen to move talented teenager Bean, leaving promising, but slowly developing players like Fleury, McKeown, and Chelios as his top trade chips from the blue line. None of those players will get a Duchene or similar-caliber player, but don’t be surprised if the ’Canes use them to add some depth forwards this off-season or along the way next season. If Francis is posturing, then yes any of Faulk, Hanafin, Slavin, or Pesce could be used to bring in a big fish.

As for James van Riemsdyk, it is an interesting development to have his brother in Carolina, an up-and-coming team (like the Maple Leafs) that’s in need of an impact forward. JVR is entering the final year of his contract and it seems unlikely that Toronto will re-sign him, considering the expensive extensions coming down the line for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. The question then becomes whether or not the Leafs are interested in moving him this off-season and whether the Hurricanes are willing to pay the price for his services this year when they can sign him next summer for free. If the Leafs look to deal him, Fleury or McKeown as the centerpieces likely won’t cut it. The Leafs are on the hunt for a top-pair right-shot to pair with Morgan Rielly and Faulk certainly fits the bill, but that’s a high price to pay for an impending free agent. I think you’re on to something with JVR and TVR teaming up in Carolina, but I think it could come at a lower price toward the Trade Deadline or via free agency next off-season.

mpfallon: Will the bruins make some big offseason moves?

This depends on your definition of “big”. Despite rumors that the Bruins have been looking into acquiring a top-four left-handed defenseman and a top-six winger, GM Don Sweeney has also made it clear that he doesn’t want to acquire players that will block Boston’s talented young prospects. College star Anders Bjork, 2015 first-rounder Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, who got a taste of the NHL last year, and possibly even Danton Heinen and Jesse Gabrielle will all compete with Frank Vatrano, Matt Beleskey, and recent signing Kenny Agostino for a top-nine spot on the left side, and Ryan Spooner could join the mix if the B’s prefer rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson at third line center. The left wing battle could spill over to the right side as well, where top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn will also look to make the team. On the blue line, Rob O’Gara, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon will all fight for the final spot on the left side, and the recent signing of Paul Postma could indicate that the team is okay with moving Kevan Miller to the left side to free up a spot for Adam McQuaid to continue to be a starter with Postma as the seventh man.

There is more than enough depth in Boston that the Bruins may make no moves for the rest of the off-season. Odds are that they do something, but likely not anything “big”. A trade for a left-shot defenseman, possibly a Nick Holden or Jonathan Ericsson, or the signing of a stopgap winger, like Drew Stafford, Thomas Vanek, or Alex Chiasson seems possible, but anything bigger could be a long shot. So the short answer to your question is no, they won’t make “big off-season moves”. They could make a small, but significant move or two, but chances are a big trade would come closer to the Trade Deadline after they give the kids a shot first.

Boston Bruins Sign AHL MVP Kenny Agostino

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As noted earlier today and now confirmed by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Boston Bruins have signed left winger Kenny Agostino to a one-year, one-way contract worth $875K. The former Yale standout will return to New England in hopes of finally getting a long NHL look. The Bruins have been fairly quiet on the first day of free agency, signing only Agostino, Paul Postma, and re-signing Jordan Szwarz. However, of the three signings, Agostino by far has the highest potential to impact the 2017-18 team.

In 2016-17, Agostino was awarded the AHL’s MVP award after registering 24 goals and 59 assists for 83 points in just 65 games with the Chicago Wolves, the former affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. Agostino led the league in scoring by 15 points and was the top assist man by 11. He also played to a +24 and was a point-per-game player in the postseason as well. In the NHL, Agostino also contributed a goal and two assists in seven games. While Agostino has never had any sustained success at the highest level, the 25-year-old has the tools to succeed if given the chance.

In Boston, Agostino should at least be given some opportunity. Many felt that the Bruins needed a top-six left winger, but GM Don Sweeney has indicated that he did not want to block the development of their younger players  like Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, and Anders Bjork. Between Matt Beleskey, Frank Vatrano, and now Agostino, the Bruins have multiple player they can try out on the third and fourth line before dipping into the minors. If it doesn’t work out with Agostino, the Bruins also stand a good chance of passing the 25-year-old through waivers if need be. It is a very low-risk, high-upside signing for Sweeney and company.

Expansion Primer: Boston Bruins

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

While the Boston Bruins have a legion of talented young players pushing for major roles, they are still a team that is defined by a veteran core: 2011 Stanley Cup winners Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, and Tuukka Rask. Add young mainstays like David Pastrnak and Torey Krug and 2016 free agent acquisition David Backes to the mix and it may seem like the Bruins would be in a tough position with expansion like many other deep veteran teams.

However, the expansion process, while burdensome for some, gives the Bruins just enough space to protect all of their most valuable players including that entire core. They still face some tough decisions, but none that will drastically alter the franchise on June 21st.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
David Krejci (NMC), Patrice Bergeron (NMC), Brad Marchand, David Backes (NMC), Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes, Riley Nash, David Pastrnak, Ryan Spooner, Tim Schaller, Alexander Khokhlachev

Defense
Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara (NMC), Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Colin Miller, Joe Morrow

Goaltender
Tuukka Rask (NMC), Anton Khudobin, Malcolm Subban

Notable Exemptions

Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Frank Vatrano, Austin Czarnik, Zane McIntyre

Key Decisions

With Bergeron, Krejci, and Backes having No-Movement clauses and Marchand and Pastrnak two of 2016-17 top scorers, Boston is locked into a 7-3 protection scheme. Chara also has a No-Movement clause and Krug isn’t going anywhere so that’s five forward spots and two defensive spots locked up (Rask has a NMC as well if that was even a question). So which three Bruins get the final spots?

There have been many rumors this off-season, and even before the season ended, that perhaps Ryan Spooner’s time had run out in Boston. The 25-year-old center clashed with former coach Claude Julien and, after a brief rejuvenation, also lost play time under replacement Bruce Cassidy, including scratches in the playoffs. However, Spooner is still a top-end passer and a power play expert and the Bruins won’t just let him go for nothing. If Spooner hasn’t been traded before protection lists are due, he is guaranteed a slot. Whether or not he is still traded after the Expansion Draft remains an unknown.

For the final forward spot, the Bruins face a tough decision, but one with few negative repercussions. Jimmy Hayes has been a disaster in Boston and Tim Schaller is nothing more than fourth liner, so neither likely even gets consideration, nor would Vegas be interested unless otherwise incentivized, as has been rumored with Hayes. Alexander Khokhlachev left the organization last summer to play in the KHL, and little attention has been paid to his absence. The Golden Knights have drawn the interest of Russian players, but drafting Khokhlachev, who never proved his NHL viability in  Thus, the decision comes down to Matt Beleskey and Riley Nash. Beleskey had a career year in Boston in 2015-16, the first of a five-year deal, and seemed to fit in well with the Bruins. After a brutal, injury-riddled 2016-17 campaign, that fit is in doubt and there have been rumors that the team might look to trade a pick to Vegas in order for them to take the remaining three years and $11.4MM off of their hands. However, a healthy Beleskey could be far more valuable than Nash, who struggled to produce in his first season with the Bruins. Yet, Nash is a versatile veteran forward and a key penalty killer who makes just $900K next year. Hayes, Beleskey, and Nash all fulfill the 40/70 qualification and two will be exposed, so the team won’t have to worry about that requirement.

On defense, the decision holds some more weight. If Boston is unable to entice the Knights into selecting Hayes or Beleskey, it seems most likely that a defenseman will be chosen. The team must choose whether they want to protect long-time Bruin Adam McQuaid, exciting young player Colin Miller, or perhaps the most complete player of the group, Kevan Miller. Joe Morrow was once a top prospect, but his time to reach those lofty expectations in Boston has come and gone and the Bruins would be happy if Vegas chose to take him instead of one of the other two. Assuming that doesn’t happen, this becomes a big decision. Colin Miller is just 24 years old and an offensively-minded puck-mover, whereas Kevan Miller and McQuaid are very similar stay-at-home types. Colin Miller was also a major piece of the Milan Lucic trade from just two years ago. However, his development has had its fair share of bumps and Kevan Miller has definitely established himself as a more complete player. McQuaid also is in the mix and could be the beneficiary of club loyalty and a desire to have a seasoned vet behind young centerpieces Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo on the right side of the blue line. All three players meet the 40/70 qualification and have term on their contracts, so again meeting that one-player quota won’t be a concern.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F/3D/1G

Forwards

David Krejci (NMC)
Patrice Bergeron (NMC)
David Backes (NMC)
Brad Marchand
David Pastrnak
Ryan Spooner
Riley Nash

Defensemen

Zdeno Chara (NMC)
Torey Krug
Colin Miller

Goalie

Tuukka Rask (NMC)

The general rule of expansion (and just common sense) is that if you’re allegedly willing to trade a draft pick to move a player, like Matt Beleskey, you’re probably happy with taking the risk of leaving him unprotected as well. Riley Nash played his best hockey toward the end of the season and that effort level next season at only $900K is tough to pass up. Still, the Bruins are unlikely to lose a forward, unless they do make a trade, because of the superiority of the players that they could potentially expose on defense. Kevan Miller is likely the best defenseman of the three, but Colin Miller brings a unique skill set from he and Adam McQuaid and has youth and potential on his side. Vegas would likely jump on the chance to take a young, offensive defenseman like Colin Miller, while there may be several defenseman of similar caliber to Kevan Miller and McQuaid available. Protecting Colin Miller may in fact be the Bruins’ best chance of retaining all three. If Vegas does pass up on a defenseman, it will be to take a goalie. No, not Anton Khudobin. Khudobin finished the season with a stretch of some of his best play since his last stint in Boston, but Vegas has more than enough options for backups that Khudobin won’t be of interest. Instead, young keeper Malcolm Subban could be the pick. Subban has been passed up by Zane McIntyre on Boston’s organizational depth chart and simply doesn’t appear destined to be an NHL regular with the Bruins at any point. Vegas GM George McPhee has stated that the team will likely draft many goalies and a minor leaguer with some promise would not be a wasted pick. Subban would also be the most harmless pick the Bruins could endure.

Side Deal Dilemma: Beleskey vs. Hayes

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On Sunday, the Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy suggested that the Bruins attempt to sway the Vegas Golden Knights into selecting Matt Beleskey in the Expansion Draft by offering up a third or even second-round pick. Conroy lists Boston’s depth in young left wingers – Frank Vatrano, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, Danton Heinen, and Anders Bjork to name a few, Beleskey’s drop-off in production and injury problems in 2016-17, and simply the three years and $11.4MM remaining on his contract as reasons why the Bruins should push to have the veteran power forward leave town.

Yet, ask most Bruins fans and they would say that the player they would most like to see selected in the Expansion Draft is Jimmy Hayes. The “Pride of Dorchester” has not been very successful during his home town tenure. After Boston swapped Reilly Smith for Hayes with the Florida Panthers in 2015, his scoring fell off from 35 points in his final season with the Panthers to 29 points in his first season with the Bruins and then to a miserable five points in 58 games in 2016-17. At the price of $2.3MM for one more year, Hayes too is a drain on cap space that many would be willing to give up a pick to move.

So which is the greater of two evils? The fact often forgotten when referencing Beleskey is that in 2015-16, his first season in Boston, Beleskey recorded a career-best 37 points. It wasn’t quite the same per-game production as his final season with the Anaheim Ducks, but Beleskey was still a valuable contributor up front. Beleskey’s hit and blocked shot totals also skyrocketed last season, as he played the integral role of replacing the toughness lost when Milan Lucic departed. Beleskey has acknowledged that he struggled with injuries in 2016-17, which was the main reason he registered just  eight points in the regular season and was only active for three of the Bruins’ six playoff games. Those numbers are bound to improve in 2017-18, as Conroy himself noted. If Beleskey can get healthy and return to 40-point scoring range and to his dominant physical game, those final three years may be well worth it. However, that is a big if. Hayes has performed much worse in the same two seasons as Beleskey and doesn’t have the injury excuse to fall back on. What he does have is just one year remaining. If the Bruins were to give up a draft pick to persuade George McPhee and the Knights to take one of the two players, it would be a better investment to remove three years and over $11MM if they are unsure about Beleskey than for just one more year of a little over $2MM for Hayes, especially if that investment is a high pick. Boston has prospect depth on the right side as well as the left, as top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn will surely push for a job in camp, but Hayes’ contract doesn’t block development the way Beleskey’s could. The Bruins may be better off simply buying Hayes’ final year out if they really wanted to, but the same can’t be said for what would amount to a six-year hit to cut Beleskey.

It seems unfair to jump to conclusions about Beleskey based on one injury-riddled season and if the question was who is more likely to be the better player moving forward between he and Hayes, Beleskey is the easy pick. The Bruins have even stated that a top-six winger is an off-season priority for the team and Beleskey may be their best in-house solution and certainly better than Hayes. However, the question of who the Bruins should try to pawn off on Vegas, should they go that route, should also be Beleskey, as his contract situation and concerns about his long-term durability outweigh the short-term burden Hayes adds. Conroy may be on track with his predictions, though many fans may be disappointed by losing both Beleskey and a draft pick for nothing, but with so many questions surrounding the Expansion Draft for not just Boston, but all 30 teams, this scenario is far from certain.

Cale Makar And The University of Massachusetts

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In just over a month, Calgary-native Cale Makar will hear his name called in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. Barely on the radar for first-round consideration at this time last year, the puck-moving defenseman for the Brooks Bandits of the “Junior A” Alberta Junior Hockey League is now forecast to be selected in the top ten on June 23rd. If he’s drafted anywhere higher than 16th overall, he’ll pass Joe Colborne as the highest selection in AJHL history. Makar even stands a chance to be the first defenseman taken off the board in the draft this year.

So where did this kid come from? Makar has shown tremendous growth in his skating, passing, and overall understanding of the game in recent years. He made his Bandits debut at the age of 16 in 2014-15, scoring five points in the final three regular season games of the season and adding seven more over Brooks’ 20-game playoff run to the league championship series. However, this did little to put Makar on the map. In 2015-16, he began to turn some heads with a point-per-game campaign featuring ten goals and 45 assists in only 54 regular season games and continued pace in a postseason in which his 14 points in 13 games helped to lead the Bandits to an AJHL title. Yet, Makar’s name was still one largely unknown to those outside of the AJHL or the NCAA scouting community. Only after he proved that his previous season’s production was no fluke did NHL scouts begin to take major notice. This season, Makar lead Brooks to a second straight title and did so behind 75 points – 24 goals and 51 assists –  in 54 games and another torrid playoff pace of 16 points in 13 games. Makar took home just about every AJHL award possible for 2016-17: MVP, Playoff MVP, Most Outstanding Defenseman, Highest Scoring Defenseman, All-Star, and the championship trophy to boot. The next accolade he hopes to add to the list is of course a top ten spot in the NHL Draft to cap off a dominant season.

The only knock on Makar is that at 5’11”,  179 lbs. and playing in an inferior league, he still has some physical and mental development to do before he is NHL-ready, regardless of his natural skill. His speed and puck-handling were unparalleled in the AJHL, but that may not be true against a similar level of talent. Unless the team who drafts him falls in love, Makar is likely to be a project player in need of a year or two minimum before he can make the jump. Where he’ll be playing in that time is almost as surprising as his own meteoric rise. It’s no longer strange for Canadian players to play American college hockey, even top draft picks. However, Makar is not headed to a powerhouse program like Boston College or Boston University, but instead a Hockey East Conference rival with much less history: the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Hockey East may be the premiere conference in the NCAA, but UMass has been an exception in recent years. The team was 5-29-2 this past season, finishing last in the conference by a significant margin. Though their records were marginally better than 2016-17, UMass has finished in the bottom three in Hockey East every year since 2010-11, never with a record above .500. The program has only qualified for the NCAA Tournament once, riding star goalie Jonathan Quick to the postseason in 2006-07. Over the last decade, the program has managed to develop a few solid NHLers, none more so than Quick, such as the San Jose Sharks’ Justin Braun, the nearby Boston Bruins’ Frank Vatrano and three players still alive this NHL postseason: the Nashville Predators’ Matt Irwin, Anaheim Ducks’ Brandon Montour, and Pittsburgh Penguins’ Conor Sheary. Yet, they’ve never been able to put together a deep enough roster to compete on the national level.

Athletic Director Ryan Bamford and head coach Greg Carvel hope that Makar could be the beginning of a new chapter in Amherst. Bamford, himself in just his second year, hired Carvel last year from St. Lawrence University, where he had played himself in college, in what many felt was a lateral move. However, Carvel seemingly liked the idea of moving back to UMass, where he had received his Master’s degree in Sport Management. While the first season under Carvel was not much of an improvement on the ice, the hire has already begun to pay off in recruitment, specifically with Makar enrolling in the fall. With Edmonton Oilers’ prospect William Lagesson signing his entry-level deal, Makar will likely only be joined by Buffalo Sabres’ 2015 seventh-round pick Ivan Chukarov as drafted players on the team, unless other members of the incoming class are also selected this June. Regardless, Makar alone has the potential to boost interest in both potential future players and a passionate fan base that has been waiting a long time to see another successful Minutemen squad.

Makar may not just be a well-regarded recruit, he may end up being one of the all-time best players to ever put on a UMass jersey. As far as hockey alumni go, he faces only Quick in regards to fanfare, but Makar could prove to be a better prospect than former New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz or former NBA All-Star Marcus Camby. If Bamford, Carvel, and the supporters of UMass are lucky, Makar could prove to be the hockey equivalent of the legendary Dr. J, Julius Erving. Only time will tell, but it all starts with Makar’s selection in the upcoming NHL Draft and his first season of NCAA competition next fall.

Iginla Eyeing A Return To Bruins?

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File this one under extreme speculation if you like, but future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, at the very least, is moving to Boston. Whether or not he’s playing for the Bruins in 2017-18 is another matter altogether, but the 39-year-old icon will be spending time in Boston one way or another, as he just purchased a $4.5MM home in the city. The six-bedroom house is located in Chestnut Hill, the home of the Boston College Eagles.

Now, this could simply mean that Iginla, an unrestricted free agent, enjoyed his time in Boston during the 2013-14 season and, facing a very real possibility that his career may be over, is investing a new place to spend his retirement years. Iginla did really like playing with the Bruins and would have liked to re-sign in Boston in 2014, but the Bruins did not have the cap space to meet his salary demands, due in part to the bonus overages from his incentive-laden $1.8MM contract from the year before.

However, it does seem strange that the Canadian winger, an Edmonton native who spent much of his career in his home province of Alberta with the Calgary Flames and the past three years in Colorado, would suddenly decide he wants to invest in real estate on the east coast. Could Iginla and the Bruins have a handshake agreement on giving the veteran scorer another shot at the Stanley Cup? It would seem to be a strange fit. After re-signing restricted free agents David Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner this off-season, the Bruins will already have eight “top nine” forward under contract: Pastrnak, Spooner, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, David Backes, Frank Vatrano, and Matt Beleskey. That’s not even including many forwards who made their NHL debuts in 2016-17 and will be looking for regular roles next season, including Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Peter Cehlarik, Austin Czarnik, Danton Heinen, and Sean Kuraly, up-and-coming prospects Jake DeBrusk, Zach Senyshyn, Jesse Gabrielle, Ryan Fitzgerald, and (potentially) Anders Bjork, or fourth-line contributors with some top-nine upside in Riley Nash and Noel Acciari. Do they really need another forward, especially another big, slow body who fills a similar role to Backes and Beleskey? Probably not, but if Iginla is at the point in his career where he is willing to play for the veteran minimum just on the off chance that he can finally win that elusive Cup, the Bruins are a team that values veteran leadership and would be happy to help Iginla out.

Iginla scored just 14 goals this season and ended the year with only 27 points. However, just three years ago Iginla was a 30-goal scorer in Boston on his way to a 61-point campaign. Iginla and Krejci enjoyed playing together, as Krejci too had an excellent season with 69 points and a league-best +39 rating. The two would not necessarily play together again next season, but the possibility should not be ruled out. Iginla going back to Boston would be strange, and assuming it is happening based on a property transaction is certainly a reach, but stranger things have happened. Everyone in hockey wants Iginla to win a Cup. Why not return to the team he most recently found success with and city he really enjoyed playing in?

Bruins Sign Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson To ELC

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With Boston University teammate Charlie McAvoy already committed to going pro, fellow Terrier sophomore Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson has decided to follow suit. However, while McAvoy made his pro debut with the AHL’s Providence Bruins last night, on an amateur tryout contract, it appears that “JFK” will head straight to the big-league club, as Boston announced that they have inked the young Swedish center to a three-year entry level contract and are prepared to burn a year by adding him to the NHL roster right away.

Unlike McAvoy, a right-shot defenseman who would be buried on an NHL team that has four NHL-caliber righties on the blue line, including one rookie already, Forsbacka-Karlsson can fill an immediate need for the Bruins. With Frank Vatrano, Jimmy Hayes, and Tim Schaller currently sidelined with injuries, Boston has been plugging holes up front, most recently with Sean Kuraly in today’s 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. However, Forsbacka-Karlsson presents an upgrade to Kuraly, as well as several other options currently waiting for the call in Providence, and will thus make the jump right from the NCAA to the NHL.

Don’t let the Bruins’ needs imply that the 20-year-old pivot isn’t making his NHL debut right away based on talent; Forsbacka-Karlsson certainly has the skill to be in Boston. A second-round selection of the Bruins in 2015 out of the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, JFK was considered a high-upside project player for Boston as he readied himself for the college game. Instead, Forsbacka-Karlsson has shown nothing but skill, consistency, and a mature, well-rounded game in two seasons at BU. JFK posted 63 points over 78 games in college career, playing a major role in back-to-back strong seasons for the Terriers. He possess both a strong offensive game and the instincts and intelligence to play a defensive game that is unmatched by many his age. For this reason, Forsbacka-Karlsson has often drawn comparisons to a young Patrice Bergeron, while playing right down the street from the man himself. Now, much like Zdeno Chara and Brandon Carlo, the Bruins can have Bergeron mentor JFK and hope for the same quick development and production like they have seen from Carlo. Expect the kid forward to step in right away, likely alongside Ryan Spooner on the team’s third line, and contribute immediately as the Bruins look to extend their five-game winning streak and lock up a playoff spot.

Injury Notes: Read, Cunningham, Anisimov, Guentzel

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Matt Read will not play again this season, after taking a shot to the arm in Thursday’s victory over the New York Islanders. He’ll be out six to eight weeks according to GM Ron Hextall, meaning it is likely some sort of a broken arm or wrist. Read had just 19 points this season and has really taken a step back in recent years. As a rookie, he scored 24 goals and 47 points, but has never been able to duplicate those numbers.

Read, 30, is signed for one more season with the Flyers at $3.625MM and will likely be relegated to bottom-six duty again next year. What looked like a very promising career after signing as a free agent out of college has taken a downward turn. He’ll try to rehab the injury and improve his play next season.

Devils-Bruins Notes: Lappin, Prout, Stafford, McPhee

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Ahead of tonight’s road match-up with the Boston Bruins, the New Jersey Devils have recalled rookie winger Nick Lappin on an emergency basis from the AHL’s Albany Devils. Lappin is expected to get the call tonight, as the 24-year-old forward has worked his way back into the lineup. Lappin has four goals and three assists in 35 games with New Jersey this season, but was sent down to the minors on January 12th and had yet to return to the lineup. While in Albany, Lappin was nearly a point-per-game player, with nine goals and eleven assists in 24 contests. Lappin is in just his second pro season since leaving Brown University, and no matter how many games he plays for the Devils down the stretch, he will not be eligible for exposure in the Expansion Draft. GM Ray Shero will have to look elsewhere on the roster for the solution to his coverage problem.

  • A pair of deadline day acquisitions will make their debuts tonight. With Andy Greene out of the lineup for personal reasons, Dalton Prout will get a chance to show the Devils what he brings to the table. The 26-year-old tough guy had only played in 15 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season before being traded for Kyle Quincey at the deadline, but brings a physical game and hard-nosed presence to any game that he is a part of. With another year left on his contract, Prout is looking to impress his new team and carve out a role for himself in the future. In the short-term, he is likely trying to play well enough tonight to get into the Devils’ lineup tomorrow, against his former Blue Jackets team.
  • On the other side of the ice, Drew Stafford will get into his first game with the Bruins since being acquired on Wednesday. It has been a tough season for Stafford with the Winnipeg Jets, as injuries have limited him to just 40 games, and he has managed to score just 13 points in that sample size. However, Boston knows all too well how dangerous Stafford can be when he’s on his game. As a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Stafford was a consistent goal-scoring threat and tended to have some of his best games against the Bruins. Coach Bruce Cassidy hopes that Stafford can get back to his productive ways skating on a line with Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano, who have both been on fire since the coaching change.
  • With the trade deadline over with, Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee is out scouting with a clearer picture of who might be available to his team on June 21st when the new expansion team will be picked. Tonight, he’ll be taking in the Devils vs. Bruins in Boston, likely with an eye on defenseman. Although Boston and New Jersey are not exactly known for their blue line depth, neither team looks to have many attractive options up front to be exposed in the Expansion Draft. Instead, the Devils will have to pick four of Greene, Prout, Damon Severson, John Moore, Ben Lovejoy, and Jon Merrill to expose, while the Bruins can only protect one of Adam McQuaid, Colin Miller, and Kevan Miller to go along with Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug.  

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