BRIGHTON — All seven of the Bruins unrestricted-free-agents-to-be said they’d like to be back in Boston for the 2024-25 season. Most of them are likely going to be disappointed.
After their season ended against Florida on Friday, most of the Bruins players had meetings with coaches, management and spoke to the media one last time on Sunday before scattering for the offseason. The seven Boston players, who aren’t under contract for next year, hoped it wasn’t their final time at Warrior Arena as members of the Bruins.
Fanatics Sportsbook
10X$100 BONUS BET
BET MATCH BONUS
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV)
But Boston has space available under the salary cap and are likely to be active. While some of that will go to paying Jeremy Swayman, a restricted free agent, the Bruins are likely to add free agents to the roster, which will bump at least some and maybe most of those guys out.
Right now the Bruins have probably eight guys safely slotted into lineup spots in Boston: Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie and likely Johnny Beecher and Justin Brazeau.
Matt Poitras will be eligible to play in Providence next year, but could be in the mix. Jesper Boqvist, and Jakub Lauko will come to camp competing for roles too.
Ideally, they’d like to add at least one and ideally, two impact forwards to join Coyle and Marchand and Zacha and Pastrnak on the top six.
With that in mind, it’s very possible the Bruins bring back none of these guys. Here’s the list ranked in order from who is most likely to return to the least:
Pat Maroon — It wouldn’t be expensive to re-sign him. The question is: Do the Bruins have a role for him? It’s not hard to see them planning a fourth line of Boqvist, Johnny Beecher and Jakub Lauko. Maroon isn’t really an option in the top nine. Still, they like his leadership and his toughness. He’s not a goon, but his presence and willingness to stand up for teammates is valuable.
Danton Heinen — The reason he’s ahead of DeBrusk is that he’d be less expensive. Heinen could play on the fourth line, while subbing in as a top six/nine when needed. For a guy who started the year on a professional tryout agreement, Heinen had a terrific year with 17 goals and 19 assists. He was a +16 and was a solid penalty killer. The Bruins likely put a higher value on him than teams who haven’t seen him every day. But he still might get an offer that’s more than they want to pay.
Jake DeBrusk — Here’s the big question with DeBrusk, how much is he willing to take below market value to stay in Boston. He’s a guy who can play on any line and on either wing. He’s still prone to maddening scoring droughts, but he’s made himself a good penalty killer and is still solid on the No. 2 power play. He has repeatedly said he wants to stay. At 27 years old, this is usually the time players get their best contracts. DeBrusk is coming off a year where a disappointing start and a broken hand depressed his numbers. The Bruins would probably keep him at the right number, but how far is that from his target?
If Boston doesn’t land their top free-agent targets, he’s a guy who’ll look more and more appealing if he’s still available.
Matt Grzelcyk — He picked a bad time for a bad year. At 30, he’d probably be smart to sign a one-year deal somewhere in hopes of rebuilding his value. He’d likely benefit from doing that with a fresh start in a change of scenery. But if he’d take low money with incentives, Boston might look at him as a depth guy with a chance to be more if he bounces back.
James van Riemsdyk — Early on, the veteran wing looked like a steal and factoring in his entire production, he was a very good deal at $1 million (11 goals, 27 assists). But he faded down the stretch. It seems like he’d be unlikely to return even for a similar number as the Bruins are expected to add forwards.
Kevin Shattenkirk —Like van Riemsdyk, he was the perfect bridge-year veteran guy and like van Riemsdyk, he’s unlikely to be back. Mason Lohrei’s development as an offensive presence on the blue line limits the need for him. He could probably to get more money and more minutes elsewhere.
Derek Forbort — There’s a spot somewhere for a responsible defender, reliable penalty killer and winning shot-blocker. But with an extensive injury history at 32, Forbort won’t match the $3 million a year, he’s been paid in Boston. The emergence of Parker Wotherspoon and arrival of Andrew Peeke have probably limited the need for him in Boston. The Bruins could find younger options to replace him.
