The Boston Bruins’ centennial season is now over. As special as it was, it ended in a second-round series loss to the Florida Panthers. Although the Bruins defied expectations and performed better than anyone thought they would, the real work starts now.
With four teams still competing for the Stanley Cup, general manager Don Sweeney is in offseason mode. The Bruins have key decisions to make and money to spend. Questions surround a possible trade involving goaltender Linus Ullmark, but Sweeney’s priority should be goal-scoring.
For the second season in a row, David Pastrnak was the only Bruin to surpass the 30-goal mark. Also, the Bruins were 12th in goals for at five-on-five and 13th in all situations – that puts them in the middle of the pack, which isn’t bad but their second-round series show us they need an offensive boost. With $22 million to spend this summer, the Bruins should look to free agency to fill the void. Here are four targets that would fit in the Bruins’ budget.
Jake Guentzel
Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel will be the top free agent this summer. You could make a case for Steven Stamkos, but Guentzel will be it, especially for goal scoring. He has reached the 20-goal mark four times in his career while also being a two-time 30-goal scorer and two-time 40-goal scorer. Playing with one of the best players in the world has its perks, but Guentzel proved he is not dependent on Sidney Crosby.
Related: Bruins & Don Sweeney’s Offseason Priority List
The best thing the Hurricanes did was get a prominent winger to play alongside Sebastian Aho. Sure, he may not be Crosby, but Aho is an offensive threat with a solid two-way game. Their line generated 9.1 expected goals for and averaged 3.01 expected goals for per 60 minutes. They delivered, scoring 12 goals. Guentzel did not skip a beat after he was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2024 Trade Deadline, with eight goals and 25 points in 17 games – that’s more than a point-per-game pace on a new team.
Guentzel has reached the 70-point mark three times, while also having a career-high of 84 points set during the 2021-22 season. He comes with playoff experience and can produce in big moments. He will get a pay raise — given how high of a caliber of talent he is, the Bruins would likely need to spend $8-$9 million per year to obtain his services — and would be a huge addition to the Bruins’ top line. Pastrnak needs some help, and Guentzel would fit like a glove, but if Guentzel is off the board, the Bruins can turn to another Hurricanes winger looking for a new contract.
Martin Necas (Trade)
Unlike Guentzel, winger Martin Necas is a restricted free agent, which means he is under team control. However, the Bruins could try to trade for him. In an interview with Denik Sport, Necas’ father said his son wants to play on the first line and on the power play.
The Hurricanes have no shortage of weapons, and Necas is one of them. In fact, he is one of the most skilled players on the roster. He plays with tremendous speed and has the skill to weave through defenders. He avoids the dump-and-chase and is great at creating chances off the rush. He is dynamic and has a nose for goal scoring, And the Bruins could fill hie desires to play on the first line and power play.
Necas has improved significantly each season. In his rookie 2019-20 campaign, he scored 16 goals and recorded 36 points. He followed that up with back-to-back 40-point seasons and set a career-high in points and goals in 2022-23. Last season, he also led the team in power-play points with 26, while also leading the team in points with 71. He is a clutch player who excels in overtime.
Necas is sensational with more ice and scored four overtime goals and five game-winners. He finished this season with 24 goals and 53 points, which would’ve ranked in the top five on the Bruins. With the Bruins having a core group of Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, and Pavel Zacha locked in for the foreseeable future, supplementing it with talent like Necas would be a huge boost. However, the path to obtaining him is a challenge.
An offer sheet is unlikely, due to the Bruins having a lack of draft capital. However, a trade could be in the works that makes it beneficial for both teams. The Bruins could look to offer the Hurricanes Ullmark to help shore up the goaltending and get a winger in return to help with the goal scoring.
Jonathan Marchessault
Extending Jonathan Marchessault will be a challenge for the Vegas Golden Knights due to their cap constraints, and he may hit the open market. If that’s the case, Sweeney should go after him immediately.
Since he joined the Golden Knights for their inaugural season, Marchessault has been the definition of consistent, especially up front. Since 2016-17, he has been a five-time 20-goal scorer and a two-time 30-goal scorer. This season was a career one for him, with 42 goals and 69 points in 82 games.
He also generated 29.5 expected goals in all situations and shattered his expectations by a wide margin. Marchessault finished the with a 15.8% shooting percentage, which was a career best for him. There is a good reason for this success, as he was one of the most effective players in the ice during five-on-five play; Marchessault factored into the third most expected goals for (50.19) and was on the ice for 54 goals. Furthermore, what stood out was his goal differential in the high danger areas (31-17), which pairs well with how the Bruins like to play. Marchessault is a great option to add another dynamic to the Bruins’ offence and would look great alongside either Coyle or Zacha.
Vegas knows how to work the cap in their favor, but if not, the Bruins’ checkbook needs to open. A deal with an average annual value of $6 million should do the trick.
Tyler Toffoli
Tyler Toffoli might be 32 years old, but he is still playing at a high level. For the right term and price, Toffoli would be a huge addition to the Bruins lineup. This season, he split time between the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets and produced for both teams.
In 61 games with the Devils, Toffoli scored 26 goals and recorded 44 points. In a season when Timo Meier was hurt, Toffoli came up big for the Devils, and when he joined the Jets, he scored seven goals and recorded 11 points in 17 games. For the second season in a row, Toffoli reached 30 goals.
It was more than just his goal scoring; his on ice impacts were spectacular, especially with the Jets. Toffoli proved to be a trade-deadline winner with his stellar play. When on the ice at five on five, puck possession was in the Jets’ favor, as he finished with a 54.73 Corsi for percentage. Offense was always on the team’s side, as they heavily outshot the opposition with him on the ice and his 16-6 goal differential was a bonus. This is effectively the kind of boost the Bruins need in their lineup, as they were not the best team at five on five.
Toffoli would bring the scoring boost the Bruins desperately need to support Pastrnak. Furthermore, he would give the team a boost at five on five, which is precisely what they lacked in this season. Even with his age, he is still worthy of contract that could net him $5 million per season and Sweeney should prepare for that.
Bruins Have Options
There is no shortage of options for the Bruins as they look to shore up their depth scoring. The names on this list will be in high demand this offseason, so Sweeney will have to be aggressive. This includes Necas if he and the Hurricanes do intend to part way. The Bruins have a good team, but even a good team can use a boost. Sweeney has the money to spend and options to choose from — it’s just a matter of picking up the phone.
