In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, the Bruins have signed prospect Frederic Brunet to an entry-level contract (ELC). In other news, Jayson Megna has been placed on waivers, while several other Bruins have since cleared it. Lastly, could Jeremy Swayman be a surprise trade candidate this season? Let’s discuss all of this and more in today’s (Oct. 5) Bruins News & Rumors column.
Bruins Sign Brunet to ELC
As noted above, the Bruins have signed Brunet to an ELC. The Bruins selected the 6-foot-3, left-shot defenseman in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Bruins Sign Frederic Brunet to Entry-Level Contract: https://t.co/uAGTHRfYyf
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 4, 2023
Brunet, 20, spent last season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 66 games split between the Rimouski Océanic and the Victoriaville Tigres, he had 16 goals and 73 points. Seeing this kind of production from a defenseman at the junior level is certainly promising, and now he will look to build off it in 2023-24 with Providence.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Bruins’ 5-4 Overtime Loss to Capitals
Brunet also appeared in his first AHL game last season, where he had a two-assist night. Let’s see if he can make an impact for the club from here.
Bruins Place Megna On Waivers, 5 Players Clear
The Bruins are continuing to trim their rosters, leading to waiver placements. The latest player to hit the waiver wire for the Bruins is forward Megna.
Megna, 33, was hoping to land a bottom-six role with the Bruins this season, but he will now start the season with Providence, assuming he clears waivers. The 33-year-old appeared in 55 games last season split between the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks, posting two goals, eight points, and 47 hits.
In other waiver news, Alec Regula, Dan Renouf, Anthony Richard, Reilly Walsh, and Parker Wotherspoon all successfully cleared and will officially join Providence for the start of the season.
Could Swayman Be a Surprise Trade Candidate?
In a recent article for The Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson discussed five surprise players who could end up on the trade block during the 2023-24 season. Interestingly, Swayman’s name made Richardson’s list.
Richardson brought up how Swayman’s name was in the rumor mill this offseason and argued that he would be a “valuable trade chip” to add in a deal for a top-six center. He also noted that Swayman has zero trade protection and will once again be a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights this summer. Linus Ullmark, on the other hand, has a higher cap hit ($5 million) and a 16-team no-trade list, making him a bit of a harder asset to move.
However, from a personal standpoint, I feel like the Bruins should not include Swayman in any possible trade. He has shown throughout his short career that he has the tools to be Boston’s long-term starting netminder. With that, Ullmark’s contract is only on the books for two more years, meaning his long-term future with the team is far from set in stone.
Bruins Send 3 Players to Providence Bruins
Besides placing Megna on waivers, the Bruins assigned Marc McLaughlin, Georgii Merkulov, and Trevor Kuntar to Providence.
McLaughlin, 24, was on the hunt for a spot in the Bruins’ bottom six, but he will now officially start the season down in Providence. The Massachusetts native appeared in 64 AHL games last season for Providence, posting 13 goals and 30 points. Although being sent down is not the best news for McLaughlin, he is a clear call-up candidate for when injuries arise.
Merkulov, 22, has a bright future, but he just did not look ready for the NHL this preseason. However, after his excellent first AHL season in 2022-23 with Providence, all eyes should be on him this campaign. In 67 games last season, he had 24 goals and 55 points. He was also named to the AHL All-Rookie Team.
Kuntar, 22, is gearing up for his first professional season. The Buffalo native spent last season with Boston College, hitting new career highs in goals (13), assists (16), and points (29) in 34 games. Let’s see how well this offensive production translates over to the AHL.
