In this edition of the Boston Bruins News & Rumors, we will look at general manager Don Sweeney’s busy first day of free agency. He signed some key players, while Nikita Zadorov addressed the media about paying his respects to Zdeno Chara. We will also look at how the new players will impact the lineup.
Sweeney Makes Big Splash in Free Agency
The Bruins needed offseason surgery. Their goal was to address their center depth and insert more size and reliability into the defense group. Sweeney saw an opportunity to do that with a pair of Vancouver Canucks, Elias Lindholm and Zadorov.
Related: Zadorov & Lindholm Provide Needed Depth for the Bruins
Bringing in Lindholm makes a lot of sense. He is a great two-way option with offensive upside. His past two seasons haven’t been his best offensive work, but that can be forgiven since none of the Calgary Flames performed to expectations, and when he joined the Canucks, he played lower down the lineup than he would be on most teams, including the Bruins where he will be the top center.
Zadorov has been linked to the Bruins for a while, and with his play style, he also makes a lot of sense. He is a very physical, bruising defensive defenseman. He plays a tough game but knows when to take a run at somebody and when to focus on the gap control to angle the opposing player out or even use his long stick to break up a play. He also does all of the right things away from the puck.
The Bruins have roughly $11.8 million to work with but only two major concerns in the lineup. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman needs a contract and will likely command about $7 million, and they need a top-six or high-end middle-six right winger. Those are manageable given the organization’s cap situation, and they could be a much better-looking team in 2024-25 when all is said and done.
Zadorov’s Respect for Chara
After he signed with the Bruins, Zadorov sent out a heartfelt message on Instagram thanking the Canucks, the city, and their fans. He later held an interview with the Bruins‘ media and shared that he is requesting a new nickname, since”Big Z” is off the table out of respect for former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara.
Chara was a role model and inspiration for the player he has become today. Having the same nickname as Chara wouldn’t hurt anybody, but in a respectful request, Zadorov wants a new nickname in Boston.
Several Bruins Leave Town
Jake DeBrusk was the biggest free agent to leave Boston, signing a seven-year deal with the Canucks. DeBrusk had a confusing relationship with the club that drafted him in 2015. Through good and bad seasons, excellent playoff performances, a trade request, and everything in between, it finally seemed that the two would stick together for a while.
As the offseason approached, there was little talk of an extension, and he ultimately left town. The Bruins not trading him as he requested might be one of the best things to happen to him in his career; his 2024 Playoff performance is surely a big reason why he got such a big deal in Vancouver.
Matt Grzelcyk was with the Bruins for parts of eight seasons and was a quality player. He started to fall out of favor in 2023-24 and should be a good fit with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins needed cap space to sign Zadorov, and Grzelcyk was the choice to go.
Danton Heinen played 74 games with the Bruins and was a good winger, even getting top-six opportunities. Last offseason, he waited a little longer for the Bruins to clear enough cap space to sign him, which worked out for both parties. Heinen’s 36 points were the most since his rookie season, which helped earn him a $4.5 million contract over two years.
Derek Forbort, like Grzelcyk, fell out of favor with the Bruins and spent a couple of games in the American Hockey League. It wasn’t expected that he would return, but he was a quality depth defenseman who, like DeBrusk and Heinen, was signed by Vancouver.
