As per a few reports and confirmed comments by both Bruins GM Don Sweeney and Team President Cam Neely, Boston’s priority this offseason is to land a minute-munching left-side defenseman via free agency or trade. The team has decided not to sign any pending free agents until the NHL Expansion draft, so between this news and their priority to land someone who can play over 20 minutes per night, the Bruins could be a very busy team once Seattle officially selects their team.
NBC Sports Boston’s Nick Goss cites Neely’s comments that his club’s off-season priority is finding a top-four left-side defenseman during his end-of-season press conference on Tuesday. When asked what the team’s primary need was, Neely responded, “The elusive left D we’ve been looking for who can chew up a lot of minutes, and maybe play on the second pairing with [Brandon] Carlo. That’d be more of a shutdown or some puck movement, some offensive blue line acumen.”
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This doesn’t necessarily mean that player will come in free agency, even though names like Alex Goligoski, Alec Martinez, Alexander Edler, Derek Forbort, and Jamie Oleksiak will all be available on the open market. Instead, Goss wonders if the Bruins will try to acquire what they need via trade. He brought up Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm who was almost available at this past season’s NHL trade deadline. It’s not clear if the Predators are actually looking to move him any longer.
As for what the Bruins might move in a trade, that’s where names like Urho Vaakanainen and/or Jake DeBrusk come in. Both are rumored to be available if the Bruins can land the left-shot rearguard they need.
The Bruins’ Own Pending UFAs
Likely before the Bruins get to the business of adding players from other teams, Don Sweeney has some internal business to take care of. He has elected not to sign any of his big-name free agents right now. Among the list of people he needs to get business done with, Taylor Hall, David Krejci, and Tuukka Rask. The GM plans to have general conversations with all three when they are ready — talks with Hall have already started — and after the expansion draft, they’ll get things sorted.
Sweeney did note the risk he’s taking by choosing not to sign his own players in the window of time in which he’s the only GM that can talk to them. He was asked if he might work out handshake deals and then put those deals on paper. He responded, “You can only talk in generalities with your players. You could never come to a full-fledged agreement and not file the contract”.
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