Bruins Trying to Make Something “Insane” Work Before July 1

It’s hard to know if there’s any accuracy to this report, but according to ESPN NHL analyst John Buccigross’s tweet: “I hear something insane is going on with the Boston Bruins before July 1st.” Considering there is speculation of significant roster turnover in Boston, we did a little digging, trying to see what this account might be referring to.

There are plenty of suspects when it comes to what moves might be on the table. There’s been talk about Taylor Hall potentially being available in an attempt to secure an extension with Tyler Bertuzzi. There’s also chatter that the Bruins might do something with their goaltending tandem, especially considering background noise that Jeremy Swayman could be a candidate for an offer sheet, however unlikely.

Jeff Marek commented on the tweet and said that no one should really be all that surprised considering the Bruins have to do something. Saying that the goaltending situation is intriguing because the market is pretty much being run by Connor Hellebuyck, but also that there are goaltenders available for teams that want to spend assets to acquire one. Marek didn’t think the Bruins would be able to hit a “home run” if they choose to move Linus Ullmark. He didn’t think the returns on goalies would be what they normally would be.

Marek did confirm that the Bruins want to re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi because he’s the quintessential Bruins type of player. Marek also noted that Calgary and Winnipeg being frisky to make a move also opens up the door to the Bruins being involved in something. Marek thinks GM Don Sweeney is trying to open up space to do something.

It is essential to remember that the Bruins, like any other team facing salary cap challenges, will be exploring various options to navigate their financial constraints effectively. This may involve trades, signings, or other strategic moves to ensure a balanced and competitive roster for the upcoming season.

Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic wrote in a piece on Thursday that “General manager Don Sweeney and assistant GM Evan Gold have been pounding the phones in pursuit of deals, according to multiple team sources who have communicated with the executives. At this time, the Bruins bosses have one priority: cap flexibility.” He notes that 2023 draft picks are in play with about a week to go before those deals need to be made. He also suggests Matt Grzelcyk is the likeliest player to move.

The future plans of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci for the 2023-24 season remain undisclosed. However, a teammate, who preferred to remain anonymous out of respect for Bergeron and Krejci, shared with The Athletic that he does not anticipate either player returning. That too opens the door to the Bruins trying to do something big.

As the offseason progresses and the Bruins approach the draft and free agency, it sounds like news is really about to pick up.

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