Biggest questions about roster after Bruins impress in NHL free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins made a splash in NHL free agency by signing top-six center Elias Lindholm (seven years, $54.25 million) and top-four defenseman Nikita Zadorov (six years, $30 million) shortly after the market opened on Monday.
The Bruins entered free agency with about $21.67 million in salary cap space, and they now have about $10.2 million remaining. Much of that is expected to go to goalie Jeremy Swayman, who is in need of a new contract as a restricted free agent.
It would suit the B’s to enter the regular season with a little cap space, giving them room to make moves if injuries or poor performances are a factor. The Bruins could make more moves between now and training camp in September, but it’s hard to imagine any substantial changes happening.
So what’s in store for the Bruins after a blistering start to Day 1 of free agency? Here are the biggest questions remaining.
When will Jeremy Swayman sign and for how much?
Swayman is a restricted free agent and is currently without a contract, but Sweeney reiterated Monday that working out an extension with the team’s best goalie remains a huge priority.
“Sway is a big part of this whole dynamic of what we’re trying to put together,” Sweeney said. “It’s a priority for us, we’re going to continue to find a negotiated landing spot, and the timing is what it is, however long that takes. It’s not affected by what we did today. We’re in a great position to, like I said, find the best negotiated deal that we can find for both parties.”
There are five goalies who will have a salary cap hit of more than $6.4 million next season, according to CapFriendly. That group has won six Vezina Trophies and three Stanley Cup titles between them. Swayman doesn’t have the same hardware, but he’s proven to be a fantastic goalie in his first three full seasons as an NHL player, including a stellar run in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The ideal outcome for the Bruins would be to find Swayman a long-term deal, and if that comes with a $7-8 million salary cap hit, so be it. He’s one of the league’s top 10 goalies and he’s only 25 years old. He could be the backbone of the team for the next 10 years.
There is no immediate rush or pressing deadline for either side to meet. But eventually they will have to find common ground.
Who will be the reserve goalkeeper?
The Bruins have been in the enviable position of having two Vezina-caliber goalies in Swayman and Linus Ullmark for the past two seasons, a luxury that almost no other team had during that time.
Ullmark’s trade to the Ottawa Senators last week ended that duo, and now there’s a question mark in the net. Who will be Swayman’s backup: Joonas Korpisalo (acquired in the Ullmark trade) or Brandon Bussi?
Korpisalo has 276 NHL games of experience. Bussi has never played above the AHL. Korpisalo was statistically one of the worst goalies in the league last season, posting an .890 save percentage and a 3.27 GAA, while also ranking near the bottom in saves above expectation. But Korpisalo has shown in previous years that he can be a competent, if not above-average goalie. And if anyone can get the best out of him, it’s Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa, who has a Hall of Fame-level track record.
Bussi has played very well for the Providence Bruins the past two seasons. He is ready for a chance to compete for an NHL job. However, if he does come to the NHL, he will have to go back to Providence via waivers, and it is hard to imagine no team claiming him given his talent.
But if Bussi is clearly better than Korpisalo during the training camps and preparation, he could possibly be given the position of reserve.
“I don’t want to lose sight of Brandon in the sense that he’s paid his dues and he wants his opportunity to come to the National Hockey League. If he beats out, in this case, most likely Joonas, then we’ve got to give him that opportunity,” Sweeney told reporters in Las Vegas on Thursday ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft. “He’s going to need to clear waivers, so it’s part of the cycle for all players, and as they start to mature and an opportunity comes up, then yeah, we’ve got to make a tough decision.”
Which internal candidates can fill the vacancies?
The Bruins only have about $1.5-3 million in cap space left to spend if we assume Swayman signs for $7-8 million at some point. That’s not a lot of money to spend, and there’s not much left on the free agent market after Monday’s trades around the league.
If the Bruins are going to fill some of the holes in their front line, improvement will likely have to come from within. That could come in the form of veteran players like Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic taking their offensive production to the next level, as well as young prospects like Matt Poitras, Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov breaking through and earning permanent NHL roles.
“I think Poitras and (John) Beecher were good examples this year,” Sweeney said Monday when asked about young players trying to make the NHL roster. “That they played well enough, that they deserved their chance, and I would say (Georgii Merkulov) and (Fabian Lysell) or Riley Duran keep going down the list. Keep your ears open, train your ass off this summer and come in with the intention that there’s going to be an opportunity here. If you’re the best player, we’ll find a way to get you in the lineup.”
The Bruins desperately need another goal scorer on the wing. The departure of Jake DeBrusk — he signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Canucks on Monday — was a setback on that front. Sure, DeBrusk has often been inconsistent on offense, but his 71 goals over the last three seasons are third-most on the team, behind only David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.
In an ideal world, Lysell would finally make the jump from the AHL to the NHL next season and provide a scoring boost on the wing. He has fantastic offensive talent, including an NHL-caliber shot and speed. The upcoming training camp and preseason will be huge for the team’s 2021 first-round pick.
The Bruins added a few young players to their roster last season, most notably Poitras, Beecher and Mason Lohrei. Can they do that again in the 2023-24 season? If not, they may have to spend valuable resources to trade for what they need. It’s always beneficial to find those upgrades from within.
