Bruins announce eight roster moves on busy first day of free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
There weren’t many teams entering the first day of NHL free agency on Monday with more salary cap space than the Boston Bruins (approximately $21.67 million, according to CapFriendly), and it didn’t take long for the Original Six franchise to announce a few key additions when the market opened at noon ET.
The two most notable signings were Elias Lindholm (seven years, $54.25 million) and Nikita Zadorov (six years, $30 million).
Lindholm is a top-six center with an impressive two-way skillset and elite faceoff ability. Zadorov is a physically imposing defender who can provide some scoring depth, defend against the opposing team’s best forwards and kill penalties.
The two additions fill two key needs for the Bruins heading into the offseason: a first- or second-line center and a left-handed defenseman.
The Bruins also signed Max Jones to a two-year contract with a $1 million cap hit. Jones scored 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 52 games for the Anaheim Ducks last season. He was the 24th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Jones will likely compete for a bottom-six role in training camp.
Boston officially announced eight roster transactions on Monday, all of which are listed below. Some of these players likely will not play in the NHL next season.
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Elias Lindholm, forward (seven years, $7.75 million NHL salary)
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Nikita Zadorov, defenseman (six years, $5 million NHL salary)
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Max Jones, forward (two years, $1 million NHL salary)
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Riley Tufte, Forward (one year, $775,000 NHL balance)
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Cole Koepke, forward (one-year, two-way contract, NHL balance $775,000)
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Jordan Oesterle, defenseman (two-year, two-way contract, $775,000 NHL cap hit)
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Bill Sweezey, defenseman (two-year, two-way contract, $775,000 NHL cap hit)
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Jeffrey Viel, Forward (two years, $775,000 NHL balance; the deal is a two-way contract for the 2024-25 season and a one-way contract for the 2025-26 season)
