Bruins roster reset: Salary cap space, free agents entering offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins’ run in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is over.
They were eliminated by the Florida Panthers on Friday night in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference second-round series at TD Garden.
Overall, it was a successful season for the Original Six franchise. After losing so many key players (like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci) last summer, the Bruins were expected by most pundits and fans to be a wild card team in 2023-2024, but they were actually in contention for the Presidents’ Trophy , However? until the last few days of the regular season.
They also advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after defeating the rival Toronto Maple Leafs in a dramatic overtime Game 7 in Round 1.
The Bruins have a good foundation to work with heading into the summer, but there are plenty of weaknesses in the roster that need to be addressed. One that immediately comes to mind is getting a new top-six striker, a natural goalscorer or a playmaker.
Here is some important information to consider as we prepare for what should be a busy offseason for the Bruins.
Salary limit
The salary cap for the 2023-2024 season was $83.5 million, but for the Bruins it was essentially $79 million because they had $4.5 million in cap surplus from the 2022-2023 contracts of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
The salary cap ceiling is expected to increase by $4.2 million to $87.7 million for the 2024-2025 campaign. Based on that number, the Bruins are expected to have $20.9 million in cap space this summer, per CapFriendly. This number could increase if the Bruins make a trade or two. For example, trading Linus Ullmark (and his $5 million cap hit) would free up some additional cap space.
The Bruins were running out of salary cap space last season and as a result had to make bargains in free agency. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney deserves credit for finding some good value in these signings, especially Kevin Shattenkirk, James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Geekie.
Sweeney will have a lot more flexibility to work with this summer, but as we detail below, the Bruins also have some key players who could become free agents. Some of them won’t be cheap to re-sign.
2024 NHL Draft Picks (and Beyond)
The Bruins currently only have a pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Unless the B’s return to Round 1, they will not have a first-round pick for the fifth time in the last seven drafts.
They also don’t have a second- or fourth-round pick in 2025. The next year the B’s own all their draft picks is 2026.
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If the Bruins want to be active on the trade market this summer, their first-round picks in 2025 and 2026 would be among their best assets.
Boston has some good young players at the NHL level, most notably center Matthew Poitras and defenseman Mason Lohrei, but the prospect pool isn’t full of high-level talent. In The Athletic’s most recent ranking in January’s pool, the Bruins even ranked 30th out of 32 teams.
Trading first-round picks would be a risk for the Bruins given their lack of good prospects, but if Sweeney can find an impact player who will stay with the team long-term, then parting with another first-rounder wouldn’t be like that. bad.
Free agents
Here is a list of the notable Bruins players who could be an unrestricted or restricted free agent this offseason.
Unlimited
DeBrusk is an interesting case. He’s been very inconsistent again this season, but mid-range forwards who can score 20+ goals (which DeBrusk has done two of the last three years) don’t come cheap in free agency or on the trade market. If the Bruins let DeBrusk walk as a free agent, replacing him won’t be easy, and they are already short on proven scorers. DeBrusk led the B’s in playoff scoring with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 13 games.
Danton Heinen was a very effective player for Boston on a cheap one-year contract. He scored 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 74 games and played in multiple positions and on multiple lines. His versatility is valuable, so bringing him back would be a smart move.
Three experienced defenders also have expiring contracts. Grzelcyk hasn’t been very productive in recent playoffs and didn’t play in Boston’s final eight postseason games in 2024. Forbort has had his fair share of injuries over the past two years. Shattenkirk is 35 years old and has played just six of the Bruins’ 13 playoff games. Will any of them re-sign?
Limited
Swayman is clearly the big one here. His excellent playoff run likely helps his positioning in negotiations. He left the postseason as the league leader in save percentage (.933) and goals above expected (11.27). Swayman was the Bruins’ best and most valuable player in the playoffs and proved he could handle a heavy workload. The Bruins now have to make sure Swayman is the team’s No. 1 goaltender for a long time.
Bussi didn’t have as good a season in 2023-24 as he did in 2022-23, but he’s still an exciting player who could potentially be the backup in Boston next season if the Bruins trade Ullmark this summer.
