General Manager Don Sweeney has before him his definitive opportunity to set in motion the next iteration of the Boston Bruins, and while the copycat National Hockey League tends to churn out many an imposter, Sweeney must identify the players who can make the Bruins the real deal.
With $21.2 million to spend under the $88 million salary cap for the 2024-25 season, not counting the $5 million the Bruins are likely to move in a Linus Ullmark trade, this is Sweeney’s big chance to make anywhere from one to three, key acquisitions that would complete his inner picture of a Cup contender.
Let’s assume restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman will earn $8 million per year on a long-term contract and that unrestricted free agents Danton Heinen and Patrick Maroon return for, say, $3 million and $2 million respectively.
The Bruins would still have $8 million in cap space plus Ullmark’s $5 million presuming a trade. If Sweeney feels strongly enough about his AHL goalies – Brandon Bussi is RFA – then a veteran backup won’t be an offseason priority.
What can he do with $13 million, and will the fact Brad Marchand and Trent Frederic have one year remaining on their deals factor? (Frederic is also UFA in 2025).
Assuming an Ullmark trade – Sweeney has said he prefers to keep his award-winning tandem intact – $13 million should translate into two impact players, one of which we can assume will be a centerman.
The most-discussed Elias Lindholm is apparently going to the open market, and it may help the Bruins’ cause in both competition and commitment that the all-purpose center’s stock had dropped by the time the Canucks bowed out of the playoffs.
Vegas center Chandler Stephenson, an integral component of the Golden Knights’ run to the Cup in 2023, is a free agent and only one year older then the 29-year-old Lindholm.
The championship chemistry established by Carolina forward Martin Necas in a trio with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha has fueled speculation as to the Bruins’ interest at a time when things are reportedly cool between the RFA center and Hurricanes management.
The competition lies in the fact several NHL teams have this newfound flexibility, which should rachet up the urgency on the phones as the draft approaches.
