The Boston Bruins had one of the more active offseasons in the NHL. The franchise traded great goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, signed forward Elias Lindholm and defender Nikita Zadorov to costly contracts, allowed several free agents leave, and has yet to re-sign Jeremy Swayman to an extension. While the majority of the Bruins’ remaining salary appears to be set up for any prospective Swayman deal, this does not imply the team is done looking into ways to bolster its depth. General manager Don Sweeney may return to test mutual interest in a few former Bruins who are still available on the open market.
The Bruins’ lineup for the 2024-25 season is unknown, and it’s practically difficult to predict how things will play out before training camp and preseason. Several players are poised to push for larger roles with the club, including Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov, who should be given every chance to secure a top-six spot out of camp. It wouldn’t be shocking if other Bruins players competed for a larger position on the squad. This is why the Bruins felt comfortable letting players like Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk, Danton Heinen, Derek Forbort, and Pat Maroon leave this offseason.
As it stands, the Bruins appear to have a wealth of NHL-level players available to fill a bottom-six role for the club. With being said, James van Riemsdyk is an intriguing talent who is still looking for a new team this offseason.
James van Riemsdyk Still Looking for a Contract
Many Bruins fans had hoped to see van Riemsdyk play for the team during his prime. With a skill set tailor-made for the Bruins, he seemed like the ideal candidate to play alongside David Krejci for years. When he finally signed with the organization last offseason, Krejci had retired from the NHL and was well past his peak years in the game.
Though the 35-year-old is clearly not the same player he once was, seeming much slower than he did in his heyday, it’s remarkable that no team has taken a chance on van Riemsdyk, who scored 11 goals and 38 points in 71 games with the Bruins last season. Van Riemsdyk, who can play anywhere in the lineup and is still a solid power play option, will be a valuable addition to whatever team he joins this offseason. Given the familiarity between the two parties, it would not be surprising if the Bruins and van Riemsdyk renewed their one-year flyer contract for 2024-25.
At the same time, the Bruins already have a lot of choices on the roster, which may make acquiring a 35-year-old van Riemsdyk unnecessary. Though van Riemsdyk still has much to offer, the Bruins may choose to go with a younger roster to position themselves for longer-term success. This is especially true given that the squad already has Justin Brazeau on the lineup. With guys like Trent Frederic, Matt Poitras, Morgan Geekie, John Beecher, Max Jones, Mark Kastelic, Riley Tufte, Brazeau, and others already in the mix for bottom-six jobs, signing van Riemsdyk may not be a bad idea, but it may not be the best one for the Bruins right now.
Exploring additional depth is also an option for the Bruins in terms of their defensive unit.
Kevin Shattenkirk Remains a Free Agent
Kevin Shattenkirk has also been connected to the Bruins for many years. The Boston University alumnus appeared to be the ideal candidate to join the Bruins as a right-shot defender who could generate offense and was familiar with the location. Shattenkirk, like van Riemsdyk, was signed well after his prime seasons and proved to be a bargain for the organization.
Though Shattenkirk performed better in Boston than in Anaheim the previous season, it was evident by the end of the season that he was seen as a rotational defender.
With Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Brandon Carlo, Andrew Peeke, Mason Lohrei, and Parker Wotherspoon expected to form a strong seven-defender rotation next season, the Bruins have demonstrated a penchant to carry additional defenders due to potential ailments. Being thin on defense outside of their starters has come back to haunt the Bruins in the past, and they appear to be trying to prevent it in recent seasons.
Shattenkirk, who has a minimum deal, might provide some insurance for the Bruins as their eighth defenseman. If he is unable to find another home with a more reliable road to regular minutes, this could be the best-case scenario for both parties. Shattenkirk, like van Riemsdyk, has something left in the tank. Securing a known face on a deal that won’t significantly impact their remaining cap space may not be the worst option in the world.
At the same time, the Bruins have enough bodies on their roster and are aiming to make the move from the AHL that signing any veteran player to a contract at this stage may be considered as unnecessary. As previously stated, the lineup is completely unknown outside of a few clear names at the top, assuring that the Bruins will have an intriguing preseason.
