Tag Archives: NHL Free Agency

Why the Danton Heinen signing is great for the Boston Bruins

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On Monday the Boston Bruins announced the signing of forward Danton Heinen to a two year 2.8 million dollar deal. Despite the rather confusing outrage from the Bruins fanbase, the signing came rather cheap. Lets take a look at the a few of the important details before we make permanent judgements on the deal.

Short track record

Despite already having two full years of NHL experience, Danton Heinen is only 24 years old. He’s shown signs of being a very good, playmaking goal scorer. Some of his talent is raw and untouched, but he’s by no means a virgin on the highlight reel. When Danton Heinen is on the ice, good things happen.

One issue that comes with being young and versatile on a team like this Boston Bruins team, run by Bruce Cassidy, is that its hard to find fulltime line mates. If Heinen can get a full season as a member of the Boston Bruins second line I think his numbers will jump drastically. Heinen’s best season came one season ago in the 2017-2018 campaign. Danton played 77 games and accounted for 47 points, 16 goals and 31 assists. While the numbers don’t jump off the page, its shows that he’s more than a one trick pony.

One more thing to take note is that 12 of those points came on the power play. While its easy to say that its always easier to score on the power play, having an impact on the power play for a team who depends on it as much as this Boston Bruins team is certainly a way top get you to stick around for a while.

How does the deal compare to the rest?

If you compare the money of Danton Heinen’s contract to the other contracts that are similar, there is absolutely nothing to worry about with this deal. All but two players with a contact that is comparable are older than Heinen, and all but two are within 10 points of Heinen’s deal. Heinen also has the highest plus minus rating of all comparable deals. That stat goes right back to my point that good things happen when he’s on the ice.

Stability for top lines

I mentioned here that the Bruins have a bit of a depth issue on the wings. Heinen provides two more years of top nine forward stability for a team that desperately needs it. Whether he’s on the top line with Bergy or on the second line with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci, Heinen will play an important role. Signing Danton Hienen gives the Bruins a little bit of breathing room at the wing position.

Turning heads

With Marcus Johannson signing with the Sabres and Noel Acciari signing with the Panthers, signing Danton Heinen checks number three off the free agent to do list for the Bruins. Numbers one and two still remain unsigned. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo have yet to sign, and the issue is cap room. After Heinen’s signing the Bruins now have about $8 Million to spend between the two. All heads will turn to Don Sweeney and the Bruins front office now. A trade or two might be the only option to bring both Carlo and McAvoy back. Don Sweeney is on the clock.

Goalie

New goaltender coming to Boston?

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Don Sweeney Announced that the Boston Bruins will be diving into the goalie free agent market come Monday. What does this mean for Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak?

Changing of the guard?

NHL free agency opens on Monday. Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney has already confirmed that the Bruins will be active come Monday. One surprising note that Sweeney mentioned was that the Bruins will be active in the goalie market. Some fans immediately jumped to conclusions that Tuukka Rask and or Jaroslav Halak might be on the move. Rest assured, that isn’t the case.

If its not broken, don’t fix it.

Last year the Bruins goaltending tandem was one of if not the best in the NHL. While there is the never ending debate surrounding Tuukka Rask, this move will hardly effect him. After one of the better years of his career and a stellar postseason performance, Rask is still the guy for the Bruins. That turns the attention to Jaroslav Halak. While some might think that Halak is just a backup goalie, he’s much more than that. Now Halak might be the backup for Tuukka Rask, but that doesn’t mean Halak isn’t good enough to start elsewhere.

Amongst the best

Last season was one of the better seasons throughout the career of Jaroslav Halak. Despite being the Boston Bruins backup goaltender, Halak made his mark. Halak had one more shutout than Tuukka Rask despite playing in six less games, but still played in enough games to qualify for rankings in the league leaders. Again, playing in six less games than Tuukka Rask, but the numbers are impressive nonetheless. Halak ranked seventh in goals against average (GAA), and ninth in save percentage (Sv%). Both ranked higher than Tuukka Rask. Halak has one more year on his contract and has definitely earned the right to play out his deal in Boston. The only way this isn’t the case is of the Bruins decide to trade him at the trade deadline because they don’t think they’ll make the playoffs. I highly doubt that’ll be case.

What’s the big idea?

When the Bruins address the goalie situation in free agency, its likely gonna be the Providence Bruins that it effects the most. A starting goaltender for Providence is most likely what Don Sweeney will be looking for come Monday. Zane McIntyre is currently the Providence Bruins starting goalie. Despite a pretty good year last year, McIntyre looks like he’s the odd man out in the Bruins goalie race. McIntyre’s contract expired this season, making him a free agent. A free agent that likely doesn’t come back to the Bruins organization next season.

Inside options? Not quite yet.

Dan Vladar is a 22 year old goalie who sat below McIntyre on the Providence depth chart last year. Vladar managed a .500 record and only allowed 2.73 goals per game. He will likely share time with whoever the Bruins sign next season in Providence. Kyle Keyser is another very intruiging goalie prospect that the Bruins have. Keyser is 20 and he played most of last season with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL. Keyser played in 47 games with Oshawa, only allowing 2.75 goals per game and held down a solid .915 save percentage. The general consensus is that Keyser isn’t quite ready for a full time role in Providence yet. Injuries could play a big role in Keyser moving up however.

As we’ve now looked at all of the options within the Bruins organization we know that one will likely be out. My thinking is that Don Sweeney is going to be looking to bring in a veteran who can help the young Vladar and Keyser and set them on the right track to the NHL.

Boston Bruins offseason outlook part two; Free agents and more

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After falling one game short of winning the Stanley Cup, the Boston Bruins can set themselves up for another run with some good additions.

As the team looks to win now, the future starts with the draft

The first round of the NHL draft is Friday night. The Bruins hold the 30th pick in this year’s draft. Now that the league has announced the salary cap will be $81.5 or $82.0 Million, however, it is more likely that we see a trade. A trade involving the Bruins first round pick Friday night could be one way for the team to clear some cap space. Assuming that the Bruins keep the pick, there are a lot of options on the board for them. Looking at the Bruins minor league system, there aren’t really any glaring holes that need to be addressed. The Bruins goalie depth is good enough for them to stay away from a goalie in the first round, and maybe in the 2019 draft as a whole. Given the young D core that the Bruins have assembled, I think we see Boston take a forward.

Whos caught the eye?

Forwards John Beecher, Bobby Brink, and Michal Teply are some realistic names for the Bruins to possibly take at 30. A play maker (Teply), a shooter (Brink), and a banger (Beecher). All three are well rounded, but the mentioned skills are the ones that stick out. All three players would certainly impact the Boston Bruins one day.

Money talks

As mentioned in my first offseason outlook article, the Boston Bruins have a good amount of money to spend on their own free agents before they look elsewhere. With key players like Carlo and McAvoy to bring back, the amount of money that the Bruins can shell out during free agency is limited. Marcus Johansson is a name that will be swirling around the Bruins until he is signed. Johansson will likely hit the free agent market and test the waters, as he should after a good year. Free agency will be very interesting for the Bruins. Their biggest need is a top six forward. The amount of money that the Bruins will be able to give a player capable of fitting a top six role might not be enough to seal the deal. Johannson is likely the most suitable player for the Bruins to target and ultimately bring back.

Outside help?

Another very interesting name that could be tied to the Bruins is former Anaheim Ducks star Corey Perry. After being bought out by the Ducks, Perry is now a free agent. Perry, a right wing, would fit well in the Bruins lineup, as well as the Bruins style of play. Perry is 6’3 and plays more of a power forward roll. Will he fit with the playmaking skills of David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk? I would certainly love to find out. Milan Lucic is another name that a lot of Bruins fans keep bringing up. Lucic was a crowd favorite who also played a top six power forward roll. Still under contract with Edmonton, it would take a buyout for the chance to come back to Boston. Similar to the Bruins situation with David Backes, it just doesn’t make much sense for the Oilers to buy him out.

Let the dominos fall

The NHL draft and free agency are both things that involve young players and money. Two things that the Boston Bruins have, kind of. With players lingering on the edge of the NHL, the Bruins have enough talent to ship out along side an undesirable contract like David Backes. The Bruins also have enough talent to go get a proven veteran on draft night in a trade that could involve the Bruins 30th overall pick. Don Sweeney and the rest of the Bruins front office will be VERY busy over the weekend.

Boston Bruins 2019 Offseason outlook Part one; Current Roster

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The 2018-2019 Boston Bruins season has come and gone. The season might not have ended in the exact way that the team and fans may have hoped, but it was still undoubtedly a success. Next year’s success starts in the offseason.

Buyout for Backes?

First big date in the NHL offseason is June 15th. This marks the beginning of the buyout period for NHL teams. The big name that comes up for Bruins fans when they hear buyout is David Backes. Backes’s play didn’t sit well with fans this season, especially because Backes is due $6 million next season. Given the buyout rules, if the Bruins choose to buyout David Backes, the team will only save $333,333. For what Backes brings to the table still, I think its highly unlikely that the Bruins buy him out. Look for Boston to package a pick or prospect with Backes in a trade if they do look to unload his contract.

Boston Bruins 2019-2020 Schedule

Line em up

The Bruins have 14 pending free agents, and roughly $14 million to spend. Some restricted and some unrestricted. Given that young potential core, players like Brandon Carolo and Charlie McAvoy are both due big extensions, the Bruins will likely spend every bit of the initial $14 million before the offseason ends. In addition to Carlo and McAvoy, that leaves little money to spend for other key roster member on the list of free agents like Danton Heinen, Marcus Johannsson, and Noel Acciari. Given the current cap situation for the Bruins I think the fate of David Backes will be very telling for the Boston roster. If the Bruins want to bring back Marcus Johansson to help fix their right wing depth issue, something has to give. After Johansson’s play this season he will get money if he wants it. Money that the Bruins don’t exactly have as the offseason starts.

The time is now

This is quite possibly one of the best rosters that the Bruins have had in a while. A lot of talent in a lot of different places. But do they have talent in the right places? The Bruins have had an issue with depth on the wings for a couple seasons now. They have a lot of upcoming talent in the minor leagues, but it’s talent that isn’t quite NHL ready. With the depth that the Bruins have, they could go out and trade for players to fit their needs. A guy like David Krejci could be the cost if the Bruins want to create cap room for free agency. Krejci has been a consistent locker room presence for the Bruins. With the acquisition of Charlie Coyle at the trade deadline, though, the Bruins could afford to move a center.

Moves for the future

Torey Krug has been a very popular name in Boston as of late. Not only for his stellar play in the postseason, but also because he’s coming up on the final year of his contract. Krug is currently taking up nearly $5.5 million on the Bruins payroll. Again, the Bruins have some depth at the NHL level and could trade a defenseman if they choose to do so. A lot of the Bruins talent in the minors is talent that plays the blue line. So a veteran on a one year deal could give the Bruins prospects some time to progress into the 20-21 season.

In conclusion, the Bruins have a lot of options and a lot of crucial decisions to make. Some could come quick as the NHL draft is not far away. Some could come later in the offseason if the Bruins are not confident in their roster.

Kuraly

Bruins Extend Sean Kuraly

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So far this offseason the Bruins have lost three key players from last years team. Those players are Riley Nash, Tim Schaller, and Anton Khudobin. Yesterday the Bruins were able to resign one of their key pieces on the fourth line. The Bruins and Sean Kuraly agreed on a three year extension worth 1.25 million annually. Kuraly showed his value last year in his first full NHL season. He is not a thirty goal scorer but his gritty play makes him invaluable to the Bruins on the bottom lines.

How The Bruins Got Kuraly

The Bruins acquired Kuraly in the 2015 offseason from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Martin Jones. Boston had acquired Jones hoping he would backup Rask but he wanted to be the starter. The Sharks also sent Boston a first round pick which would turn into Trent Frederic who is one of Boston’s highly touted prospects. This trade has worked out well for both sides and could end up being better for the Bruins depending on Frederic’s impact.

Kuraly

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Kuraly’s Makes His Debut

Kuraly made his NHL debut during the 2016-2017 season appearing in eight regular season games. He had only one point in the regular season but in the playoffs had a significant impact. In Game 5 with the Bruins facing elimination Kuraly had two goals including the game winner. Kuraly’s heroics would force a game six which the Bruins would lose eliminating them from the playoffs. The former fifth round pick would carry that disappoint into this past season.

Kuraly

Photo Credit: Matt Kalman, CBS Boston

A Solid Rookie Season

During the 2017-2018 season Kuraly appeared in 75 games mostly appearing on the fourth line. He had six goals along with nine assists as the Bruins fourth line became a fan favorite. He was not afraid of taking the body and his style of play was perfect for the Bruins fourth line. In the playoffs he was again productive as he had two goals and two assists. In game one against Toronto he had a truly unbelievable goal in which he batted a puck out of the air into the net. Next season the expectations will be even higher for the former fifth round pick.

Kuraly

Photo Credit:Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

What To Expect Next Season

With the departure of Riley Nash to Columbus Kuraly is a candidate to take his spot on the third line. The Bruins showed faith the center by extending him to a reasonable contract. So far this offseason the Bruins have prioritized depth which was reflected in extending Kuraly. He will never score 30 goals but he could see a boast in points if he does end up on the third line. Kuraly has shown that he will leave it all on the ice and next year will be no different.

 

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Free Agency

Where the Bruins Stand After Free Agency

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The Boston Bruins were very active at the beginning of free agency this past Sunday. They signed four players to NHL contracts as some fan favorites departed for other teams. Their additions included Jaroslav Halak, John Moore, Chris Wagner, and Joakim Nordstrom. The Bruins were able to fill most of their holes, but missed out on prized free agent John Tavares as he choose to sign with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. The NHL offseason is young and the Bruins roster will undergo more changes before the season begins.

Will They Trade a Defenseman?

With the addition of John Moore, the Bruins now have nine defensemen on the roster. Moore will be a big part of the Bruins future after signing him to a five-year deal. If The Bruins make a trade to improve their second line then one of their defenseman may get dealt. Torey Krug has been mentioned in trade rumors and could help net the Bruins an impactful piece. Adam McQuaid and Kevin Miller are also possible trade targets for other teams.

Free Agency

Photo Credit: Charles Krupa/ AP Photo

Bruins Find Their Backup Goalie in Free Agency

Anton Khudobin had a breakout year for the Black and Gold last season. The Bruins were unable to keep him, however, as the Dallas Stars signed him to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million a year. Khudobin’s replacement will be former Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who the Bruins signed to a two-year deal. Although Halak is a capable goalie, his number were not impressive last season. In Boston those numbers should improve as he will have a better defensive group in front of him.

Free Agency

Photo Credit: Brett Cyrgalis/ New York Post

Bruins Add a Physical Presence

Halak was not the only former Islander the Bruins signed. Halak’s teammate forward Chris Wagner will join him as well. Wagner is only 27 years old and is a Massachusetts native. Wagner will provide the Bruins with a physical presence on the third line. He was second among forwards in hits last season with Anaheim and New York. Wagner is coming off his best offensive season as last year he had a career high seven goals and nine assists.

Chris Wagner

Photo Credit: Christopher Pasatierie/ Getty Images North America

Where Does This Leave the Bruins?

Sweeney prioritized depth over making a huge signing. He has set the Bruins up well to compete next season. He has put them in a good position to make a trade if the Bruins can find the right match. The Bruins will be connected to players like Wayne Simmons and Artemi Panarin until a deal is actually made. This will be a very interesting offseason for the Black and gold, free agency is just the beginning.