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Interesting Start to Free Agency for Bruins

By Robert Doherty

May 17, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center David Backes (42) against the San Jose Sharks in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff at Scottrade Center. The Sharks won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center David Backes (42) against the San Jose Sharks in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff at Scottrade Center. The Sharks won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Bruins free agency period has been anything but boring thus far.

The Bruins chose to buyout Dennis Seidenberg in order to save the maximum amount of cap space. If they had attempted to trade him they would have had to eat money. Soon after that, the news of Torey Krug signing on for 4 more years paying him $5.25 million per season came down. Basically the Bruins took Seidenberg’s money and gave it to Krug, which does make sense.

Feb 16, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Loui Eriksson (21) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Loui Eriksson (21) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Now, on to Friday. Loui Eriksson had his new deal announced about 12 seconds after the clock struck noon on Friday. Pretty interesting seeing that we had been told there was no real interest in Eriksson on the trade market going all the way back to the trade deadline.  Seems like there should have been an opportunity to move his rights to Vancouver for a pick. None the less, Eriksson who was the biggest piece to come back in the awful Tyler Seguin trade is now gone, making that deal even worse.

The big move of the day for the Bruins was landing David Backes. Originally it was being reported that he was signed for short-term, which would have made all the sense in the world for a team in transition, keep in mind Backes is 32 years old. Only a few minutes later we learn that the deal is 5 years for $30 million, making almost no sense. Backes just as a player is fine, fits the Bruins style, is a leader, competes every single shift, he would have been a great Bruin during his prime years. The contract is an issue.

If the Bruins had a rock solid roster and were knocking on the door of a championship I would be okay with the deal and know that the last two or three years will not be worth it. Sadly, the Bruins are knocking on the door of watching playoff hockey for three straight years. A team that is in transition and has almost no need for a center goes out and signs a 32-year-old center to a 5 year deal, only the Bruins could pull that off. The only positive to take from this is that Backes is a right shot, and can play the wing.

Some other small moves that are worth noting include back up goalie Anton Khudobin coming back on a 2 year, $2.4 million deal, and John-Michael Liles coming back on a 1 year, $2 million  deal. Both moves are interesting, Khudobin coming in just about guarantees Malcolm Subban staying in the AHL. Liles coming back is curious due to the major need for an upgrade on the blue line. If there is a trade coming to make that upgrade this move doesn’t become an issue, but if there is nothing big coming then it becomes something to question.

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