The Boston Bruins have a ton of deals expiring at the end of this season. Even though they are mostly restricted free agents they will have some tough decisions.
People can forget that professional sports is a business first and foremost. That means NHL GM’s are forced to make some tough decisions. The Boston Bruins are no exception.
In the Bruins organization, they have 22 players with deals expiring. Now 16 of these are restricted free agents so the Bruins are at an advantage, but they can’t keep everyone.
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This means that some players who have struggled to get anywhere in the minors will be let go, and some players that Bruins fans love will be gone. Last season it was Tim Schaller and Anton Khudobin. Who will be the victim this offseason?
Boston does have some major deals expiring. Great rookies like Ryan Donato and Charlie McAvoy are at the end of their entry-level contracts and the Bruins have to ask themselves if Zdeno Chara is worth another one year deal.
Boston has so much young talent it can cause a bit of a logjam. Maybe Boston will try and free up some space by getting rid of some prospects with a trade. I expect the Bruins to be active at the trade deadline so they may create space in that way as well.
So let’s rank Boston’s most important free agents (I apologize to any Ryan Fitzgerald or Cody Goloubef fans, but I’m focusing on the guys in the NHL).
1. Charlie McAvoy
The Boston Bruins No.1 priority this offseason should be Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy is the future of this team. If he somehow ends up leaving (highly unlikely) Boston will riot.
McAvoy is such a skilled D-man. He is great in the offensive zone and is a force on the ice. McAvoy can absolutely lay guys out.
McAvoy’s rookie season was pretty phenomenal. If he stayed healthy for the entire season he would have put up some great numbers. McAvoy still had a great season.
He played in 63 games and had 7 goals and 25 assists with a +20 rating. McAvoy was on the ice for a lot of goals.
I don’t care what McAvoy’s asking price is, the Bruins need to lock him up. He has proven that he deserves to stay in Boston for a long time. McAvoy will probably be the first guy to sign with Boston in the offseason.
2. Ryan Donato
Ryan Donato looked like he was going to be Charlie McAvoy 2.0. A young guy who makes the jump from college and is a major factor on the team. Donato has had more ups and downs compared to McAvoy.
Donato was great when he left Harvard to play in the NHL. In just 12 games he scored 5 goals and 4 assists.
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Right away you saw that Donato could be a good player in the NHL. He is a great skater and is a smart player.
The only thing he seemed to lack was that physicality and grit that Bruins fans love. Donato isn’t that small of a guy. I wouldn’t mind being 6′.
This issue was revealed early on in the season. Donato was struggling to score and wasn’t being productive on the ice.
Bruce Cassidy made the bold decision and sent Donato down. The move seems to have worked. Donato looks like a much more complete player and won’t be headed down to the AHL anytime soon.
Donato has played in 7 games since returning to Boston and has 2 goals and 2 assists. If Donato can rack up 25 or 30 points I think that will prove he belongs in the NHL.
I think Donato could be the future of the Bruins 2nd line. He could be a solid winger alongside Jake DeBrusk.
Since he struggled early on I would expect Donato to take a bridge deal and not ask for a boatload of cash. This means there is a good chance we see Donato back in Boston.
3. Brandon Carlo
Brandon Carlo has improved a decent amount in his quick NHL career. The 2015 draft pick had a lot of pressure since he was from a 2015 draft where the Bruins had a ton of picks.
Carlo struggled in his first few seasons. It seemed like whenever a goal was scored, Carlo was on the ice. Then whenever Carlo started to improve he would get injured.
Injuries have still haunted Carlo this season, but basically every guy on the Bruins has been injured at some point this year. Carlo has missed 10 games so far this season.
I think Carlo could be a mainstay on the Bruins 2nd d-pairing. He has had to take up a lot of responsibility as Boston deals with a ton of injured defensemen.
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Now if Carlo is demanding a boatload of money he will be saying goodbye to Boston, but I think Carlo knows he has it good in Boston and will stay with the team.
4. Zdeno Chara
Zdeno Chara isn’t getting any younger. That means every season he plays, it is more likely he doesn’t return to the team.
I love Zdeno Chara, but I think this may be the year he either leaves Boston or retires. Chara suffered a major knee injury early on in the season and hasn’t played since November.
As you get older it takes more and more effort to return from these injuries. A 41-year-old defensemen returning with a knee injury doesn’t sound like a player who will do well.
This season Chara is earning $5 million. I don’t think he will be worth that much next season. If I was in the Bruins front office I would want to pay him $3 million max.
Chara is getting slower and struggling to keep up with younger players. It might be time for Boston to move on from the captain.
If Chara is willing to take a team friendly deal that would be great, but if not the Bruins will be fine without him.
5. Danton Heinen
Danton Heinen has quickly become a great goal scorer for the Boston Bruins. Even though he isn’t high up on this list, I hope the Boston Bruins end up signing him.
Heinen was one of the young guns who dominated last season. He had 16 goals and 31 assists which is a nice start to a players career.
It has taken a while, but Heinen has found his spot on the Bruins 3rd line. It’s hard to struggle when you are playing with Ryan Donato and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson.
Heinen has been really impressive as of late. In his last 4 games, he has 2 goals and an assist. It took some time, but Heinen has found his scoring touch. That is great news for the Boston Bruins.
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I don’t expect Heinen to demand a whole lot of money on the open market. If Boston gives him a slight pay raise I expect him to be on the Bruins next season.
6. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson has done a pretty good job since getting called up to Boston. He may have even earned himself a new deal.
I’ll admit I was stunned to see JFK come to Boston. No one expected Ryan Donato to struggle as much as he did early on in the season. Forsbacka Karlsson has really exceeded my expectations.
JFK has appeared in 13 games this season and has 3 goals and an assist. Clearly, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy likes what he sees as well. Forsbacka Karlsson got some time on the first line.
Forsbacka Karlsson still has to prove he can stay in the NHL. His best option is to stay in Boston and shoot for making the roster at the beginning of next season.
Still, if JFK decides to go elsewhere, the Bruins will be just fine. They have plenty of centers just waiting to get some playing time.
7. Noel Acciari
Nobody wants to be the last guy picked, but someone has to be. In this case, the honor goes to Noel Acciari.
Now, this isn’t a knock against Acciari. He serves his role on the team. Acciari is a 4th line grinder who can rattle the boards with his hits.
Still, Acciari is a common commodity. There are plenty of players in the NHL that can do what Acciari does for Boston. It’s not that hard to find a decent 4th liner.
I think with all the guys Boston has to sign the team may just be forced to let him go. We saw Tim Schaller leave Boston last offseason so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Acciari leave.
So as you can see the Boston Bruins have some tough decisions to make at the end of the season. Some guys that Bruins fans love will probably have played their last game in the black and gold.