Now that the Bruins’ season has ended, it’s time to look at the free agent market from the inside out. Here’s who they should keep around for another season and who they can let go.
Okay, it’s over. Sure, the season did not finish as we had hoped, but the 2023-24 Boston Bruins season is ended after succumbing to the Florida Panthers 4-2 in the series and 2-1 in Game 6.
The Bruins now face a problem. According to CapFriendly, they have approximately $20.9 million in cap space to use in the offseason and must determine how to best allocate it. Their free agents include goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Brandon Bussi, forwards Jesper Boqvist, Pat Maroon, Jake DeBrusk, Milan Lucic, James van Riemsdyk, and Danton Heinen, and defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk, Derek Forbort, and Matt Grzelcyk.
Bussi, Swayman, and Boqvist are restricted free agents, while the rest are unrestricted. Here’s who Boston should prioritize signing and who they can let go in free agency. After the Bruins were eliminated in the second round by the Panthers, David Pastrnak began the recruiting phase of free agency early this summer, sending a message to free agents. It goes without saying that the Boston Bruins are having a tremendous offseason. GM Don Sweeney has had this summer highlighted on his calendar for some time because of the amount of cap space he will have available. He has certain contracts coming off the books, and he has some major decisions to make on some players for the 2024-25 season. Who stays, who leaves, and who comes in from outside the organization remains to be seen, but it will be an interesting month and a half until free agency begins. With limited cap space last summer, and after Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci announced their retirements, 2023-24 was viewed as a transition year for the Black & Gold. What a bridge year that was. Signing low-risk, high-reward free players, the Bruins outperformed many predictions and finished second in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Florida Panthers. They defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games on a David Pastrnak goal in overtime of Game 7, but lost in six games.
Sweeney will have to market the future to any possible free agents, but at the Bruins’ media exit session on Sunday morning, Pastrnak began sowing the seeds of free agent interest in playing in Boston.
David Pastrnak continues his offseason recruiting pitch.
Sunday, Pastrnak, who said he played through recurring groin issues this season, said players should be excited to play for the Bruins.
“People should be excited to come play for an organization like the Boston Bruins.”
– David Pastrnak
First and foremost, it is not unexpected to learn that he played despite an injury because he simply did not appear to be injured. He is sometimes correct, but his recruiting pitch to free agents is not incorrect. People discuss culture, and the Bruins have it. Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov discussed it after the season ended in a dramatic seven-game loss to Florida in the first round of the playoffs last season, demonstrating the significance of it.
The Bruins have a young core to build around in Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman, so it’s simply a matter of surrounding them with skill while there is still cap room available. Sweeney should prioritize acquiring a quality center, a goal-scoring winger, and another defenseman. Pastrnak has begun recruiting and would be happy to assist when free agency approaches.
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