Before the NHL news cycle slowed to a crawl, the Bruins made a pair of roster moves that still frame the conversation around Boston’s summer, and now there’s a fresh batch of league headlines to sort through. The biggest Bruins-specific item on the board is Boston Hockey Now’s completed top 15 prospect rankings, a list that stretches from a 17-year-old goalie to a 22-year-old who already has 69 games of NHL experience.
That prospect group is the product of work the Bruins have done over the last few years to build up their pipeline, and the rankings reflect that range. Some players are still long-term projects, while others are much closer to an NHL chance. There are also more prospects beyond the top 15 worth watching, including several who fit that long-term-project category.
Around the league, the first arbitration case is set to be heard today, and the gap between the two sides is a hefty $4.7 million. Jet Greaves and the Blue Jackets were headed to that hearing after Greaves filed before the July 5 deadline, with Columbus filing at $2.8 million and Greaves countering at $7.5 million.
The Blue Jackets chose a one-year term, and the arbitrator would have had 48 hours after the hearing to set the salary. UPDATE - Elliotte Friedman via 𝕏: The Blue Jackets and Greaves avoided arbitration with a three-year deal on Thursday morning.
Columbus also made another move yesterday, bringing back former Bruin Danton Heinen on a one-year, two-way deal with a $1 million cap hit. Heinen had 10 points (5-5-10) in 33 games after a mid-season trade that sent Egor Chinakhov to Pittsburgh.
In Dallas, Jason Robertson and Stars GM Jim Nill both met with the media after Robertson signed a 1x$12M deal. Nill said he has his sights set on a long-term extension, while Robertson said there is “time to re-evaluate both of our futures.”
Chicago’s big headline was Patrick Kane. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said the “door is always open” for Kane to return to Chicago and suggested he may already have made an offer. Then, on Thursday morning, the Blackhawks announced they signed Kane to a two-year contract with an $8 million cap hit.
Elsewhere, Detroit Hockey Now took a look back at the day Bob Duff says started the Red Wings’ demise, noting that a Thursday in May 2012 marked the beginning of the end for a team that had already seen stars like Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, and Brendan Shanahan move on, though not Nicklas Lidstrom.
Philly Hockey Now focused on the Flyers’ flexibility, asking whether Robert Thomas or Shane Wright could be the kind of big swing they take after their Leo Carlsson offer sheet. Will James also opened the mailbag.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now wrapped up prospect week with Dan Kingerski’s look at the Penguins’ top 20 system players, including potential impact names in the top five, plus breakdowns of Nos. 6-10, 11-15, and 16-20.
And in New Jersey, James Nichols examined seven keys for the Devils to get back to the playoffs after an underwhelming 2025-26 season in which health was a problem.
In Other News...
Former Bruins First Round Pick Is Already Becoming Edmonton's Problem
Trent Frederics name is already showing up in an uncomfortable place for Edmonton, and it is the kind of reminder Bruins fans know well. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic included the former Boston forward on his list of the 10 worst NHL contracts heading into the 2026-27 season, a notable turn for a player who once arrived in Boston as a first-round pick and later moved on to the Oilers.
Frederic has had a full season to settle into his new role in Edmonton, but the early returns have not done much to quiet the concern around the deal. He played 74 games last season with modest production and a negative plus-minus rating, and the contract already looks like the sort of commitment that can become a problem quickly if the on-ice impact does not rise to match it. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Goalie Situation Is More Crowded Than Most Fans Realize
The Bruins spent the offseason quietly widening the net in goal, adding to a pipeline that already stretches from the NHL roster down through college and Europe. Boston has brought in Simon Zajicek, Luke Cavallin, Max Lundgren and Jiri Patera, while also continuing to develop other options in the system, giving the organization a much deeper group than most fans probably realize.
Joonas Korpisalos departure on July 1 opened a lane on the depth chart and made Michael DiPietros path to the backup job look cleaner, but the picture is still bigger than one roster spot. The Bruins are also set to carry Kyle Chauvette as their emergency backup goalie this season, another sign that the club wants every layer covered as it heads into the year with confidence in the work being done by its goalie development group. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Poitras May Be The Bruins Breakout They Have Needed
Matt Poitras has already given the Bruins a glimpse of why they remain intrigued by his upside, even if the path has been uneven. After appearing in 33 games in each of his previous two seasons, he was limited to just three NHL games in 2025-26, a reminder that Boston still has not settled on exactly where he fits. When he has been in Providence, though, the offensive touch has been hard to miss, and that has kept him in the conversation as one of the organizations more interesting young forwards.
The Bruins are still looking for the kind of internal jump that can change the feel of a season, and Poitras is the sort of player who could help answer that need if the development keeps trending the right way. His AHL track record suggests there is more to unlock, and Boston is hoping that by 2026-27 he can grow into a regular top-nine role rather than remain a player the team shuttles in and out of the lineup. For now, the question is less about whether the talent is there and more about when the Bruins finally get enough of it at the NHL level. [Read more 🡒]