September has arrived, and with it comes the stretch when the Boston Bruins and the NHL get back into the spotlight. The Bruins’ season is only 28 days away, and that means the next month is going to be all about sorting through some big roster choices.
Boston already has a crowded forward group, and there’s plenty of interest around how it all shakes out. The club is hoping for breakout seasons from James Hagens and the still unsigned Matthew Poitras, while depth candidates like Mikey Eyssimont and Alex Steeves are trying to hold onto their spots for another year.
There had been some thought that Boston might take a look at one of the remaining top unrestricted free agents on a tryout basis, with Eeli Tolvanen and Patrik Laine among the names floated. In Tolvanen’s case, the appeal was clear: a chance to add another middle-six shooter and create even more competition.
That option is off the table now. The New York Rangers moved first and signed Tolvanen on Tuesday afternoon to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
Tolvanen, 27, put up 12 goals and 36 points last season with the Seattle Kraken. He also had a career year in 2024-25, when he scored 23 goals.
The catch came in 2025-26, when his shooting percentage dropped to a career-low 8.5% and his production followed suit.
Even with the dip, Tolvanen brings strong defensive numbers and could fit as a value third-liner for New York. The downside is that he doesn’t drive play at a high level and has struggled with puck control compared with some of his peers.
As for Boston, this was never really the kind of move that called for a real guarantee. With so many players already in the mix, the most the Bruins would have been looking at here was a PTO.
In Other News...
Bruins May Have Found A New Roster Wild Card Up Front
The Bruins made a quiet but interesting addition up front by bringing in Ivan Ivan, a 24-year-old forward who arrives with limited NHL experience but some real intrigue from his time in the AHL. Boston sees him as a depth option who can move around the lineup, the kind of versatile piece teams often need over the grind of a long season.
Ivans appeal comes from the sense that there may still be more to unlock after his work with the Colorado Eagles, where he showed he could contribute in a heavier role. For a Bruins team always looking for cost-effective help and lineup flexibility, he fits the profile of a player worth keeping an eye on as camp and roster decisions unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Rookie Camp Puts A Murky Defense Battle Into Focus
As rookie camp approaches, the Bruins are getting a first real look at how their defense depth is taking shape behind the NHL roster. The camp is expected to center on young blueliners in the organization, and for a team that has been sorting through its future on the back end, this is a useful checkpoint. It is also one of the first chances to see which prospects are moving forward and which ones might need more time before they can push for more serious opportunities.
The roster picture is a little murky because several of Bostons more intriguing defense prospects are unavailable, either still playing NCAA hockey or already moved up to Providence or Maine. That leaves the camp spotlight on a smaller group of names and makes the evaluation even more important for the Bruins staff. For a franchise trying to map out its next wave of defensemen, this week should at least help clarify who is gaining ground in the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Captaincy Debate Just Took An Interesting Turn
The Bruins captaincy remains one of the more interesting open questions around the club, and Marco Sturm helped frame the debate in a way that feels both practical and overdue. Rather than treating the next captain as someone who has to replicate the mold set by earlier leaders in Boston, Sturm suggested the job does not require a carbon copy of the past, a reminder that leadership can look different depending on the player and the room.
That matters in a market where every detail about the teams identity gets picked over, especially with the Bruins trying to define what comes next. Sturm also singled out David Pastrnak as the kind of player whose influence comes in his own style, which only adds to the sense that Bostons next captaincy decision may be less about tradition than about choosing the right voice for this version of the roster. [Read more 🡒]