The NHL’s summer slowdown hasn’t stopped the money from moving, and a few familiar Bruins faces have already found new homes while the rest of the league keeps sorting through the market.
Boston has been quiet lately beyond the front office changes and last week’s regular-season schedule release, but the turnover around the roster is still very real. The three regular-season departures have all landed elsewhere this summer, and eight more players have moved on in the offseason. For now, only Georgii Merkulov remains unsigned.
Around the league, the headline move belonged to Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks star signed a five-year deal yesterday with a $15 million cap hit, the third-highest in the NHL.
That number sits $3 million behind Leo Carlsson’s $18 million. Bedard will become an unrestricted free agent when the contract expires in 2031, at which point he’ll be 25 years old.
The Wild are also keeping their eyes on a bigger swing. Minnesota passed on Vincent Trocheck because it wants Dylan Larkin, and the club is on Larkin’s list.
The problem is the cap math: the Wild have just $1.1 million available, nowhere near enough to fit Larkin’s $8.7 million contract. That decision, though, is going to land with a general manager who still hasn’t been hired.
There was another notable move tied to a former Flyer. Nicolas Deslauriers, who was traded from Philly to Carolina for a seventh-round pick and went on to win the Stanley Cup in his new home, spent his day with the Cup in North Wildwood, NJ. Even with the new chapter, he still showed plenty of love for his old one.
Elsewhere, former Devils assistant coach Sergei Brylin is leaving New Jersey to become the head coach of Dinamo Minsk in the KHL. Brylin won three Cups with the Devils and spent 10 years coaching in the organization.
The remaining free-agent market is still worth watching, too. Sportsnet noted that the RFA class has already seen two offer sheets, both matched, but eight restricted free agents still don’t have contracts. Bedard signed yesterday, and Jamie Drysdale signed on Friday, but the list is not empty yet.
The UFA pool has its own holdouts as well. Patrick Kane is the biggest name still available, but there are still several players searching for a landing spot. Luke Fox also pointed to Bruins right-shot defenseman John Klingberg as a possible link.
Only 72 days remain until the season opener.
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Bruins Still Have One Unsettled Problem Hanging Over This Roster
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Bruins Prospect Watch Comes Down To One Familiar Sweeney Question
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That is why the under-23 names without a full NHL season keep drawing attention, especially the ones developing overseas. Matvei Kotkov, Liam Pettersson and Yuri Ivanov all fit the profile of long-term projects rather than quick fixes, with each player at a different stage of proving he can eventually matter to the Bruins. The challenge for Boston is less about identifying talent than figuring out which of these faraway bets can actually close the gap between prospect status and NHL readiness. [Read more 🡒]