NHL free agency is about to open, and the Bruins are still staring at the same problem on the right side of their blue line.
That search is complicated by a market that has already lost some of its best options. Darren Raddysh and Michael Kesselring were dealt earlier in the offseason, and the picture changed again over the last 10 days when John Carlson and Radko Gudas had their negotiation rights traded before July 1. Those moves give the new teams an exclusive window, but if either defenseman actually reaches the market, Boston figures to be in the mix.
The Bruins have $7,715,417 in salary cap space, and Frank Seravalli reported that they “have their eye on at least one right-shooting free agent defenseman.”
One name that stands out is Rasmus Andersson, 29. AFP projects him at six years with an $8.74 million cap hit, and the Bruins were already in on him back in January.
At that point, Andersson did not want to sign an extension, so Don Sweeney backed off. The 6-foot-1 defenseman just put together a career year with 17 goals, but his playoff production didn’t match that regular-season punch.
He went scoreless during Vegas’ 22-game run to the Cup Final.
There was also a report in January that Boston had pitched Andersson on a seven-year deal carrying a $9 million cap hit. If he gets to free agency, it would be a surprise if the Bruins weren’t right back in the hunt. The catch is obvious: Boston would have to clear money to make that kind of contract work, whether it’s the projected deal or the one they were said to have offered earlier.
Jacob Trouba is another possibility, and his profile fits a different kind of Bruins need. The former Ranger captain brings the kind of hard-to-play-against edge that usually plays well in Boston, and he’d add a physical layer to the back end.
He found his game in Anaheim, though he’s also a step further removed from his prime. Even so, he can still handle heavy minutes and remains a dependable penalty-killing piece.
Trouba finished with 35 points, including 10 goals and 25 assists, which would have ranked second among Bruins defensemen.
After that, the pool gets shallow in a hurry.
John Klingberg, 33, is more of a swing than a sure thing. AFP has him at two years and a $5.17 million cap hit.
The Sharks were the latest team to take a shot on a bounce-back, but Sheng Peng reported that Klingberg will hit the market. The 6-foot-1 Swedish defenseman spent a lot of time on San Jose’s top pair and posted 27 points, with 10 goals and 17 assists, in 56 games.
The defensive side of the ledger was less flattering: he finished minus-13 and has not posted a plus/minus better than even since 2022-23. Injuries have also followed him around, and he has appeared in just 81 games over the last three seasons.
Nick Blankenburg, 28, is another name worth watching. AFP projects him at two years and a $4.06 million cap hit.
He’s interesting, but he is not a proven top-four answer. This season, he mostly worked in a bottom-pair role with Nashville and Colorado.
The 5-foot-9 defenseman saw time on both the power play and penalty kill with the Predators, though not with the Avalanche, and he finished with 24 points, including eight goals and 16 assists, across the two stops.
Boston could also simply bring back what it already has. The market is thin, and Andrew Peeke was added to fill a need.
Don Sweeney has said he remains in contact with Peeke’s representatives, and Peeke won’t bring offense, but that’s not what he’s there for. Marco Sturm leaned on him heavily, using him for 19:23 per night on average, his highest workload since joining the Bruins in 2024.
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