The NHL offseason has been mostly quiet, but that doesn’t mean the calendar has stopped moving. More deals could land this week, a pile of unsigned players is still out there, and arbitration hearings begin Thursday.
For the Bruins, the big-picture picture hasn’t changed much: things are calm, but not necessarily settled. NHL Network’s Jamison Coyle and Billy Jaffe recently broke down Boston’s offseason work since the draft, and Jaffe pointed to the same issue that has been hanging over the roster - too many defensemen. The Bruins brought in Will Borgen and Connor Clifton, but the blue line still looks crowded, and another move remains possible.
That said, nothing appears to be happening right away. Charlie McAvoy’s six-game suspension gives Boston a little breathing room, and the club is sitting on 10 NHL-caliber defensemen for six spots each night. It’s the kind of roster squeeze that usually leads somewhere, even if the next step isn’t imminent.
There’s also more Bruins prospect coverage on the way this week, including a top-15 ranking. The list was built with both NHL-readiness and upside in mind, and the scale behind it was a point of debate. The ask is simple: weigh in on how the prospects should be judged.
Elsewhere around the league, the New York Rangers are still shopping for more. They’ve already added Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand, but according to Vince Z.
Mercogliano of The Athletic, Chris Drury isn’t finished. Dave Litman has a look at possible targets as the Rangers keep pushing to add to their lineup.
That kind of activity puts more pressure on Adam Fox, too. Forever Blueshirts notes that New York needs a big season from him, and it also needs him on the ice. Fox hasn’t played more than 74 games in any of the past three seasons, and last year he appeared in just 55.
In Philadelphia, Jamie Drysdale’s new deal landed at four years and $26 million, carrying a $6.5 million AAV. Will James calls it a win-win, and the numbers back that up.
Drysdale, 24, is coming off a breakout season, and the contract takes him right to unrestricted free agency. It also keeps him relatively affordable in a market where Bowen Byram is at $12.5 million, Brandt Clarke at $7.4 million, and Pavel Mintyukov at $7.2 million.
Detroit’s offseason conversation is still circling back to Steve Yzerman. Detroit Hockey Now points out that Yzerman drafted 10 of the 23 rostered players, which is a strong mark on the scouting side. The next general manager, though, will have to do a better job of bringing in NHL talent.
In Florida, the scoring race is wide open. George Richards looks at the Panthers who could finish as the team’s leading scorer this season, and there are plenty of candidates. Since the 2021-22 season, only Jonathan Huberdeau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Reinhart have led the team in scoring.
Arbitration is the next major checkpoint on the league calendar, and the cases start this Thursday. Jet Greaves goes first for Columbus on July 23, followed by Jason Robertson on July 25, Cole Sillinger on July 27, Ronan Seeley on July 29, Alex Jefferies on July 30, and Akira Schmid on August 1. Jason Robertson is the name to watch most closely in that group.
In Other News...
Bruins Bring Back Connor Clifton And Fans Will Have Strong Opinions
Connor Clifton is back in Boston on a two-year, $4.5 million deal, giving the Bruins a familiar face for the bottom of the blue line and a player they know well from his first run with the club. The fit is pretty clear on paper: Clifton brings a physical edge, stays reliable in his own end and gives the Bruins another defenseman who can handle the kind of hard minutes that tend to matter once the games get heavier.
Don Sweeney made it clear the organization still values Cliftons competitive streak and the energy he can bring to a room, which helps explain why Boston circled back. There is still plenty of debate to come about what this reunion means for the defense mix and how much runway Clifton will get, especially after a stretch away from Boston that did not go as smoothly as he or his old team would have liked. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins May Finally Have A Veteran Answer To Their Quiet Offseason
Bostons quiet offseason has left plenty of room for speculation about how the club will round out its forward group, and veteran depth remains one of the more obvious needs as training camp approaches. One name making the rounds is James van Riemsdyk, whose recent season with the Detroit Red Wings showed he can still bring usable offense and a steady presence to the bottom six.
For a Bruins team that could use more experience in its middle and lower lines, van Riemsdyk also fits the kind of low-risk addition that can help a second power-play unit and give younger players a seasoned pro to lean on. No move is in place yet, and no offer has been reported, but the possibility alone suggests Boston may not be done searching for a practical answer to an otherwise understated summer. [Read more 🡒]