September is here, and with the NHL season about to get rolling, a few familiar names are still sitting on the board. Among the unsigned veterans as training camp draws closer are three former Bruins: defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Mike Reilly, plus forward James van Riemsdyk.
The Bruins open their 84-game schedule on Sept. 29 at TD Garden against the New York Rangers, and the Rangers have been active themselves. New York general manager Chris Drury has spent the offseason trying to follow the same broad idea as Boston’s Don Sweeney: retool now and get back to the playoffs quickly. That’s easier said than done, of course.
New York added another piece on Tuesday, signing former Seattle Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Even with that move, there are still players out there who may have to work their way into camps on professional tryout contracts.
Grzelcyk is the most intriguing of the three. After leaving Boston in free agency, the former Boston University standout spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks.
He set a career high with 39 assists for Pittsburgh in 2024-25 while averaging a career-high 20:37 over all 82 regular-season games. Last season in Chicago, he added 12 assists in 69 games.
At 32, he still profiles as a puck-moving defenseman who can help fill a spot on the back end.
Reilly’s path has been a little bumpier. Since departing Boston after the 2022-23 season, he has also spent time with the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes.
He appeared in 42 games for Carolina last season and had his name placed on the Stanley Cup after the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Of the three, he may have the toughest road to landing somewhere.
Van Riemsdyk brings a different kind of value. He finished last season with the Detroit Red Wings, producing 15 goals and 16 assists in 72 games.
He has worn a lot of jerseys, but the output has followed him. A team looking for a veteran to anchor the bottom six and bring some leadership could still make room for him.
With PTO decisions expected soon, it would not be a shock if all three former Bruins end up landing somewhere before long.
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Don Sweeney made it clear why the Bruins paid that price, emphasizing Peterkas speed and skill as traits that can help a team trying to stay competitive. For Boston, the appeal is obvious: Peterka brings a different gear to the lineup, and the next question is how quickly he can translate that burst into the kind of role the Bruins have in mind. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Playoff Hopes Suddenly Feel More Fragile In The Atlantic
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That is why a recent look at the teams most likely to disappoint in 2026-27 felt a little telling for Boston, even in absence. Joe Yerdons list included Buffalo, Florida, Ottawa and Detroit, but the Bruins were not on it at all, despite the limited upgrades and the broader uncertainty hanging over the division. For a club trying to stay in the playoff mix, being overlooked as a possible underperformer can be its own kind of warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Captain Debate Just Took A Clear New-Era Turn
With training camp and the captaincy conversation still hanging over the Bruins, Marco Sturm made it clear the next leader in Boston does not have to be cut from the same cloth as Patrice Bergeron or Zdeno Chara. The new coach framed the discussion around where the team is now, not where it used to be, pointing to David Pastrnak as a reminder that leadership can look different from one era to the next.
Sturm did say he values having a captain in place, but he also stressed that the Bruins are not lacking voices in the room. In other words, the badge matters, but it is not the only thing holding the locker room together, and Boston could still move into the season without settling the question first. [Read more 🡒]