The NHL has announced a salary cap increase next season to $88 million per team. The Boston Bruins currently have $21.2 million in cap space per CapFriendly, with the eventual signing of restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman waiting in the wings. The Bruins’ General Manager, Don Sweeney, is also hunting for a center, a scoring winger, and a left-shot defenseman to provide some depth on the back end. A busy summer is underway, and the Bruins have some money to spend for the first time in a couple of years.
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If you factor in the tradeable contract of goaltender Linus Ullmark, the Bruins could potentially have over $26 million to play with if no money is retained in a trade. Boston is in good shape financially to improve a roster that made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, a feat many believe was beyond expectations. The responsibility is on Sweeney to use the money wisely and add a piece or two to get the Bruins back to their first Stanley Cup Final since 2019.
How will the Bruins use the money? There are any number of scenarios. Boston could try to make a blockbuster move for Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl, who will be an unrestricted free agent after next season. The cost will be huge for his services, and it is unclear whether the Bruins have the pieces to get it done. Draisaitly could also command close to $15 million per season with his next contract.
The Bruins could also trade for a restricted free agent like Carolina’s Martin Necas, who will probably earn $7-8 million in his next deal. Carolina needs a goaltender, which could put Ullmark in play however, other teams are interested in Necas and could offer more. The 25-year-old forward is one of the hottest commodities on the trade market.
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There are also candidates on the unrestricted free agent list who could be attractive to Boston, including centers Steven Stamkos, Elias Lindholm, and Chandler Stephenson. There are also viable wingers on the list led by Sam Reinhart and Jonathan Marchessault. With the type of cap space the Bruins possess, the team could sign or acquire a couple of $7 million players and still re-sign Swayman.
There is much speculation on what the Bruins will do as is typical this time of year. In the recent past, Boston has not signed many big names on the free-agent market, but the club has also not had as much available money to spend. It will be interesting to see how or if that money will eventually be used to improve the roster this off-season.
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