At the end of every season, we are hanging on the season-ending media availabilities to find out which pending unrestricted free agents will test the free agent market and which players want to stay in town. For the Boston Bruins, there wasn’t much clarity on the roster comings and goings following locker room cleanout day.
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Recently, David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reported that Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort will be headed to free agency. Forbort is coming off a three-year contract with the Bruins that ended in lackluster fashion. Forbort dealt with injury issues during the 2023-24 campaign that relinquished him to only 35 games played.
With the Bruins additions of Andrew Peeke and the emergence of Parker Wotherspoon and Mason Lohrei, Forbort’s time in Boston has been numbered. Peeke and Wotherspoon are both defensively-minded defensemen who fit the age group of the Bruins core and come in at a cheaper cap hit than Forbort.
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon – Andrew Peeke
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As the Bruins head into the offseason, their defensive core looks to be solidified. The question will be, do the Bruins find themselves in a place to upgrade from Wotherspoon/Lohrei on the left side and take the chance? They’ve been rumored to be after Jakob Chychurn, who may be on the market yet again. There are also plenty of defensive options in Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov.
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My Thoughts
Derek Forbort wasn’t a major defining factor in the Boston Bruins success. When he signed the 3 x 3 contract, many fans were befuddled by the signing, some saying it was an overpayment. During his first playoff performance, he earned some credit for his defensive play and shot-blocking ability, but let’s be honest, those players aren’t hard to come by.
Seeing Forbort move on from the Bruins is a net positive in my eyes. Andrew Peeke was brought in to play the same role as Forbort but give much more physicality to the position. For the most part, Forbort was underwhelming in the heavy hits department. Take the cap savings and go find yourself a scoring forward, Don.
Time to go. He never really became a fan favorite. Limited in all phases of the game. See you in Utah.