John Moore brings a much needed piece to Bruins defensive puzzle

The Bruins didn’t make any flashy splashes in free agency, but they addressed a pressing need by adding big left-handed defenseman John Moore.

Don Sweeney and the Bruins pitched Moore on a five-year deal will pay him $2.75 million annually, a cost-efficient price for a steady defenseman who changes the makeup of the Bruins defensive core.

“An opportunity to join a team like the Bruins who I think are really close from outside looking in, it looks like a really close team,” said Moore, whose grandfather grew up in Dorchester. “A lot of really good, skilled forwards, a lot of great defensemen. An opportunity to join that and to grow my game and continue to get better is something I just couldn’t pass up, so they were at the top of my list for the entire period.”

One of the bigger takeaways from the Bruins playoff run was that they lacked size on the left side behind Zdeno Chara. Torey Krug and Matt Grzelcyk bring strong offensive components to the ice but are both 5-foot-9.

The addition of Moore immediately changed that. A 6-foot-2, 210-pound defenseman, Moore is a smooth skater who can retrieve pucks and match up with speedy opponents.

Moore’s arrival also felt like it may be the precursor to a trade. As the roster currently stands, they’d have eight defensemen in the mix for six roster spots. There's also prospects Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, and Urho Vaakanainen who will be pushing for a role in the mix in the next two years, perhaps sooner.

So where will the Bruins fit all the pieces to their blue-line puzzle?

BSJ Analysis



There’s hardly any safety in having too many defensemen. The Bruins learned this first-hand when Brandon Carlo was injured in consecutive years, both times before the start of the playoffs. Torey Krug broke his ankle in Game 4 against the Lightning and the Bruins season ended a game after.

Two years prior, Krug, Carlo, Adam McQuaid, and former Bruins defenseman Colin Miller were all hurt – a depleting spell of injuries that hampered the team in the postseason.

“I just think, the makeup of our group, we felt that the opportunity to add a player of that nature fit into how Bruce [Cassidy] wants to play,” Sweeney said Sunday. “It may seem congested as we sit today, but to tell you the truth, we’re really happy, because when you get into the year and you’re wondering, OK, where does that guy come from, now you’ve got to go find him and acquire him and what that acquisition cost may be – this is a unique time of the year where you’re able to put players on your roster that you think can fill needs, and that’s what we did.”

Beyond the pairing of Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy, there are a lot of aspects of the Bruins defense that need to be worked.

Krug is the most attractive trade asset. His highly-touted offensive skill set would appeal to a team looking for an impact on the blue line. Packaged with a prospect, Krug could bring the Bruins a proven forward to plug into their top six.

Trading Krug may improve the Bruins long-term outlook but he also factors into their short-term success. He fits the modern prototype of an NHL defenseman – the emphasis on his puck-moving skills and ability to lead the power play from the point. The Bruins power play has ranked inside the top 10 the last two seasons and the importance of that can’t be understated.

Where would Krug factor in if Moore played the left side? It’s not ideal to play a left-handed defenseman on the right side, but the Bruins could do that with Krug.

Moore played with Krug during the World Championships in 2015 but they didn’t skate on the same pairing. That familiarity could still serve them well.

“I played in the World Championships with Torey Krug and stayed in touch with him,” Moore said. “He’s a great guy and I had a lot of fun with him playing overseas in the tournament. We spoke briefly, after I signed he reached out and I think really highly of him and obviously on the ice too, he’s a great player.”

Grzelcyk and Carlo could round out the third-line pairing. It’s not a role that was likely envisioned for Carlo, but he’s yet to prove his ability as a top-four defenseman. A second pairing of Moore and Krug would allow Carlo to develop at a patient rate.

The Bruins want Carlo to be more physical with his 6-5, 205-pound frame. Grzelcyk has tendencies similar to Krug. He can move the puck well and join the rush, a good compliment to Carlo's defensive abilities.

That possibility would leave the Bruins with McQuaid and Miller as depth pieces, one of which could be trade options, especially at a salary of $2.75 and $2.5 million, respectively.

The value, of course, is higher with Krug, but it comes with its own price of losing a player who scored 59 points last season, fourth-most on the Bruins.

The Bruins reached out to Moore early in the free agency process to Moore. They identified his skating and physicality as aspects that will fit well into their playing style. Pairing him with their best offensive forward may be the best option for improving their blue line.