Bruins re-sign Steven Kampfer to 2-year deal - what’s the next move on B’s blue line?

Set to tackle the rest of the offseason with a little over $12.8 million in cap space, the Bruins made their first move to retain some free-agent talent from the 2018-19 squad on Monday night.

Just who the Bruin re-upped might come as a bit of a surprise, however, as Boston re-signed pending UFA defenseman Steven Kampfer to a two-year, $1.6 million extension ($800,000 AAV).

Kampfer, in his second stint with the Bruins after getting dealt back to Boston in a September trade involving Adam McQuaid, was a solid depth option for the B’s in 2018-19, averaging 14:38 of ice time while appearing in 35 games.

Despite his limited workload, Kampfer still managed to tally three goals and three assists on the year — his highest scoring output since his rookie year in Boston back in 2010-11. Kampfer, a right-shot blueliner, was a key add to a roster that dealt with its fair share of injuries, appearing in 25 games through the end of December when Boston’s D corps was decimated with various ailments.

Kampfer, who will turn 31 in late September, stands as a solid add given the cost on an annual basis — especially given the state of Boston’s returning NHL talent on the blue line. Based on recovery timetables, it seems unlikely that both Kevan Miller (a right-shot) and John Moore will be good to go when training camp opens in September, with the veterans on the mend from a pair of kneecap fractures (Moore) and shoulder surgery / broken humerus (Moore).

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Given how much Boston reportedly has to shell out to retain a solid veteran like Kampfer, you can’t really knock the move when it comes to what he can provide this club, especially when the inevitable injury bug hits at some point during the year.

Boston saw firsthand how crucial NHL-ready depth can be during their Cup run this spring. Due to various injuries, Moore logged 10 postseason games with Boston and was steady on the third D pairing, while Kampfer — playing in place of a suspended Charlie McAvoy — scored a goal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against Carolina.

Still, Monday’s news does raise a few questions as what will be the next dominos to fall in what could be an eventful offseason for the Bruins.

With Kampfer’s new contract added to the books, Boston now has just $12 million in cap space to retain its three RFAs in McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Danton Heinen. They also still have two pending UFAs in Noel Acciari and Marcus Johansson.

In other words, the Bruins are going to have to clear some cash if it wants to retain most of its free agents. And the way it’s looking now, Boston may need to free up some cash just to re-sign its RFAs outright.

While Kampfer is added insurance with both Moore and Miller sidelined, one has to imagine what kind of logjam is going to be on the blue line once the season does get underway, especially if youngsters like Urho Vaakanainen, Jeremy Lauzon and Connor Clifton are ready for the big stage and crack the roster out of camp.

While we already know that Boston has ways to free up some cash in the form of deals involving David Backes and Torey Krug, finding ways to offload both Miller (one year, $2.5 million left on contract) and Moore (four years, $11 million left on contract) could be avenues that the B’s could take, given both Kampfer’s return and the expected influx of young talent on the blue line.

But again, that’s much easier said than done, especially with both veterans rehabbing from some significant surgeries/injuries this summer.

Whatever route Don Sweeney opts to take, the bottom line remains the same. Boston needs to start clearing some cash.