With NHL free agency set to get underway at noon, here are six questions facing the Bruins as Don Sweeney looks to add some pieces around this current veteran core:
1. Can the Bruins close on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson deal?
The biggest determinant in just how active Boston will be on Friday afternoon hinges on whether or not Don Sweeney can close a deal for Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Ekman-Larsson and his agent, Kevin Epp, have set a Friday deadline for a potential deal between Arizona and the only two suitors he'd be willing to waive a no-trade clause for — the Bruins and the Canucks.
If a deal does not come to fruition Friday, then 29-year-old defenseman puts an end to any trade (via his no-movement clause) and stays with Arizona — a result that the Coyotes likely won't be too keen on, given that the fiscally hurting franchise is desperately trying to unload the remaining seven years and $57 million remaining on his mega-deal.
Per TSN’s Darren Dreger, Boston appears to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to a deal for the Coyotes captain, but any movement on a potential deal has appeared to stagnate — as the Bruins are currently unwilling to budge from Arizona's high asking price.
There is plenty of risk when it comes to making a deal for Ekman-Larsson, whether it be taking on most (if not all) of that huge contract or the declining metrics in his play over the last few seasons. Granted, there are a number of ways that Boston can make a megadeal more palatable — such as Arizona taking on a contract in return from the Bruins or retaining some of OEL's cap hit.
But for that to happen, Arizona needs to face the facts that they need to make some concessions to rid themselves of this contract, and either lower their asking price or agree to eat some money. Ultimately, the Coyotes don’t have a whole lot of leverage here, and the Bruins are in the right for holding steady. We'll have to see how long this stalemate lasts, because time isn't on either the Bruins or Coyotes' sides here.
2. What happens with Torey Krug?
In a development that we've all expected for months now, it looks as though Torey Krug will hit the open market when free agency opens up in a few hours. So far, Boston hasn’t budged on their current offer to Krug (six years, $6.5 million AAV), with the 29-year-old blueliner expected to field multiple offers from teams in need of help on the blue line and power play on Friday, per TSN’s Frank Seravalli.
While Krug could circle back to Boston's offer if he doesn't receive a contract to his liking on the open market (this flat cap has spooked plenty of teams from either dealing or handing out major paydays so far), it does seem as though a larger payday should be in the cards for the playmaking defenseman shortly — with Krug finally set to receive the long-term extension that he's absolutely deserved. It just may not be here with Boston.
“I’ve spent my whole adult life, my whole professional career here in this organization, in this city,” Krug said earlier this month. “I’ve done seemingly everything that they’ve asked of me and I’m proud of that. I’ve put all my energy into trying to help this team win games and win championships and we’ve come close twice now and unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for us. I’m a big believer that there is a journey for all of us. Whether it’s here or somewhere else, I’m not too worried about it or anxious about it.”
Krug, who signed with Boston as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State back in March 2012, has tallied 337 points over nine years and seven full seasons up in the NHL ranks — establishing himself as one of the top power-play quarterbacks in the league over the years. Since the 2015-16 season, Krug’s 256 points ranks sixth overall among all NHL blueliners, with the veteran closing out the 2019-20 campaign with 49 points in 61 games.
If Boston signs off on a deal that ships Krug elsewhere, they will now enter the offseason with roughly $16 million in available cap space to open this free-agent frenzy.
If Krug does depart and the OEL trade falls through, Boston might need to prowl the free-agent market in order to find another top-four defenseman, unless they're confident in slotting up a youngster like Jakub Zboril or Urho Vaakanainen next year. Apparently, Boston has kept tabs on Erik Gustaffson as of late — another playmaking presence on the blue line. Alex Pietrangelo is far and away the best option, but he's likely priced out of many team's offseason checklist.
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3. Does Zdeno Chara return?
Zdeno Chara is currently in some unfamiliar territory this October. While the B's captain has gone year-to-year with Boston over the past few campaigns when it comes to contract extensions, the future Hall of Famer has never hit unrestricted free agency during this time — with most contract extensions between him and Boston usually inked at some point during the regular season.
Despite some buzz following Boston's loss to Tampa in the Eastern Conference Semifinals that Chara might decide to finally hang up his skates, Chara expressed a desire to return to the B's for a 15th season when asked back in September.
“I feel strong physically and I’m positive and I believe I can still play this game and contribute to the team and I want to stay in Boston,” Chara said. “I want to be a Boston Bruin. I want to continue to lead by example and share my experiences and my game skills with the younger players and my teammates. That hasn’t changed. I’m committed and we’ll see what’s going to happen next.”
On paper, it would seem like bringing Chara back on a cheap, one-year deal and modifying his role into that of a third-pairing, PK ace would be beneficial for all parties — given that Boston could use a cheap, and still effective, option in that spot while diverting more resources towards finding a potential replacement for Krug and help up front.
Still, there hasn't been much in terms of development on this front so far — with Sweeney noting that conversations remain ongoing:
“I’ve met with Zdeno,”Sweeney said. “Had conversations, have continued to have conversations so that we have to be on the same as we move forward. We’ve conveyed where we are with that and we’re going to continue to have communication with he and [Chara’s agent] Matt Keator. … We’ve just had really broad-based discussions on everything. Not really going to leave any stone unturned in terms of where are we. We’ve looked at that as part of our roster assessment and making sure we communicate effectively with a very important part and leader of our hockey club.”
Perhaps Boston is keeping tabs on the rest of the free-agent market for third-pairing options before circling back to Chara, but for the price and the promise of a more effective role further down the lineup, a one-year deal for Chara does seem like a no-brainer here.
4. Does Boston swing for the fences in top-heavy forward market?
All of the recent talk surrounding the likes of Krug, Ekman-Larsson, Tuukka Rask and others have clouded what should be the top priority for Boston this offseason — adding more 5v5 scoring punch up front. In what remains as a narrative every single offseason, Boston desperately needs a more impactful winger to pair with David Krejci — with younger prospects or a winger like Ondrej Kase creating far too much uncertainty in a year in which Boston needs to go all in and not spend months on end shuffling its lineup once games begin.
Obviously, star winger Taylor Hall stands as the top prize among forwards, and there remains a sliiiiim chance Boston could be in the running, as the forward has expressed a desire to win over a huge payday, while also expressing a willingness to sign a short-term deal. However, with other clubs like Columbus and Nashville clearing off a ton of cap space over the last few days, Boston may not have the fiscal flexibility to pull off such a move.
After Hall, the free-agent market can become pretty perilous, with the next tier of available wingers comprised of a lot of declining or empty-calorie scorers that won't be worth the $5-6 million AAV that Boston would need to hand out to acquire. (Looking at you, Mike Hoffman.)
Other than perhaps Tyler Toffoli (who has been linked to Boston for quite some time, but will also cost a pretty penny), Boston should know when to walk away from some of these higher-priced UFA forwards — and prowl the trade market for true top-six value. Still, there are some value moves that Boston could make — headlined by middle-six winger Craig Smith, who I think could be the best bargain addition this entire offseason.
5. Does Boston make a move with their RFAs?
Boston was one of the few teams that didn't let an intriguing restricted free agent hit the market by not extending a qualifying offer, but that doesn't mean that things could get awfully interesting when it comes to some of Boston's cost-controlled, young assets. In particular, it seems as though Jake DeBrusk has had his name brought up in multiple trade rumors, with the inconsistent winger likely standing as an appealing asset for other clubs to target.
Boston has a good amount of cap room this offseason, but if Boston hits a snag in contract negotiations with DeBrusk and his party (especially with the B’s needing to allocate a healthy portion of that cap space elsewhere via trades/free agency) or if a team is willing to offer a legitimate top-four defenseman in return (likely taking over for Torey Krug), Boston could pull the trigger on such a trade.
But such a move should not be taken lightly. Yes, DeBrusk’s hot-and-cold play can cause some fans to tear their hair out, but Boston must also be cognizant of the fact that it better have some proven 5v5 scorers on this roster if DeBrusk is sent packing. Last season, DeBrusk ranked second on the B’s last year in expected goals per 60 minutes (0.75) and high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (3.66).
6. Does Tuukka Rask get traded?
Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire when it comes to trade rumors, and given the amount of chatter surrounding B’s goalie and 2020 Vezina Trophy runner-up Tuukka Rask, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Bruins — in an attempt to either clear cap space, reshuffle its roster or rebuild for the future — could deal its franchise goalie for the right price, albeit only if they have a contingency plan in place between the pipes.
While it's not out of the realm of possibility, Sweeney attempted to pour cold water on such a move earlier this week.
“As a matter of fact, our staff has communicated with Tuukka and as I said before, he remains a big part of our roster planning going forward because I think by my knowledge, he was second in the Vezina balloting and we feel very, very comfortable with where our goaltending is at,” Sweeney said. “And I think you’re going to need it. I don’t know what the schedule and what the season – I think there are a lot of things that are up in the air, but it could be a challenging environment from a season standpoint. Might make goaltending even more a big part of what you have to have going forward.”
Rask may not have much of a say in a trade like this, especially now that his no-movement clause has expired this season, but the veteran nemtinder also expressed his desire to remain in Boston for the remainder of his career when speaking with Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald on Thursday.
“I don’t want to play for anybody else but the Bruins. …I’ve been here for a long time and the organization’s been so great for me,” Rask told Conroy. “We’ve built our home in Boston and we call this home. So, yeah, I don’t want to play for anybody else. I think where my head’s at is focusing on next year and then hopefully a couple of more years after that and then pass the torch for the next guy after that. I want to help the organization as much as I can.”