While it seems like the ultimate decision on what the Bruins will do at the NHL trade deadline will come down to the wire in March, there are other long-term decisions that might be a little easier for the B’s brass to make.
The Bruins already took care of one of those decisions when they inked Mark Kastelic to a three-year contract extension that was a no-brainer based on the energy, physicality and fearless passion that he brings with him to the ice. And perhaps based on the bargain salary cap hit that Kastelic will occupy for the next three years as a bottom-6 staple that’s become an unquestioned team leader based on the way he plays.
There’s another high-performing Bruins player set to become a free agent following this season and he had another big game in scoring the game-winning goal in a big 2-0 win over the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden on Thursday night. Morgan Geekie scored his 13th goal of the season banging home a slick David Pastrnak dish as he wheeled to the post from behind the net and now has five goals in 11 games during the month of January.
David Pastrnak makes a BEAUTIFUL pass to Morgan Geekie to give Boston a 1-0 lead 🔥👀 pic.twitter.com/T1MbUQaQQT
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 24, 2025
That’s a far cry from a player who had two goals in 20 games during the months of October and November when he was perhaps putting too much pressure on himself to produce as a top-6 guy right out of the starting gate.
“[Pastrnak] fakes me out sometimes, but I’m starting to grow a little bit as to when he’s going to do stuff like that,” said Geekie, of trying to read whether Pastrnak is going to shoot or pass when he gets that close to the net. “I just try to get open and there’s always a chance the puck is coming. And I think [Zacha] gets enough credit for the plays he makes too, so we just try to feed off each other and keep growing.
A bountiful scoring binge in the new year is a far cry from Geekie’s very sluggish start to the season and has signaled a real turning point for Pastrnak, Geekie and Pavel Zacha as Boston’s best forward line producing offense just about every single night.
“I think it’s just chemistry and going out there and playing,” said Geekie. “For me, there’s a lot less thinking and a lot of just going out there and playing. We’re all creatures of habit and we like to do the same things all the time, and you get to learn what those guys are going to do all the time and the tendencies that they have. I think that’s a big one.
“I know that we think we can produce and help the team, and that’s something that we try to take a lot of pride in as a line while taking care of things in our own end as well.”
It also puts Geekie on a pace for career-highs in goals (21) and points (40) while entering the final months of his two-year contract with the Black and Gold that’s paying him $2 million per season.
The good news is that Geekie is only a restricted free agent, so the 26-year-old forward won’t be headed anywhere else next season. But the Bruins would be well-served to get the rugged, productive forward under contract now as he continues to push into top-6 territory with the chemistry he’s building with Boston’s most dangerous offensive player on his line.
“I knew [Geekie] was going to the far post and those are high [percentage] chances where pucks can go in off skates, and when you have chemistry with a player you know when he’s going to go from the high slot to the backdoor there,” said Pastrnak. “I’ve been playing with Geekie and Zacha for years, so [Geekie] is an unbelievable shooter and he is doing a heck of a job on our line right now.
“It’s good that the righty to righty is a much easier pass for the one-timer and it’s good for us to have him on our line because his shot is great, and he wants to shoot it. When I have it on my forehand I’m always trying to get to [Geekie] for the one-timer and he does the same thing for me.”
There are a lot of question marks on this Bruins roster in terms of their long-term future beyond this season. Trent Frederic has been mentioned prominently in trade rumors, in part, because the Bruins signed Kastelic to a really affordable cap number and a player like Geekie perhaps be a cheaper alternative as a big-bodied center/wing forward capable of 20 goals and rugged play like the massive open ice hit that Geekie threw on Thomas Chabot in Thursday night’s victory.
Morgan Geekie lays a big hit on Thomas Chabot — then draws a penalty. pic.twitter.com/ygt0hCp6K7
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 24, 2025
The bottom line is that Geekie is producing much more than Frederic (who has just seven goals in 48 games and is a team-worst minus-11 this season) as a player around the same age, with a similar job description/skill set and style of play that could both be vying for just one spot to stick around with the Bruins for next season and beyond.
Those looking to stick around with the B’s for the long term are going to step up and perform in a second half gut check portion of the regular season where The Black and Gold are going to have to earn everything that they are going to get. Geekie is one of those players that’s stepping up for Boston to be part of the solution as he was again on Thursday night while rising above many other players that can’t seem to elevate their game when the B’s need to see what everybody can do at their very best.