Don Sweeney kept his word.
The Boston Bruins general manager said the Bruins “for sure” would add in free agency, and they did just that Monday by signing veteran winger Brett Ritchie to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports.
Ritchie, who celebrated his 26th birthday Monday, is a five-year NHL veteran who is coming off a 53-game season with the Dallas Stars. He scored just four goals and added a pair of assists in his time with the big club. The 2011 second-round draft pick enjoyed the best season of his career in 2016-17 when he scored 16 goals with eight assists in 78 games with Dallas. Ritchie also adds some needed size to the Bruins’ forward depth, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds.
Boston also signed forward Par Lindholm to a two-year contract with an annual salary cap hit of $850,000. The 27-year-old center appeared in 65 NHL games last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. The bulk of those games (61) came with Toronto where Boston saw him a handful of times. Lindholm scored one goal and added 12 assists while averaging 11:21 of ice time for the season.
In addition to signing Ritchie and Lindholm, the Bruins also came to terms with defenseman Connor Clifton on a contract extension that will kick in after the 2019-20 season. The new deal will come with a $1 million annual cap hit.
The Bruins also signed forward Brandon Gaunce and goalie Maxime Lagace to to one-year, two-way contracts while also inking Josiah Didier to a one-year AHL deal. Boston also extended forward Ryan Fitzgerald on a one-year deal with an NHL cap hit of $700,000.
