Most of the storylines surrounding the Boston Bruins’ offseason at this point you’ve heard ad nauseum.
So, how about a few items not as prominently on the radar?
Indeed, Don Sweeney needs to figure out what the plan is with Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug and the Bruins’ slew of restricted free agents. But here are a couple other moves B’s brass could consider.
Extend Sean Kuraly
The easiest way to tell how valuable Kuraly is to the Bruins is to watch them when he’s gone — in other words, go ahead and rewatch the fourth line in Games 3-5 of the second-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning this year.
He knows how to drive a line and does a great job centering the Bruins’ fourth unit, and in a pinch, he can contribute on the wing.
But Kuraly also will be an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season. When you see deals that guys like Brandon Tanev are getting (six years, $21 million), it’s not hard to figure out that not only are teams valuing skilled bottom six players more nowadays but also are willing to overpay for them.
If Kuraly hits the market, someone will give him a nice raise from the $1.275 cap hit he has now. Sweeney should dodge that altogether and give him an extension with term that comes with a pay bump.
Re-signing Kevan Miller
Injuries erased a good chunk of Miller’s 2018-19 season and all of the most recent campaign. But he’s been hellbent on getting healthy, and judging by his latest Instagram post, he’s resumed skating.
That certainly inspires optimism that he will be able to one day return to game action.
He’s an unrestricted free agent now, though. However, there’s probably not much of a market for someone turning 33 next month that has played a combined 39 games between the last two seasons. That means the Bruins likely could bring him back at the veteran minimum as a depth defenseman.
It could prove to be a shrewd move. The only right-shot blueliners the Bruins have right now are Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Connor Clifton (you can include Steven Kampfer, as well). Signing Miller to a low-risk deal could benefit both sides.
Trade for a right-shot defensive prospect
Speaking of the Bruins’ lack of right-shot depth, that’s probably an area they should bolster. The only right-shot prospect they have right now is Victor Berglund, who’s about to enter his first pro season. In other words, he’s a ways off from sniffing the NHL.
Considering the Bruins are likely to make some deals this offseason, it might go a long way to try and land a righty blueline prospect to help add a little organizational depth.
Given the vast number of lefties the Bruins have, especially guys like Jeremy Lauzon who can play on the right if needed, this isn’t a totally essential need to fill. But hey, it wouldn’t hurt.
