Why Bruins Should Consider Targeting Kevin Shattenkirk In Free Agency

Kevin Shattenkirk was no small contributor in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup run.

And having taken advantage of the prove-it deal he got last summer, he’s about to cash in.

The Boston Bruins would be wise to give him a call.

After a down couple years with the Rangers, New York bought out the veteran defenseman in July 2019, and he proceeded to sign a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Bolts.

In a good situation (something he rarely was in with the Rangers), Shattenkirk thrived on the third pairing with blossoming youngster Mikhail Sergachev. The duo were one of the NHL’s better bottom pairings, and in a pinch Shattenkirk was able to play on a higher pairing (he logged over 300 minutes of ice time with Victor Hedman).

Shattenkirk ended up finishing with eight goals and 26 assists in 70 regular season games, averaging almost 19 minutes of ice time per contest. He then slashed 3-10-13 in 25 postseason games.

Certainly, the 31-year-old will get a raise from the $1.75 million he made this past season. But, barring an overpay, the figure he could land might not be quite as high as one might imagine.

Here’s a noteworthy excerpt from a story published Wednesday by The Athletic’s Craig Custance.

The Lightning provided the blueprint to maximizing Shattenkirk’s usage, Play him with a strong, left-handed partner. He doesn’t have to be on your first power play but he can still be productive with limited power play time. “They figured out what makes him successful,” said one NHL source. Now, they really can’t afford him. It’s probably going to take $3-4 million per season to get him signed, depending on term and fit.

Shattenkirk will be 32 in January, so a deal with some term (we’re talking three or four years) at less than $4 million isn’t too bad of value. And if it’s anything more than than what he made this past season with Tampa (spoiler: it will be), the cash-strapped Lightning won’t be able to retain him.

That brings us to the Bruins.

It sure seems like banking on Torey Krug to re-sign with Boston is not wise. Not impossible, but difficult to envision at this point. That means a player like Matt Grzelcyk could see an increased role.

The Bruins only have three right-shot defensemen on the NHL roster now (Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Connor Clifton), with nary a righty defensive prospect even sniffing the NHL. Playing Jeremy Lauzon or John Moore on the right all the time isn’t ideal, so the Bruins’ depth on that side is razor thin.

Shattenkirk all but certainly would fit in on a pairing with Grzelcyk. Given what we just saw him and Sergachev do, Shattenkirk could be a fine complement to Grzelcyk, who does his best when paired with someone who can close out plays. Grzelcyk probably hasn’t even reached his ceiling yet, and he’s a unique player whom the Bruins would be wise to make sure is playing with someone that’s a good match.

Of course, this all goes up in smoke if the Bruins take on a big contract (say, Oliver Ekman-Larsson?) that takes up a good chunk of the cap space they have remaining.

If they elect not to go that route though, we’re only three years removed from Shattenkirk popping up on Norris Trophy ballots. Maybe chalk up his decline to an issue with the Rangers more so than him. It’s debatable.

Regardless, he was put in the right situation with the Lightning and he thrived. So if fit really trumps all for Shattenkirk at this stage of his career, well, there could be a good situation awaiting him in Boston.