Bruins Reportedly Unlikely To Re-Sign Tyler Bertuzzi, Others

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney reportedly does not expect to re-sign left wing Tyler Bertuzzi as well as other unrestricted free agents Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway.

Bertuzzi is expected to instead test out the free agency market, according to The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney makes it pretty clear he doesn’t expect to sign Bertuzzi, Orlov or Hathaway ahead of July 1 unless the Bruins execute another salary cap-saving trade. Says they have enough to sign RFAs Trent Frederic and Jeremy Swayman and add some bargain-type free agents

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) June 29, 2023

The Bruins are up against their salary cap with just $10.9 million remaining as of Thursday.

“I have a pretty good understanding of the marketplace, and where we are in the marketplace,” Sweeney said, following the NHL Draft on Thursday. “If I make another move that opens things up, you never know. We still have that window, but it’s closing and I realize that.”

Free agency begins at noon Saturday, so Boston’s general manager still has a little bit of time left.

Restricted free agents Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic are still in need of qualifying offers by Friday. Boston is also expected to sign former Bruin Milan Lucic.

Only six forward contracts are currently counting toward the cap and three defensemen Ian Mitchell, Alec Regula and Reilly Walsh recently acquired by the Black and Gold still need to be signed as well.

To create cap space for Bertuzzi and Orlov especially, Sweeney would have to move a player or two, as he did Monday sending Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks.

When free agency does open, if Sweeney doesn’t manage to make space as reported, it’s likely the unrestricted free agents will make deals shortly after noon when the market is typically its hottest.