Breaking Down Bruins’ Center Depth Ahead Of Draft, Free Agency

Editorial note: Over the course of several weeks, NESN.com will examine the Boston Bruins’ organizational depth. Goaltending and defensemen have already been examined; centers are next up.

The Boston Bruins entered the offseason with eight unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents with north of $20 million in cap space heading into free agency on July 1. Among those due for new contracts, are two centers.

After losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement following the 2022-23 season, Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha stepped up to center to the top two lines in Boston. What other centers do the Bruins have in the organization for the 2024-25 season?

Here's a look at what each center has to offer, along with their status within the Bruins organization.

IN THE NHL
-- Coyle is entering his sixth full season donning the Spoked-B after coming to Boston in the 2018-19 season via a trade with Minnesota for Ryan Donato and a fifth-round draft pick. In his career with the Bruins, Coyle has scored 81 goals and added 127 assists in 388 games. He had a career-high in goals (25) and points (60) last season after centering Brad Marchand for the majority of the season while averaging 18:04 minutes of ice time. He won 762 of the 1,477 faceoffs he took for 51.6%. Coyle is signed through the 2025-26 season with an annual cap hit of $5.25 million.

-- Zacha completed his second full season for the Bruins after Boston acquired the Czechia native from the New Jersey Devils for Erik Haula before the 2022-23 season. Zacha has 116 points (42 goals and 74 assists) in 160 regular season games for Boston. He tied his career-high in goals with 21 and eclipsed both assists (38) and points (59) while averaging a career-high 18:06 minutes of ice time last season. He won 54.8% of the faceoffs he took last season and centered fellow countryman David Pastrnak for most of the season. Zacha is signed through the 2026-27 season with an annual cap hit of $4.75 million.

-- Morgan Geekie signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Bruins on the first day of free agency last year. The 25-year-old center proved his versatility by playing up and down the lineup all season for Boston. In 76 games for the Bruins, Geekie recorded career-highs in goals (17), assists (22) and points (39) while averaging 15:25 minutes of ice time. He did see a dip in his faceoff percentage from the last year he spent with the Seattle Kraken, down to 44.1% from 49.2% the season before. Geekei more than doubled the number of hits (137) he landed in his first season with Boston. He will become a UFA at the end of the 2024-25 season.

-- Jesper Bovqist inked a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Bruins last July after spending four seasons with the Devils. In 47 games for Boston, Bovqist scored six goals and added eight assists while centering the Bruins' fourth line. He earned the trust of head coach Jim Montgomery which earned the young center more games and ice time down the stretch for Boston. He is a restricted free agent this offseason.

-- John Beecher spent the season between playing in Boston for the Bruins and with the franchise's AHL affiliate in Providence. He played 52 games in Boston where he scored seven goals and added three assists to his stat line. The 23-year-old won 273 of the 500 faceoffs he took for 54.6%. He finished the season in Boston and skated in 12 playoff games for the Bruins. He is in the final year of his entry-level contract with a cap hit of $925,000. Beecher will become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

-- Matthew Poitras surprised everyone in training camp when the 20-year-old played with poise and confidence. With each game he played in Boston, Poitras solidified his roster spot instead of being sent back to the OHL and preserving the first year of his entry-level contract. He donned the Spoked-B for 33 games recording 15 points before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in February. The young center completes his ELC at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season when he will become a restricted free agent.

IN THE PIPELINE
-- Georgii Merkulov is entering the final year of his entry-level contract with the Bruins. The 23-year-old hit the back of the net 30 times in his second year in Providence and had 65 points in 67 games. He was called up to the Bruns for four games last season and was kept off the scorecard. He will become a RFA at the end of the 2024-25 season with a cap hit of $925,000

-- Patrick Brown is in the final year of the contract he signed with Boston at the start of free agency last season. The 31-year-old played 11 games for the Bruins last season where he registered just one assist while averaging 8:50 minutes of ice time. He won just 15 of the 33 faceoffs he took for 45.5%. He played in one postseason game for Boston in the Black and Gold's 5-1 Game 1 victory over the Florida Panthers in the second round. He went 5-for-7 from the dot in his lone playoff appearance. In 42 games with Providence, Brown scored 11 goals and added 21 assists for 32 points. He will become a UFA at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season with a cap hit of $800,000.

-- Brett Harrison played 47 games for the Providence Bruins last season where he lit the lamp five times and added nine helpers. He signed a three-year, $2.8 million contract with Boston in August 2022. He will be a RFA at the end of the 2025-26 season when he is 23 years old.

In addition, the Bruins also have Travis Kuntar and John Farinacci under contract through the 2024-25 season.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
-- Jayson Megna skated on 12 shifts for the Bruins last season in one appearance for the Black and Gold. The 34-year-old registered 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in Providence. The 10-year veteran has played in 204 NHL games with the Bruins, Penguins, Canucks, Avalanche, Rangers and Ducks. He has 12 goals and 21 assists in his career. Brown will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

-- Oskar Steen split his time between Boston and Providence last season. He skated in 34 games for Boston where he scored one goal while averaging 9:04 minutes of ice time. In Providence, the 26-year-old notched 12 goals and four assists in 25 games.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
-- Marc McLaughlin completed his second season in Providence by scoring 14 points (eight goals, six assists). He scored a goal in the one game he played in Boston. He became a RFA at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season when his two-year entry-level contract expired.

It’s uncertain which direction general manager Don Sweeney will take in free agency, but the Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery revealed what he believes Boston's roster can improve on.