Five Players To Keep An Eye On For Bruins When Free Agency Begins

With the NHL Draft complete and the Bruins selecting prospects who can potentially help the franchise in the distant future, it’s time to shift gears to free agency.

After trading Linus Ullmark and Jakub Lauko, the Bruins have a projected $24 million in available cap space to spend. Of course, some of that money is most likely earmarked for Jeremy Swayman’s contract extension. Still, general manager Don Sweeney made it clear at the end-of-season press conference that the Bruins plan to be aggressive to complement the core group in Boston.

With the depth the Bruins have on the blue line, targeting a top-six forward seems to be the bigger priority for Sweeney and company.

Here are five players the Bruins could target on July 1 to increase scoring, speed and toughness in the lineup.

C Jonathan Marchessault
Except for the 2021-22 season, Marchessault has been a 20-plus goal scorer since the 2016-17 season when he played for the Florida Panthers. The 33-year-old wing won the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to their first championship in franchise history. Last season with Vegas, Marchessault lit the lamp 42 times and added 27 assists in the second-greatest offensive output of his career. His last contract was for six years, with an annual cap hit of $5 million. Vegas doesn’t have much room in their cap to give Marchessault an extension, so he could be available for the Bruins to sign.

C Elias Lindholm
Lindholm was rumored to be a Bruins target at the trade deadline this past season, but Calgary dealt the 29-year-old to Vancouver in the final year of his six-year contract. Lindholm has scored 20 or more goals four times in 11 seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Flames and Canucks. His career-high 82 points (42 goals, 40 assists) came in the 2021-22 season. He finished second to Patrice Bergeron for the Selke that year. An upside to Lindholm is he is 53.5% in faceoffs in his career. Vancouver has north of $12 million in cap space, but he could be too expensive for the Canucks.

LW/RW Jake DeBrusk
Although talks with the Bruins UFA have stalled, Boston and DeBrusk could still work out a deal after the winger tests the open market. DeBrusk is a homegrown talent who has amassed 138 goals and 128 assists in 465 games for the Black and Gold. Despite breaking his hand in late January, he played a career-high 80 games for Boston and went on to have the best postseason performance of his career — leading the team with 11 points in 13 games. The 27-year-old is entering the prime of his career and is due a raise from the $4 million per year he made on his last contract. The Bruins have plenty of cap space to offer DeBrusk an extension if the two sides should reach an agreement.

LW/RW Tyler Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi worked phenomenally with the Bruins as a rental during the 2022-23 season. He was an immediate fit in the Bruins system, posting 16 points in 21 regular-season games and 10 points in seven postseason games. With Boston up against the cap for the 2023-24 season, the Bruins could not offer Bertuzzi an extension, so he signed a one-year deal with division rival Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs have north of $18 million in cap space, but the club has nine players entering free agency and four other restricted free agents to contend with. Bertuzzi could find himself looking for a new team. The 29-year-old forward is already familiar with Boston, so it could be a perfect fit — especially if DeBrusk signs elsewhere.

RW Sam Reinhart
Reinhart helped lead the Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The 28-year-old forward tallied 10 goals and six assists in 24 playoff games for Florida, including six points against the Bruins in the second round. He has scored 20 or more goals in eight of the 10 seasons he’s been in the league, with a career-high 57 goals in the 2023-24 season. Reinhart has amassed 254 goals and 285 assists in 696 NHL games with the Panthers and the Buffalo Sabres. His expiring contract was $6.5 million per year, and the Panthers have just under $20 million available with 11 players entering free agency. Reinhart could be a casualty of the cap and a player the Bruins could sign.