The Boston Bruins are slated to have a solid amount of cap space to work with this upcoming offseason as the organization looks to turn the page on their disastrous 33-39-10 run this past season.
So… what’s next? Boston clearly needs to improve its roster this offseason after the front office opened up a yard sale during the March 7 NHL trade deadline. The team underwent a hard-to-watch 3-6-1 stretch before crossing the regular season’s finish line, posing a not-so-encouraging note to end the year on, while others across the league prepare for the offseason. With that being said, it’s time to consider some targets.
“This is the spot they’re in. They’re gonna have $20-25 million in cap space to spend this offseason,” George Balekji said on NESN’s “Boston Has Entered The Chat” podcast. “We know that Mitch Marner is a big free agent that could hit the open market, but how much does he want in AAV after they just spent a lot on Elias Lindholm? And also the reality of does he hit the open market? Does Toronto figure things out?”
Balekji continued: “It’s like when a wide receiver is supposed to be a free agent in the NFL. The good players, like a Mitch Marner, they don’t hit the open market. If anything, they get traded like we saw happen between Carolina (Hurricanes) and the (Dallas) Stars, and (Montreal Canadiens), of course.”
Marner, a nine-year veteran selected fourth overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2015 NHL Draft, scored 27 goals and tallied a career-best 100 points with Toronto last season. Marner played 80 games, and with the slew of departures the team has endured over the past few years, he could be an ideal fit for the Bruins going into next season.
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You can watch the full episode of NESN’s “Boston Has Entered The Chat” here:
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images