Breaking Down Bruins’ Defensive Depth Forward Of Draft, Free Company

Editorial notice: Over the course of a number of weeks, NESN.com will study the Boston Bruins’ organizational depth. First up was goaltending, subsequent up is defensemen.

The Boston Bruins entered the offseason with eight unrestricted free brokers and three restricted free brokers with north of $20 million in cap house heading into free company on July 1.

The Bruins have loads of depth on the blue line in Boston with a veteran group of Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo and newer additions that made a reputation for themselves final season — Parker Wotherspoon, Andrew Peeke and Mason Lohrei.

Past the core, does Boston have defensemen within the group that may step in if wanted?

Right here’s a take a look at what every defenseman has to supply, together with their standing throughout the group.

IN THE NHL
— McAvoy will enter his eighth season with Boston when the Bruins hit the ice for the 2024-25 season. In his profession, McAvoy has 53 targets and 224 assists in 454 video games. McAvoy is just not solely an anchor on the defensive aspect of the puck, however he additionally tends to show up the depth by skating pucks up the ice and breaking into the offensive zone. He ranked first amongst Boston defensemen with 12 targets, 35 assists and 47 factors.

He’s recognized for his thunderous hits. McAvoy led all Bruins defensemen and ranked third total on the staff with 159 hits. He led all skaters with 159 blocked photographs in addition to ice time with 24:51 minutes per recreation.

McAvoy signed an eight-year, $76 million contract originally of the 2021-22 marketing campaign by way of the 2029-30 season.

— Lindholm’s numbers, three targets and 23 assists, in his second full season with Boston weren’t as nice as his first, with 10 targets and 43 assists within the 2022-23 marketing campaign, however his persistence with the puck typically allowed the defenseman to create performs for his teammates which has made him so invaluable to the Bruins.

He ranked second amongst Boston defensemen with 26 factors and third in blocked photographs with 100. Lindholm was proper behind McAvoy in ice time with 23:17 per recreation.

It’s attainable his manufacturing took a dip, given the knee harm he sustained in February. Maybe with the offseason to get better and practice, Lindholm can produce numbers north of the 2022-23 season.

Like McAvoy, Lindholm is below contract till the conclusion of the 2029-30 marketing campaign with an annual cap hit of $6.5 million.

— Carlo was the prototypical stay-at-home defenseman within the 2023-24 marketing campaign who registered 140 hits and 140 blocks, second solely to McAvoy in each classes, in 76 video games whereas averaging 19:54 minutes of ice time.

The nightly workhorse was a key think about Boston’s penalty kill in each the common season and playoffs. Carlo managed to steer the Bruins with a plus/minus of plus-23.

Carlo has three years left on his six-year, $24.6 million contract he signed forward of the 2021-22 marketing campaign. He’ll change into a UFA on the conclusion of the 2026-27 season.

— Wotherspoon stunned lots of people across the NHL when the Bruins signed the teen to a regular contract on the primary day of free company.

After enjoying simply 12 video games for the New York Islanders within the 2022-23 season, Wotherspoon started the 2023-24 marketing campaign in Windfall earlier than being recalled in October for 3 video games. After a number of extra ups and downs to the AHL, Wotherspoon completed the season enjoying 41 video games for Boston. He registered 67 blocked photographs and 84 hits whereas averaging 17:43 minutes of ice time.

Wotherspoon signed a one-year customary $800,000 contract extension in March, making him a UFA on the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

— Peeke got here to the Bruins from the Columbus Blue Jackets on the NHL commerce deadline in alternate for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round draft choose.

Peeke was in his fifth season with Columbus previous to the commerce. He averaged over quarter-hour of ice time by way of 23 video games. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound defenseman blocked 197 photographs final season in 80 video games for the Blue Jackets, and he recorded 191 hits through the 2021-22 season the place he performed all 82 video games.

He performed in 15 video games for Boston within the the rest of the 2023-24 common season, registering 31 blocks and 44 hits whereas averaging 17:36 minutes of ice time. Peeke addressed the Bruins’ want for a right-side defenseman who may present invaluable minutes on the penalty kill.

He’s signed by way of the 2025-26 season with an annual cap hit of $2.75 million.

— Lohrei got here into his personal in 41 video games with the Bruins final season.

The 23-year-old rookie scored 4 targets, added 9 assists and blocked 63 photographs whereas averaging 16:57 minutes of ice time.

It grew to become evident that Lohrei earned a spot on Boston’s blue line when he appeared in 11 postseason video games for the Black and Gold, slotted on the top-defensive pairing with McAvoy. Within the playoffs in opposition to the Maple Leafs and Panthers, Lohrei registered 12 hits and blocked 17 photographs. His confidence with the puck earned him reward from his teammates and head coach Jim Montgomery.

Lohrei is within the last 12 months of his entry-level contract and can change into an RFA on the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

IN THE PIPELINE
— Frédéric Brunet performed 48 video games for the Windfall Bruins final season with two targets and 10 helpers for 12 factors.

Brunet spent the 2022-23 season within the QMJHL with the Victoriaville Tigers and Rimouski Oceanic, totaling 16 targets and 57 assists for 73 factors with a plus-10 ranking.

He signed a three-year entry-level contract with an annual NHL cap hit of $860,000 by way of the 2025-26 season.

— Jackson Edward has spent the final three seasons with the London Knights of the OHL tallying 12 targets and 43 assists for 55 factors.

The 20-year-old Newmarket, Ontario native was initially chosen by Boston within the seventh spherical of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

The Bruins signed Edward to a three-year entry-level contract with an annual NHL cap hit of $860,000 by way of the 2026-27 season.

Unrestricted Free Brokers

— Matt Grzelcyk was tormented by a torn indirect earlier within the season, performed simply 63 video games for the Bruins final season. The eight-year veteran scored two targets and added 9 assists for 11 factors whereas averaging 17:36 minutes of ice time. He had 76 blocked photographs and 53 hits with a plus-13 ranking throughout these contests.

After beginning the previous a number of seasons alongside McAvoy on the highest pair, Grzelyck fell out of the Bruins’ defensive rotation within the playoffs.

With the emergence of Wotherspoon and Lohrei at left protection, Grzelyck may discover himself with a brand new house for the 2024-25 NHL season. As a hometown boy, Grzelyck may signal a team-friendly contract to remain in Boston because the Bruins’ seventh defenseman.

— Kevin Shattenkirk signed a one-year contract with Boston final July and performed in 61 video games for the Black and Gold, typically seeing himself out of the defensive rotation in favor of Wotherspoon and Lohrei down the stretch.

The veteran blue liner scored six targets and 18 assists for twenty-four factors whereas averaging 15:47 minutes of ice time.

— Derek Forbort performed simply 35 video games for Boston and spent the vast majority of the season sidelined after having surgical procedure on each groins and a thumb ligament restore.

Touted because the staff’s shutdown defenseman and penalty killing specialist, Forbort didn’t deliver the identical influence he had in earlier seasons as he battled his approach again from accidents.

It’s unsure which path basic supervisor Don Sweeney will absorb free company, however the Bruins appear to want extra scoring depth than defensive depth within the upcoming season.