NHL
Will the Bruins Lose Rick Nash?
Free agency starts July 1st and Boston fans are starting to wonder what the future holds for the Bruins during free agency. With rumors of the loss of Rick Nash and the possible acquisition of John Tavares, who knows what the future will hold for the team. There is no real progress in singing pending unrestricted free agents Anton Khudobin, Riley Nash, and Rick Nash. The franchise has a 12 million dollar cap, which is clearly enough money to spend on their needs, like a third-line center, second-line wing, or a backup goaltender.
Players Up for Grabs from the Bruins During Free Agency
Sean Kuraly is one of the franchise’s restricted free agents. The 6-foot, 214-pound center had six goals and eight assists in 75 games with the Bruins last year. In order to retain his rights, Boston would have needed to make an offer of $874,125 by Monday. Not doing so, Kuraly will hit the open market on July 1st. Originally being a 2011 fifth-round draft pick of the Sharks, Kuraly signed with the Bruins in 2016, as a part of a deal for goalie Martin Jones. Since then, Jones has become San Jose’s No. 1 netminder.
In addition to Kuraly, Colby Cave and Anton Blidh both are free agents. Both left-handed shooters play in Providence. Blidh has appeared in 20 games for the B’s in the last two years. Cave, on the other hand, has never left Providence. Blidh went 11-15-26 in 71 games, while Cave went 11-22-33 in 72 games. It would be wise to keep Cave for Providence. However, Blidh wouldn’t be a terrible loss for the Bruins, as Cave looks as though he could serve as a replacement for Blidh.
Rick Nash
The franchise obtained Rick Nash earlier in the year. Yet, they haven’t gotten a good chance to see the player in action, having suffered a concussion. Yet, despite this, the Bruins are interested in signing him as an option for a second-line winger. However, there is a rumor of five teams being interested in the veteran forward. Both Nash and Khudobin are players that the franchise has interest in retaining. However, they are more interested in maximizing their value on the open market.
Backup Goalie for the Bruins during free agency
Things may be a little more unknown in terms of goaltenders for the franchise. Bruins prospect Zane McIntyre does not seem ready to be an NHL backup behind Tuukka Rask. With this in mind, the Bruins may have to find a veteran that is capable of playing the 20-something games that Rask needs him to play. The good news is that goaltenders, such as Chad Johnson, are expected to hit the free agent market.
John Tavares
Tavares is about to decide where he wants to spend the prime of his career in the NHL. He is one of the league’s best players. As a result, he is likely to command a seven-year contract worth anywhere from $11 to $13 million a season. The Bruins have a $12 million cap. However, Tavares is someone that is worth having on the team. With Tavares on the team, he would be surrounded by high-scoring talent. The franchise had the sixth most goals in the NHL, with the fourth-best powerplay in the league, this past season. Additionally, 11 of the Bruins scored more than 10 goals, and having Tavares, who has never scored fewer than 24 goals, would make the Bruins’ offense the best in the league. Tavares would also join a power play with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
The following top six would be amazing on the ice:
Marchand–Bergeron– Anders Bjork/Donato
DeBrusk–Tavares–Pastrnak
Who Tavares would be joining
The Bruins have some of the best young players in the league. Charlie McAvoy is one of the most talented defensemen. Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen both had more than 40 points as rookies this past season. David Pastrnak is one of the best young wingers in the world, scoring 150 points in 157 games in the past two seasons. Boston’s 2017 first round pick Urho Vaakanainen is entering September’s training camp with strong reviews. Adding Tavares would make the Bruins favorites when it comes to winning the Eastern Conference next season and possibly the Stanley Cup.
Lastly, unlike in New York where a lot of the home games were lacking in attendance, the Bruins are consistently selling out games, with some of the most passionate fans in the league. What player wouldn’t want to constantly play in full arenas, home or away?
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, if the Bruins can sign Tavares in free agency, then they should. If not, then the franchise needs to look at finding a backup goalie that isn’t questionable.
