Bruins make first big move of their offseason

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

On Monday afternoon, the Bruins made their first big offseason move in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Veterans Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno were dealt to Chicago for the rights to restricted free agents Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula. While Foligno and Hall were solid players during their tenures in Boston, this move gives the Bruins more room to operate this offseason.

With the trade finalized, the Bruins have opened $ 6 million in cap space. That could be used to resign Tyler Bertuzzi, who quickly became a fan favorite after the Bruins acquired him at the trade deadline last season. Bertuzzi was one of their best forwards in the playoffs, as he recorded 10 points in seven games. Boston doesn’t save space by moving Foligno but now has two intriguing pieces in Mitchell and Regula.

Mitchell is a right-shot defenseman who was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He also played for Jim Montgomery at the University of Denver. Since making his NHL debut during the 2020-2021 campaign, he has recorded 16 points in 82 games.

Like Mitchell, Regula has seen limited time over the last three seasons. The Michigan native has appeared in 22 games in that span and recorded one point. While his statistics don’t jump off the page, he could serve as a depth piece with Connor Clifton potentially leaving in free agency.

Following a busy start to the week, the Bruins have a little over $ 10 million in cap space to work with this summer. That will be key in adding and retaining young talent such as Bertuzzi, who is only 28. More moves could be on the horizon, but the first domino has now fallen as the Bruins attempt to put a disappointing playoff exit in the rearview mirror.

Follow Jamie on Twitter @JamieGatlin17

For additional Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, MLB and NFL content follow Beyond the Monster on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr.

Join our new Facebook group for all of our latest content, click the link here.