Bruins sign four players during first day of free agency
On Monday afternoon, the Boston Bruins were one of the busiest teams in free agency. When the market opened at noon, Don Sweeney reshaped the roster by adding impact pieces. That included signing Elias Lindholm to a seven-year, $54.25M deal and Nikita Zadorov to a six-year contract with an annual $ 5 million cap hit. The Bruins also signed forward Max Jones to a two-year deal and winger Riley Tufte to a one-year deal.
In Lindholm, the Bruins are getting a forward they can add to their top six. During the 2023-2024 campaign, Lindholm split time between the Flames and Canucks, recording 42 points in 75 games. While he struggled after a midseason trade, Lindholm is only one season removed from a 64-point campaign. The Bruins hope he can rediscover that form while playing alongside one of the best goal scorers in the league in David Pastrnak.
Joining Lindholm is Zadorov, who will be counted as a main piece of the blue line for the next six years. While the former first-round pick provides a little offense, he is known for his physical style of play. During the 2023-2024 campaign, he recorded 177 hits and blocked 49 shots. He is projected to team up with Brandon Carlo on the Bruins' second D pairing.
After two big signings, Sweeney focused on improving the Bruins' depth. Since making his NHL debut during the 2018-2019 campaign, Jones has recorded 62 points in 258 games. Last season, he tied his career high in assists with 10. Tufte spent most of last season in the AHL, recording 45 points in 67 games.
With a busy day in the books, Sweeney has made the Bruins better. Lindholm has been a very productive forward and will now play alongside David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The defense should also get a boost with Zadorov in the mix after the departures of Derek Forbort and Matt Grzelcyk.
While the Bruins could still make minor changes in the coming weeks, Sweeney struck fast in free agency and was able to add impact pieces at areas of need.