Boston Bruins Sign Free Agent Matt Irwin
By Rob Eamer
The Boston Bruins have added depth to their blue line today by signing 27-year old unrestricted free agent Matt Irwin. Irwin has played his last three seasons with the San Jose Sharks playing in 153 games where he put 16 goals and 34 points while averaging 18:16 minutes per game. Prior to that, he played three seasons for the AHL’s Worcester Sharks where scored 22 goals and 88 points in 175 games after being signed as an undrafted player in 2010.
Several scouting sources have described him as a big, strong puck-moving defenseman who has the ability to jump up into the rush and has a strong slapshot from the point.
Irwin could be an asset due to his offensive skills in leading the power play and his good vision. However, he’s received some critical assessments as well. He needs to tighten up his defensive game to make better use of his big 6’2″ 210lb frame. If coach Claude Julien continues his defense-first ways which many suspect he will, Irwin could be seen as a liability and relegated to the bottom defensive pair until he proves that he can play solid defense.
Overall, Matt Irwin seems like a great fit in the Bruins lineup and he may see himself in a top-4 defense pairing when the Bruins hit the ice this fall. He is also a steal at $800,000 for a one-year contract.
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With the addition of Colin Miller acquired in the Milan Lucic trade, and younger talent like Zach Trotman and Joe Morrow getting a taste for the NHL, there will be a number of quality guys completing for a spot in the lineup and this is great news for Bruins fans who were shocked and saddened to see Dougie Hamilton dealt away.
This latest signing comes after a number of smart signing by General Manager Don Sweeney who has struggled to clean up the Bruins cap troubles left by former GM Peter Chiarelli after Chiarelli entered players into arguably overpriced contracts with no-trade clauses.